22 March 2011

Mole's foot amulet

Another item from the Science Museum (U.K.):
[C]arrying a mole’s forefoot in a pocket as an amulet to prevent cramp is a medical tradition specific to the East Anglian region of England. The feet were either hacked off a mole or bought from a shop. As an amulet against toothache, moles’ feet have a much longer and wider tradition, being recommended by the Roman writer Pliny in the first century CE. The mole foot was purchased in 1930 from Edward Lovett’s (1852-1933) collection of British amulets and charms. It is shown here with a similar example (A79966).

2 comments:

  1. I don't suppose you know where a person could get hold of some moles feet do you?

    ReplyDelete
  2. From a Mole,... they're available in sets of four.

    ReplyDelete

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