Folklore of Dowsing

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The Folklore of Dowsing

Author(s): Theodore BestermanSource: Folklore, Vol. 37, No. 2 (Jun. 30, 1926), pp. 113-133Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1255685

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j f o khalOre2WRANSACTIONS OF THE FOLK-LORE SOCIETY

Vol. XXXVII.] JUNE, 1926. [No. II.

THE FOLKLORE OF DOWSING.xBY THEODORE BESTERMAN.

(Read at Meeting, 23rd 7une, 1926.)My subject this evening is, in the words of The Handbookof Folklore, " the Divining Rod, the representative of themagician's wand, perhaps the most ancient magicalinstrument in the world, which is still in use to discoversprings of water, and even, it seems, veins of ore and hiddentreasures." 2 The view of dowsing expressed in thesewords is still that of a majority of intelligent persons.My own attitude, however, is rather different. I " believe "in dowsing, that is, I believe that the dowser is really ableto discover hidden things of all kinds by means other thannormal; in short, I believe dowsing to be a fact and not apiece of folklore. Therefore I have excluded from con-sideration in this paper all cases of dowsing unaccompanied

1I am indebted for portions of my material to the late Sir WilliamBarrett and to the late Mr. Ernest Westlake, and for assistance withScandinavian and Czech sources to Mr. L. C. Wharton.2 The Handbook of Folklore, (1914 edit.), p. 133.H


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114 The Folklore of Dowsing.by ceremonial or other practices or beliefs of a specificallyfolklore nature. Ordinary dowsing has been dealt withelsewhere.3 This course has the advantage of enabling usto reject enormous accumulations of evidence of a purelycommercial and experimental kind, and to confine ourselvesto genuine specimens of popular belief and practice.Within this definition I do not know of any example ofEnglish dowsing folklore. In support of this attitude maybe cited the view of Robert Hunt, who explains that hesays nothing about Cornish dowsing in his Popular Romancesbecause it was a late foreign introduction.4 This is histori-cally true, for the first discussion of dowsing in an Englishwork occurs in Robert Fludd's Philosophia Moysaica(Gouda, 1638, p. I117), though even this can only be calledan English work by courtesy, since it is in Latin and waspublished in the Netherlands. The earliest reference inEnglish is in Gabriel Plattes's A Discovery of SubterraneallTreasure, (1639, pp. I-13). Nothing of folklore interest isfound in connection with the modern dowser because hehas made a business of his ability, and " a professionaldowser makes no mystery or hocus-pocus about it." 5In the West of Scotland, we learn, a hazel-rod, "Whenused as a divining rod . . . if it were cut on St. John's Dayor Good Friday, would be certain to be a successful instru-ment of divination." 6 In some parts of France, Mannhardtstates, without giving his authority, the people dance roundthe fires which are believed to appear on the night ofSt. John's, with hazel-rods in their hands.' But no genuine

3 Sir. W. Barrett and Th. Besterman, The Divining-Rod : an Experi-mental and Psychological Investigation, (1926).4 R. Hunt, Popular Romances of the West of England, etc., (1881,

3rd edit.), p. 29.5 F. T. Elworthy, The Evil Eye, (1895), p. 46.6 J. Napier, Folk Lore : or, Superstitious Beliefs in the West of Scotland,

(Paisley, 1879), p. 125.7 W. Mannhardt, Die G6tter der deutschen und nordischen Volker,

(Berlin, i86o), p. 201.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 115piece of French dowsing folklore, none, that is, dating fromearlier than 1553, is known to me. This date is the onemarking the first mention of dowsing in a French book.8

Proceeding to Scandinavia, we find the items becoming alittle more numerous. No less a person than Linnaeustook part in a dowsing experiment in Sweden,9 wherethe dowser is called a " Dalkarl." 10 According to atwelfth century Ms. you should find a mountain-ash(Eberesche)which has grown from a seed dropped out of abird's beak. Go at twilight between the third day andnight after Lady Day and break off a twig. This twigmust not come into contact with iron or steel, nor must itbe allowed to fall to the ground. The Ms. then proceedto various pseudo-magical directions for the use of thisrod." According to other accounts the rod should be madeof mistletoe (in this case used for the finding of treasure),12 ofhazel, birch, or rowan.13 Elsewhere we have a descriptionof a rather unusual kind of rod :-

"It is on St. Hans' Eve'n [St. John's Eve] that the so-called'Slag Ruta,' the mystic implement with which the treasure-8 P. Belon, Les observations de plusieurs singularitez et choses memor-ables, (Paris, 1553), tom. i., p. 45. See, however, [Baron Pierre Martin]de Caila, " Sur quelques monumens, usages et traditions antiques du

d6partment de la Gironde," Memoires de l'Academie Celtique, (Paris,1809), tom. iv., pp. 267-268; Am6lie Bosquet, La Normandie roman-esque et merveilleuse, (Paris and Rouen, I845), p. 304.9C. Linnaeus, Skdnska Resa, (Stockholm, 175i), pp. 160-I.10 E. M. Arndt, " Winke aus germanischen Sprachen, Gebrduchen undGesetzen," Rheiniches Museum ffir Philologie, Geschichte und griech-ische Philosophie, (Bonn, 1828), Bd. ii., p. 252; of. ibid., Bd. ii., pp.247, 353.11A. Kuhn, Die Herabkunft des Feuers und des G6ttertranks, (Berlin,

1859), quoting Runa, (Stockholm, 1845), p. 63. Kuhn's renderingseems doubtful: cp. J. Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie, ed. by ElandHugo Meyer, (Berlin, 1875-8, 4th edit.), Bd. iii., p. 289; W. K. Kelly,Curiosities of Indo-European Tradition and Folk-Lore, (1863), pp. 168-9.12A. A. Afzelius, Swenska Folkets Sago-H4fder, (Stockholm, 1839-74),vol. i., pp. 18-I9.is L. F. RiAf, Ydre h4rad i Osterg6thland, (Link6ping, 1856), vol.i., pp. I33-5.


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116 The Folklore of Dowsing.seeker discovers wealth hidden underground,must be prepared,if it is to be possessed of the needful power.The 'Slag Ruta ' is of square form, from eighteen to twenty-four inches in diameter, and is constructed of four sticks dove-tailed into each other at the ends. But these four sticks mustconsist of as many different kinds of mystic wood, viz.: of asapling of mountain-ash that has implanted itself (the seedhaving been conveyed by a bird or wafted by the wind) in themould, or rather vegetable matter, collected in the hollow rootof a fallen tree; of a shoot of the aspen-tree, of which woodour Saviour's cross is believed to have consisted; of mistletoe,with a shaft whereof Balder, the good god,was, as relatedin theScandinavianmythology, slain by his brother Hoder; and of afourth kind of wood, the name of which has escaped me.Provided with the 'Slag Ruta,' the treasure-seeker aftersundown proceeds to the spot where he expects to find hiddenwealth, when he lays the mystic implement on the ground,first in one place, and then in another, and when at length itrests directly over the coveted treasure, it will of itself begin tomove as if alive ! But the operation must be conducted inprofound silence, for should the man speak a single word, ormake the slightest noise, the charm-for that night at least-isat once broken, and his labourswill prove vain."Our authority proceeds to say that there are many legendsconcerning the wonderful discoveries made in this way,but he does not record any.14In Denmark, treasures are believed to be found with arod, called the " Finkelrut," which is cut during St. John'sNight, while invoking the Holy Trinity.15 According toanother account such rods are used for finding water, butthey should be of willow and used by a man born under

14L. Lloyd, Peasant Life in Sweden, (1870), pp. 266-7. See alsoEva Wigstr6m, Folksdiktning i Skdne, (Copenhagen, I88o-I), vol. i.,pp. 105, 200 ; J. W. Broberg, Bidrag frdn vdr Folksmedicins Vidske-pelser, (Stockholm, 1878), p. 22; Walter Leaf, "Vis-Knut," Pro-ceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, vol. xxi., (1908-9), pp.142, 146.

15 H. F. Feilberg, Dansk Bondeliv, (Copenhagen, 1889), p. 364.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 117Aquarius; on Jutland Heath, we are informed, marl isfound in this way.16 It is interesting to note that in thearms of the ancient Danish family of Bille is a figure of atroll holding a sapling; tradition has it that during atime of drought such a troll came with a sapling in his handand found water.17

We may now travel into Germany, in many parts ofwhich we shall find dowsing folklore widely distributed.18Immediately south of the Danish frontier, in Schleswig,near Gutin, is the village of Gross-Meinsdorf, which be-longed before 1426 to the noble family of Meinsdorf. Onemember of this family combined his nobleness with theoccupation of a robber. This he presumably found moreprofitable, for he specialised in the merchants from Ltibeck.In the course of time, the soldiers of that city were sent outafter the robber-nobleman, who buried the treasure he hadaccumulated and set the devil on guard over it. The devilwas faithful to his trust, and once in every seven years,during the night, he set the treasure aglow. After thecastle had disappeared with its noble family, the site wasoccupied by the house of a small landowner, who had oftenobserved the glowing of the treasure. One day there cameto him a man with a dowsing-rod, who promised to findthe treasure if the peasant would sign a paper which wasput before him. Unable to write, the latter called his wife,whereupon the stranger refused to show the paper, and waseventually thrown out for his pains. He had, however,been so careless as to allow his rod to give its indications,upon which the landowner promptly began to act. Whilehe was digging a huge sow ran round the house with wild16J. Kamp, Danske Folkeminder, (Bodense, 1877), p. 169, No. 443.17 B. Thorpe, Northern Mythology, (1851), vol. ii., p. 238; G. S.Streatfield, in Notes and Queries, (1878), 5S. vol. x., pp. 355-356;Torben de Bille, in ibid., 5S. vol. xi., pp. 157-8.18Montanus [i.e., Wilhelm von Waldbrucht), Die deutschen Volks-feste, Jahren- und Familien- Feste, (Iserlohn and Ellerfeld, 1854), PP.118-9, 152.


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118 The Folklore of Dowsing.screams. Undeterred the peasant at last felt his toolstrike on an iron box, and, filled with joy, called his wife;no sooner had he done so than the box disappeared andcould not be found. The house was afterwards destroyed,and the site of the treasure is now in the " LambrechtschenGarten." The glowing of the treasure was last observedin 1781. In this neighbourhood the dowsing-rod must bea forked twig, one year old, cut at a given time (which isunspecified), with the words,-" In the names of theFather, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." 19 From anothersource we learn that the wood used for this purpose iswillow.20

In neighbouring Mecklenburg, however, the rod may be ofwillow or of thorn, but it must be cut on St. John's Day.21In the early years of the nineteenth century there existedin this part of Germany a society of treasure-hunters.One of the members of this body left it and gave Informationconcerning it to Mussius. The account is too long toquote; they used the dowsing-rod, complete with con-jurations, invocations, and so forth, apparently from amagical work of the sixteenth century.22 At Warlow,near Ludwigslust, in Mecklenburg, has been found thebelief that if a rod, apparently of thorn,23 is cut beforesunrise on Good Friday, and addressed with the words,-" God greet thee, noble rod! In the name of God theFather I sought thee, in the name of God the Son I foundthee, in the name of God the Holy Ghost I cut thee," such a19K. Miillenhoff, Sagen, Miirchen und Lieder der HerzogthiimerSchleswig Holstein und Lauenburg, (Kiel, 1845), pp. 203-4, No. 277 (i).20 A. Wuttke, Der deutsche Volksaberglaubeder Gegenwart, ed. by E.H. Meyer, (Berlin, 1900, 3rd edit.), p. 109, ? 143.21 Ibid., pp. 79, 109, ?? 92, 143; cf. pp. 149, 270-I, 384-5, ?? 208,398, 585.

22 J. MUSSRus," Meklenburgische Volksmihrchen," Jahrbi4cher desVereins fiur meklenburgische Geschichte und Alterthumskunde, (Schwerin,1840), Bd. v., pp. 109-118, No. 25.

23 K. Bartsch, Sagen, Mirchen und Gebriiuche aus Meklenburg, (Vienna,1879-80), Bd. ii., p. 258, Nos. 1347-8.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. II9rod becomes able to find treasures and to cure all illnesses.24In the same locality there is, however, a folk-saying accord-ing to which treasures in the earth glow on St. John's Day,on which day the rod must be cut from a hazel-tree.25 AtBriitz the rod is directed to be cut during St. John's nightfrom a hazel-tree, being then competent to find hiddenmoney and water.26 At Klitz it is said that to findtreasure you should cut a willow-rod between twelve andone, noon or midnight, on St. John's Day. Having foundthe right place with the help of the rod thus obtained, takecare not to speak while you are digging, happen what will.Once, while such a digging was in progress during the night,it suddenly became as light as day. The devil appearedand held suspended over the heads of the treasure-seekersa millstone hanging on a thread. But the men calmly wenton digging. Then a four-in-hand drove quickly past.The men quietly continued their work. Behind thecarriage came hobbling an old woman all in white, whokept calling out,-" Schak wol mit furtkamen ? Schakwol mit furtkamen ? " This was too much for one of thediggers, who exclaimed,-" Du magst den Deuwel mitfurtkamen." In the same instant the treasure sunk anddisappeared.2" At Barkow is told the story that manyhundred years ago a rich man buried his treasure, plantinga pear-tree on the spot. No one could find the place untilthere came a man with a dowsing-rod. He had nearlylifted out a chest full of gold and silver when a black spiritappeared to him with the information that the treasurecould only be taken by one who rode round the place on aspotlessly black he-goat. With that the chest disappearedamid the sound of gruesome rattlings of chains, while allthe lanterns went out.28

24 Ibid., Bd. ii., p. 258, No. 1349. 25 Ibid., Bd. ii., p. 285, No. 1431.26 Ibid., Bd. ii., p. 288, No. 1439 ; cf. Bd. ii., p. 351, No. 1649.27 Ibid., Bd. ii., P 351, No. 1648.28Ibid., vol. i., p. 241, No. 312. See also J. Mussdius, p. cit., Bd. v.,

pp. 84-6, No. 9.


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120 The Folklore of Dowsing.The belief at Gramzow, in the Pomeranian Ukermark, isthat the rod must be cut, backwards, from a hazel, on St.John's Day, and must then be bound on a child about tobe baptised and to receive the name of John.29 The hazel-rod is also known in East Prussia.30 Returning to the westof the country, to the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, wefind beliefs that to discover treasure, metallic veins, and

occasionally springs of water, you should find a one-year-oldhazel-rod the forks of which are of equal length and sogrowing that the noon sun shines through them. Accord-ing to some this rod should be cut at noon on St. John's Day.According to others (in Miinsterland) it should be cutbetween eleven and twelve o'clock during the night of St.John from a tree which has had seven shoots in a year.Others declare (Ammerland district) the right wood to bethorn, while agreeing with the last-mentioned hours.31At Sulz-on-the-Rhine the dowsing-rod must be a forkedhazel-rod which has grown in a year, and must be cut atmidnight on Good Friday. When it has been placed onthe altar and has had Holy Mass read over it, the rod canbe used by a Protestant. When these ceremonies arecompleted, the forks are taken in the hands and the wordspronounced,-" Dowsing-rod, I conjure you in the namesof God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." It willthen indicate money and water.32The inhabitants of Klausthal, in the Hanover HarzMountains, believe that a rod from a fir-tree will indicate

29 A. Kuhn and W. Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Mirchen undGebrduche aus Meklenburg, Pommern, der Mark, Sachsen, Thiringen,Braunschweig, Hannover, Oldenburg und Westfallen, (Leipsic, 1848),p. 393, No. go. This passage is incorrectly rendered by B. Thorpe,op. cit., vol. iii., p. 141.30 C. Lemke, Volksthiimliches in Ostpreussen, (Mohungen and Allen-stein, 1884-9), vol. ii., p. 282, s.v. " Corylus Avellana."

31 L. Strackerjan, Aberglaube und Sagen aus dem Herzogthum Olden-burg, (Oldenburg, 1867), Bd. i., p. 98, No. 137.32 E. Meier, Deutsche Sagen, Sitten und Gebrdiuche aus Schwaben,(Stuttgard, 1852), P. 245, No. 268 (i).


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 121the presence of ore. In Harzburg the rod is called the" Wickeruthe " and must be broken, never cut, from ahazel or from a currant-bush, and that only between thehours of eleven and twelve during the night of MaundyThursday. It must then be put privily with a child aboutto be baptised, and take the name the child receives. Ayoung woman told the recorder of these beliefs that herfather had once possessed such a rod, named Johanne.The fork, which should have sprouted the same year, theman had bound with white leather, on which he hadmarked a head in blue thread and a nose in white, so that ithad a questioning look (wonach aussah). The daughteronce saw her father take this rod in his hands in the custo-mary manner, and say,-" Wickeraue Johanne, ick frae dik,is hier Geld vorhanden? " (" Rod Johanne, I ask thee, isthere money here ? "). In reply the rod nearly hit him inthe face, and money was actually found at the spotindicated.33

A calendar of 1663, apparently dealing with Hesse,directs that the rod should be of hazel, torn from the treewith one quick motion with the hand; the searcher forgold must be what is astrologically called solar, and forsilver lunar.34 It being believed that a great treasure washidden in the Frauenberg, near Marburg, three men agreedto find it. They knew that this could be done with a forkedhazel-rod broken off on the frontier at midnight of the first(Sunday?) in Advent. This they accordingly did, and setout, agreeing not to speak. With the help of the rod thetreasure was soon found, but, being in a big copper pot, itproved too heavy to pull out, and they went on digging,soon finding that they were making no impression.Suddenly a dog appeared, small and so young that it

33 H. Pr6hle, Harzbilder : Sitten und Gebrducheaus dem Harzgebirge,(Leipsic, 1855), P. 79, No. 24.3, C. Lyncker, Deutsche Sagen und Sitten in Hessichen Gauen, (Cassel,1854), pp. 102-4, No. 158 : cf. p. 105, No. 16o.


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122 The Folklore of Dowsing.could not bite, but making such a noise that one of the menmade as if to run away. One of the others, forgettinghimself, swore, at which the pot disappeared, dog and all,never to be found again.35 In the Mark, to obtain a dowsing-rod you should silently approach a hazel backwards on St.John's Night and cut a forked rod. To know whether therod is in order place it in water, and if so it will squeal likea pig; you can then find hidden treasures with it.36

It is said in the Spreewald that if you carry a dowsing-rod with you, you know where money lies, for the rod willturn to indicate it. To find treasure take the rod atmidnight to a cross-roads, beat a circle round yourself withit, and do not weaken whatever may come. This rodmust be a forked hazel and baptised the next Easter(after it is obtained?) with a child, the name of which ittakes. (Though, to be sure, some say that it should be ofyellow willow and blessed in church.) To be baptised therod must be wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid on awhite plate. Of course, you have to know how to addressit. The manner of dowsing is unusual, for you leave therod at home on the plate, where it turns and gives itsindications until you go to the right spot.37 One does notusually look for folklore in big cities, but Krause had

thehappy idea of collecting that of Berlin. There he foundthe belief that on every hazel-tree there grows a dowsing-rod once in seven years. Only a child born on Sunday,who has the true faith and who is quite innocent, can findit, and then only on St. John's Night. To such a child allthe treasures of the earth stand open.38

35Ibid., pp. 104-5, No. 159.36 A. Kuhn, Mdrkische Sagen und Mdrchen, (Berlin, 1843), p. 33o.37 W. von Schulenburg, Wendische Volkssagen und Gebriuche aus dem

Spreewald, (Leipsic, 188o), pp. 204-5.38E. Krause, " Abergldubliche Kuren und samtiger Aberglaube inBerlin und nichster Umgebung gesammelt in den Jahren 1862-1882,"Zeitschrift fiir Ethnologie, (Berlin, 1883), Bd. xv., p. 89.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 123A dowsing-rod in Bavaria, where its use is well-known,39

should be cut with a new knife from a white hazel. Thisshould be done in the name of the Trinity before sunriseduring the night of St. John's Day, Good Friday, or aSunday during new moon.40 At Vohenstrauss, in theUpper Palatinate of East Bavaria, a dowsing-rod must be aforked rod of hazel or willow. Such a rod is used fordiscovering thieves, stolen things that have been buried,water, and the end of an illness. A true dowsing-rod mustbe obtained from the same year's growth of a young treeat a given time on a given day (neither specified), withthree upward cuts and immediately baptised, given aname, and three crosses made over it with the hand. Itwill then be an infallible oracle, subject only to the con-dition that a cross is made over it before each occasion ofuse.41 A dowsing-rod in the Lechrain, South Bavaria,is a one-year-old forked twig which has been cut on St.John's Day, Twelfth-Day, during the night of Shrove-Tuesday, or before sunrise during new moon. Whilecutting the rod, you say,-" I cut thee, dear rod, that thoumayest tell me what I do ask thee, and not move thyself tillthou hast found the truth." 42 At Wurmlingen andTuttlingen in South-West Bavaria they will tell you thata dowsing-rod must be a twig one year old with forks ofequal length, which has been so hidden during the cele-bration of the mass that it was blessed. With such a rodall treasures can be found,43 as is proved by a lengthy

S9See, e.g., J. A. Schmeller, Bayerisches W6rterbuch (Stuttgard andTiibingen, 1836-1837), Bd. iii., p. 171 ; Bd. iv., pp. 119, 310.40 A. Quitzmann, Die Heidnische Religion der Baiwaren, (Leipsic and

Heidelberg, 1860), p. 27.41 Fr. Schdnwerth, A us der Oberpfalz: Sitten und Sagen, (Augsburg,1857-9), Bd. iii., pp. 216-7, ? 12.42 Karl, Freiherr von Leoprechting, A us dem Lechrain : zur deutschenSitten- und Sagenkunde, (Munich, 1855), p. 98.43 A. Birlingir, Volksthiimliches aus Schwaben, (Freiburg-in-the-Breisgau, 1861-2), Bd. i., pp. 338-9, No. 569.


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124 The Folklore of Dowsing.folktale in which one achieves prodigies in that direc-tion.44

Dowsing folklore is widely distributed in Switzerland.45In North Switzerland the rod with which you can findwhatever you desire must be prepared thus :-A man bornin Libra must cut from a hazel-tree a forked twig which hasgrown about sunrise. He must say,-" God greet thee,noble twig! With God the Father I searched for thee,with God the Son I found thee, with God the Holy Ghost Icut thee. I conjure thee, twig, by the might of the All-highest, to show me what I order thee, and may that be sosure and true, so pure and clear, as was Mary the Motherof God a pure virgin as she bore our Lord Jesus Christ.In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost !Amen ! " 46 In Basel the forked hazel-rods used by the" Brunneschm6kers " 47 for the discovery of springs, asthe name indicates, must be cut between the hours oftwelve and one during the night of Good Friday.4s Dows-ing has also left traces in the folklore and dialects ofAarau, the capital of the canton of Aargau,49and of Lucerne.50In the latter district fish bones, as well as hazel-rods, are

44Ibid., Bd. i., pp. 87-8, No. 118; cp. C. Lyncker, op. cit., p. 104,No. 159.

45E.g., E. Hoffman-Krayer, in Schweizerisches Archiv fifr Volks-kunde, (Zurich), Bd. iii., (1899), pp. 173-5; Bd. iv., (1900), p. 243; A.Kiichler, in ibid., Bd. iv. (1900), pp. 241-3.

46 Th. Vernaleken, Alpenzagen : VolksiTberlieferungenaus der Schweiz,aus Vorarlberg, Kirnten, Steiermark, Salzburg, Ober- und Nieder6ster-reich, (Vienna, 1858), pp. 415-6, No. 128.

47G. A. Seiler, Die Basler Mundart, (Basel, 1879), p. 43, s.v." Brunneschmdker."48Ibid, pp. 163-4, s.v. " d'Haselstude."

49 I. Hunziker, Aargauer Worterbuch in der Lautform der LeerauerMundart, (Aarau, 1877), pp. 40, s.v. " brhnne "; 212, s.v. " ruete."

50F. J. Stalder, Versuch eines schweizerischen Idiotikon, (Basel andAarau, 1806-12), Bd. ii., p. 503, s.v. " zu Brunnen." See also T.Tobler, Appenzellischer Sprachschatz, (Zurich, 1837), pp. 80, 440.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 125used for dowsing.51 In the Rhaetian Alps it is believed thata forked hazel-rod, grown at sunrise, and broken off by oneborn in Libra, can find treasures and veins.52These Alps lead us into Tirol, where folklore connectedwith dowsing is universal.53 It is believed that forkedhazel-rods, cut during Midsummer Night, are the bestdowsing-rods,54 though in the Innthal Good Friday isconsidered the auspicious day for this purpose.55 Accord-ing to one native the rod must be taken from a whitehazel-tree with three cuts from a new knife. This shouldbe done before sunrise on a new Sunday, that is, a Sundayin new moon, and in the name of the Trinity. The rodshould then be baptised in the name of Caspar if it isintended to search for gold, Balthasar for silver, Melchiorfor water.56 This particular detail we meet here for thefirst time; rods actually inscribed with these names havebeen found.'5 Another account adds the particulars thatthe rod should have grown at a cross-roads, and that itmay also be cut before sunrise on St. John's or TwelfthDay, or during Christmas Night when the bells are beingrung, but then, apparently, the twig must be one a yearold.58

51 A. Lfitolf, Sagen, Briuche, Legenden aus den fiinf Orten Lucern,Uri, Schwiz, Unterwalden und Bug, (Lucern, 1862), p. 371, No. 340 (b.)15 F. J. Vonbun, Beitr4ge zur deutschen Mythologie, gesammelt in

Churrhaetien, (Chur, 1862), p. 127.-3 J. Nepomuk [Mahlschedl], Ritter von Alpenburg, Mythen undSagen Tirols, (Zurich, 1857), pp. 392-4; I. V. Zingerle, Sitten, Briiucheund Meinungen des Tirols, (Innsbruck, 1871, 2nd edit.), pp. 104, 149, 187,189.54 I. V. Zingerle, op. cit., p. 104, No. 890; but see p. 187, No. 1543,

p. 189, No. 1560.65Ibid., p. 149, No. 1281.

56 Ibid., loc. cit. See also id. " Wald, Baume, Krauter," Zeitschriftfiir deutsche Mythologie und Sittenkunde, (G6ttingen, 1853), Bd. i.,p. 327.-5 [P. Lebrun], Histoire critique des pratiques superstitieuses, (Rouenand Paris, 1702), tom. ii., p. 635.58J. Nepomuk [Mahlschedl], op. cit., p. 393.


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126 The Folklore of Dowsing.In North Moravia a dowsing-rod for finding treasuresshould be made of hazel.59 There is a Czech belief that a

dowsing-rod should be a white hazel-rod which has beencut on Good Friday with three cuts made with a newknife, and which has been wrapped in a white cloth andthus baptised in the name of Caspar, Balthasar, or Melchior,according to whether it is to be used for the discovery ofgold, silver, or water.60A tale is told that a long time ago, in a valley of the Car-pathians, a woodcutter and his wife lived in great poverty.Once the woodcutter said to his wife,-" If we could butsucceed in finding the wizard's rod all our need would havean end at one blow." " But how is to be recognised thetree from which the wizard's twig has to be broken? "asked the wife. " For that," replied her husband, " youmust walk through the whole wood, and at the hour ofmidnight you must listen to find which tree begins to sing;from that one you must then quickly break off a twig,and run as hard as you can to get out of the wood. Then,during the next full moon, you must run round the wholevalley, striking every rock you pass with the wizard's rod.When you chance upon the right rock it will split andform a cave. Going into it you will find endless treasure,and then we are rich folk. All this was told to me by themountain spirit, to whom I once rendered a great service.Often already I have spent nights in the woods, but alwaysI have failed to find the tree." From this time bothtogether often wandered through the wood. One nightthere was such a tempest outside that the wife did notventure out. Only the man huddled himself in his cloakand made his way out. Suddenly he noticed that it was

59W. Miiller, Beitrige zur Volkskunde den Deutschen in Mihren,(Vienna and Olmiitz, 1893), p. 265.

so J. V. Hou'ka, Druha sbirka pover narodnich v (echich," Casopis(eskbho Musea, (Prague, 1854), vol. xxviii., p. 533. Cf. J. V. Grohmann," Aberglauben und Gebriuche aus Bohmen und Mahren," Beitrige zurGeschichteB6hmens, (Prague, 1864), Bd. ii., p. 215, ? 1485.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 127not raining where he stood, while barely two paces awaythe fearful tempest raged around him. Mechanically hestayed in his place and awaited the departure of the storm.Thus approached the midnight hour. Then the tempeststopped, and, as the woodcutter was about to go on,suddenly the tree which stood behind him softly began tosing. Quickly he turned round, clambered up the tree,broke off a twig, and ran hurriedly away. He reached hishome quite exhausted, and showed his wife the find.Scarcely had the next night of full moon come round, whenhe was already in the valley with his wizard-rod, runningaround and knocking everywhere. One of the big rockssuddenly burst open. He was about to go in, but jumpedback with fright as he saw a man standing before him.But the man nodded in a friendly way and so he went in,when he was almost blinded by heaps of diamonds. In hisignorance he took it all for glass and left it lying. Insteadhe so loaded himself with gold that he could hardly drag itout, and threw away the rod. As he went out the oldman looked at him meaningly, to remind him that he hadleft the wizard-rod behind. But the woodcutter thoughthe was being threatened, and ran away with his treasure.Only at home he remembered the little wand, and it wasnow clear to him why the old man had looked at him someaningly. Quickly he ran back, but the rock wasclosed.61I have quoted this characteristic and beautiful folktaleto illustrate the narrow line that separates the wizard-rod,or rod of power, from the dowsing-rod, a line that some-times, as in the present tale, cannot be drawn. It wouldunfortunately take me too far afield to consider rods ingeneral in the present paper.62

61 Th. Vernaleken, Mythen und Brduche des Volkes in Oesterreich,(Vienna, 1859), pp. 143-5, No. 24.62 For beliefs and legends of various types about rods, especiallyhazel-rods, see A. von Herrlein, Die Sagen des Spessarts, (Aschaffenburg,1851), pp. 65-6; E. Meier, op. cit., pp. 245-6, No. 268 (ii) ; A. Liutolf,


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128 The Folklore of Dowsing.To return to our survey, the Magyars also havemagical rods and hazel-rods.63 If any one desires to find

treasure, on the last day of the year he sacrifices a blackhen and goes to a hazel-tree. There he buries the heart,throws away the feathers, and hangs the bones on the tree.The rod must be cut with closed eyes and at a single stroke,while a prayer is spoken. He must then hop three timesround the tree on his left leg, at the same time repeatingthe prayer. He may then take the rod home and proceedto prepare it thus :-before sunrise on New Year's Dayhe must strip the rod and moisten it with blood drawn fromhis left leg and arm. Before doing this he reduces thebark to ash, and causes an innocent girl to mix this intounsoured bread, which is to form his next food. A certainwidow whom Wlislocki watched during such a performancein 1883, said,-" I give blood to the rod. She gives me itsbark, which I consume; in this way we are bound to eachother, betrothed as it were, and when the moment is comewhen my strength has reached the time when it mustbreak out, then the rod must show me exactly where ishidden the treasure which I am appointed to raise." This" strength " is a mystical quality and is hereditary.

Wlislocki also gives the prayer which is referred to inthis account, as it was spoken by a woman,-" HolyChristopher, hear my prayers ! Seven serpents have theevil spirits sent into my body, with which they steal myunderstanding, with which they steal my strength, withop. cit., p. 371, No. 340 (a) ; F. J. Vonbun, op. cit., p. 127 ; id., DieSagen Vorarlbergs, ed. by Hermann Sander, (Innsbruck, 1889, 2ndedit.), pp. 127-9; J. F. Vonbun, Volkssagen aus Vorarlberg, (Vienna,1847), pp. 7-8; id., " Volkssagen aus Vorarlberg," Die deutschenMundarten, (Nuremberg, 1856), Bd. iii., pp. 21o, No. i; Th. Vernaleken,Alpenzagen, (Vienna, 1858), pp. 290-1, No. 208; J. Nepomuk [Mahl-schedl], op. cit., p. 392 ; I. V. Zingerle, " Wald, Baume, Kriuter,"Zeitschrift ftir deutsche Mythologie und Sittenkunde, (G6ttingen, 1853),Bd. i., p. 327 ; J. E. Waldfreund, " Volksgebrdiuche und Aberglaube inTirol und dem Salzburger Gebirg," in ibid., Bd. iii. (1855), pP. 339-40.

63 A. Ipolyi, Magyar Mythologia, (Pest, 1854), P. 402,


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 129which they waste my heart! Gracious Christopher,shatter with thy golden hammer the heads of these snakes ;with this crown of serpents [which she held in her hand]order them peace ! Loyally I remember every hour thyevery day that the sparks of thy strength which is in memay not light but once into a golden fire, into a diamondfire, into a carbuncle fire, which shall light us in our bridalnight! Help me, holy Christopher, with the might of thyhammer! Amen!"64

According to Wlislocki also, the gipsies have a belief thatduring Passion Week the hazel-snake, which at other timeslives hundreds of miles deep in the earth, comes up to layits eggs in the roots of the hazel-tree. Anyone who cancapture the snake, or reach one of its eggs, attains to greatwealth. A hazel-twig, broken off on Good Friday Nightwhere the serpent has laid an egg, helps the owner to findprecious metals, buried treasure, and water. In order todiscover whether the twig has been cut at the right time, itis taken to the place where he suspects the presence oftreasure, making no sound, lest the Phuvush or earth-menshould kill him. When the rod turns, a white flame burstsfrom the ground ; this the seeker must beat with his hazel-rod as he circles round it thrice, saying,-" Earth-man,earth-man, if I can find the gold, I shall desire your welfare.Three chains shall I have made. One for God, of purestgold; one of bright silver, for the Holy Child; the third,forsooth, for Mary, holiest of all women ! Be gentle tome in the name of God ! " The treasure can then be taken,so long as no word is spoken and the seeker does not lookround.65

We have now surveyed the most characteristic examplesof dowsing folklore, but before I conclude I ought perhaps64 H. von Wlislocki, A us dem Volksleben der Magyaren, (Munich,

1893), pp. 87-89.65 Id., Volksglaube und religioser Brauch der Zigeuner, (Munster, i.

W., 1891), pp. 146-7.


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130 The Folklore of Dowsing.to make a few observations of a theoretical nature. Agreat many theories have been put forward in explanationof the facts here brought together,66 most on very slenderbases. For instance, Krauss records a practice in Herze-govina and Montenegro, according to which, as soon as theSippenfest or family-feast has begun, a boy stands before apicture of the patron of the house, holding in his hands aforked rod; round the rod is wound a candle made ofyellow wax. According to Krauss we are to recognise inthis, " quite unmistakeably," the wiinschelruote of theancient Germans."' But I fail to see the slightest reasonfor this assertion. The wishing-rod is certainly found asfar back as in Old High German,68and frequently in thetwelfth and thirteenth centuries,69 but the word was then

68 For miscellaneous discussions of this kind, see H. B. Schindler,Der Aberglaubedes Mittelalters, (Breslau, 1858), p. 218 ; A. W. Buckland,Anthropological Studies, (1891), pp. 140-159 ; C. Meyer, Der AberglaubedesMittelalters, (Basel, 1884), pp. 84-6, 92, 120, 128; L. A. J. W. BaronSloet, De Planten in het Germaansche Volksgeloof en Volksgebruik, (TheHague, 1890), pp. 80-6; id. " Het Volksgeloof aan het bovennatuur-lijke in het rijk der planten," De Gids, (Amsterdam, 1881), Vol. XLV.ii., pp. 231-5.For dowsing folklore in general, see also T. F. T. Dyer, EnglishFolk-lore, (188o), pp. 31-4; id., Folk-lore of Plants, (1889), pp. 265-270, 287; M. R. Cox, in Papers and Transactions, The Inter-national Folk-Lore Congress, 189i, (1892), pp. 439-42; H. Friend,Flowers and Flower Lore, 1892, (2nd edit.), pp. 285-7, 535-8 ; R. Folkard,Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics, (1884), pp. 113-5, 362-4; M. Busch,Deutscher Volksglaube, (Leipsic, 1877), pp. 134-7 ; J. Brand, Observationson Popular Antiquities, ed. by Sir Henry Ellis, (1888), pp. 760-2 ; G. H.Kinahan, ' Notes on Irish Folk-lore," Folk-Lore Record, (1881), vol. iv.,p. io6; G. Nerucci, " La Bacchetta Divinatoria," Archivio per lostudio delle Tradizioni Popolari, (Palermo, 1884), vol. iii., pp. 79-82;L. J. Vance, " Three Lessons in Rhabdomancy," The Journal ofAmerican Folk-lore, (Boston and New York), vol. iv. (1891), pp. 241-6;D. M. Cary, " Dowsing and Josing," Word-lore, vol. i. (1926), pp. 4-6.

67 F. S. Krauss, Sitte und Brauch der Siidslaven, (Vienna, 1885), p. 54.68 E. G. Graff, Althochdeutscher Sprachschatz, (Berlin, 1834-8), Bd. i.,

p. 905, s.v. " uunskiligartal "; vol. ii., p. 489, s.v. "hasilriuta "; vol. iv.,207, s.v. " uunschiligarta."

69Sir W. Barrett and Th. Besterman, op. cit., p. 6.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. I3used in reference to rhabdomantic and magical practices,and the relation between these rods and dowsing-rods is amatter of great difficulty. The attempt has repeatedlybeen made to find a paternity for them in Scandinavianmythology. But so speculative are these theories thatdifferent authorities have variously associated the dowsing-rod with Balder,70with Thor,7 and with Wotan.72A number of theories have been put forward on theassumption that the dowsing-rod is always believed to benecessarily of hazel. Thus Lippert suggests that hazel isused because the dead used to be buried under hazel-trees,73an assertion that is more than doubtful. Menzel sees inthe rod a symbol of reincarnation.'4 Mannhardt associatesthe rod with the belief in the possibility of acquiring thegold of the sun and the treasure of the clouds.'5 To Mrs.Philpot the idea underlying these rods was " that they wereanimated by an indwelling spirit, probably by the spiritof the tree from which they were cut." 76 Keary, afterdiscussing the oracular powers of the whispering leaves ofthe oaks of Dodona, of the Appolonic laurel at Delphi,and of the fabulous ash Ygdrasill, proceeds to say that" the divining rod has inherited its qualities from thedivining tree." 77Then the rod has been assimilated with the wand of

7oA. A. Afzelius, op. cit., vol. i., pp. 18-9.71J. Napier, op. cit., p. 125.72 J. Grimm, op. cit., Bd. iii., pp. 347, 813-6 ; of. Bd. iii., pp. 102, 188 ;K. Simrock, Handbuch der deutschen Mythologie, (Bonn, 1887, 6th edit.),p. 182, ? 66; of. pp. 88, ? 35 ; 498-9, ? 132.7 J. Lippert, Christenthum, Volksglaube und Volksbrauch, (Berlin,1882), pp. 478-9 ; of. p. 649.

7' W. Menzel, Odin, (Stuttgard, 1855), pp. 153-4.76W. Mannhardt, Die G6tter der deutschen und nordischen V6lker,(Berlin, I86o), p. 206; cf. W. Schwartz, " Die Wiinschelruthe alsQuellen- und Schatz sucher," Zeitschrift des vereins fiir Volkskunde,(Berlin), Bd. iii., (1893), pp. 72-6).'7 Mrs. J. H. Philpot, The Sacred Tree, (1897), p. Io3.77 C. F. Keary, Outlines of Primitive Belief, (1882), p. 62.


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132 The Folklore of Dowsing.

Hermes, which is sometimes figured as a forked rod,78andfigures of Mediterranean idols have been found bearingforked rods as symbols of their power.79 But, notwith-standing some suggestions to the contrary,so it is fairlyclear that dowsing was unknown in classical times,s81 ifonly from the absence of references to the practice. Pliny,who had a sharp eye for this sort of thing, has a good dealto say about water and its discovery, but nothing of dowsing.We may be sure that Varro's lost Virgula divina dealtmerely with divination. Still better reason for this opinionthat dowsing was unknown at this time is the fact that,so late as the fourth century A.D., Cassiodorus (Variarum,III. liii.) praises water-finders without allusion to oursubject; and the same applies to such specialist works asthe sixth-century De Re Rustica (IX. viii.) of Palladius andthe (probably) earlier De Architecturaof Vitruvius (VIII. i.).Many of the ideas to which students were led by dis-coveries along these various lines, were summed up in acompletely scholarly way by Adalbert Kuhn, a mythologistof the old school. Postulating the forked shape of the rod,which he imagined to be its universal and distinguishingcharacteristic, he took that shape to represent the humanbody, and to symbolise lightning and the thunderbolt,and thus, finally, to incarnate the god of lightning.82 Somuch for myths and myth-makers.

78 L. Preller, A usgewi4hlte Aufsidtze aus den Gebiete der classischenAlterthumswissenschaft, ed. by R. K6hler, (Berlin, 1864), p. 154.79 F. Creuzer-J. D. Guigniaut, Religions de l'antiquitl, (Paris, 1841),tom iv., plate Ivi. bis; cf. J. W. Tyndale, The Island of Sardinia,

(1849), vol. iii., pp. 221-2.80E.g., W. Robertson Smith, Lectures on the Religion of the Semites,(Edinburgh, 1889), p. 179 n. 5.81E.g., C. Boetticher, Der Baumkultus der Hellenen, (Berlin, 1886),pp. 232 et seq., and passim.

82 A. Kuhn, Die Herabkunft des Feuers und des G6ttertranks, (Berlin1859), pp. 204 et seq. ; cf. J. Fiske, Myths and Myth-Makers, (Boston,1873), PP- 37 et seq.


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The Folklore of Dowsing. 133All such theories fail because it is attempted to trace the

origin of dowsing through the forked shape of the rod orthrough its being a hazel-rod.83 This shape, however, isneither its original nor its universal form. In the oldestreferences even more than in contemporary practice theinstrument used varies in all ways. The substance of whichthe rod is made may be any kind of metal and wood; therods may be manufactured articles such as tongs, snuffers,or even (be it whispered) a German sausage. It is clear,therefore, that if the origin of dowsing is to be found itmust be sought through the practice and not through itsinstruments. On these grounds it is impossible to connectdowsing with any of the numerous ancient divinatorypractices. From the point of view of folklore we can onlysay with the learned William Pryce that " it is impossibleto ascertain the date or personality of the discovery, whichappears to me of very little consequence to posterity;but perhaps we may not be far off from the truth, if weincline to the opinion of Georgius Agricola, in his excellentLatin treatise De Re Metallica, that 'the application ofthe inchanted or divining rod to metallick matters took itsrise from magicians and the impure fountains of inchant-ment.' " 84 To that I would only add that if this littleproblem is to be solved at all, I believe it can only be donealong purely psychological lines.

THEODORE BESTERMAN.s8 But see Anton, Ritter von Perger, Deutsche Pflanzensagen, (Stutt-gard and Othningen, 1864), p. 241.84 W. Pryce, Mineralogia Cornubiensis, (1778), p. I13. The passagefrom Agricola is at p. 27 of De Re Metallica, (Basel, 1556).

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