Cimaruta

The cimaruta is an ancient charm, most commonly found in Italian folklore tradition, dating back at least to Roman times, if not further. It is steeped in fascinating symbolism and speaks strongly of a superstitious and incredibly rich culture.

If you have visited any museum containing magical or folklore related artifacts the chances are you’ve seen a Cimaruta and maybe not even realised. Pitt Rivers has a huge collection of them, which is where I first encountered these curious objects. They can also be seen at Frederic Mares Museum in Barcelona, the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall and many other places.

Typically the Cimaruta resembles a Rue sprig, which is a plant with an absolutely fascinating history and symbolism. Rue has been used since ancient times in cooking, herbal remedies and as a popular ingredient in spells and witchcraft. During the Middle Ages rue was used as a way for witches to recognise each other. As ever the church attempted to hijack this herb by calling it the ‘herb of grace’ and using it to sprinkle holy water on subjects.

There are also some fascinating folklore tales which feature rue. In Classical mythology it was believed that the basilisk could kill all plants with its breath, except rue. Weasels bitten by the Basilisk would eat rue to recover from their injuries and fight back. This may relate to beliefs that rue could help to cure poisoning. In other examples rue represents virginity, or regret.

The imagery of the Cimaruta itself is complex. With the herb closely associated to Diana and the three branches displayed are connected her Triformis nature. In addition, the small charms at the end of the branches each have their own meaning. The result of this is that each different Cimaruta’s symbolism is unique.
Commonly featured charms are the moon, a hand, a fish, a key, a serpent, a heart, a flower. The piece can often be dated by what charms it features, as later charms imagery is more influenced by Christianity.

Different interpretations of the use of these protective charms only serves to increase the mystery (and for me intrigue) surrounding them. It is generally thought that they were a charm against the evil eye and witchcraft. The overtly pagan imagery of the charms is argued as being valid as a weapon ‘against’ witchcraft as Christian elements on later examples balance out and defeat these heathen elements, thus protecting from witchcraft. I have to say this does sound rather illogical to me, and I’m far more inclined to believe the idea that these were worn by followers of the cult of Diana. The majority of the various symbols all represent and connect with Diana in some way, suggesting to me that this was more about the worship of this particular goddess, before being changed and bastardised later by the church. The fact that rue was used for practicing pagans to recognise each other is another major point for me in this. I can appreciate that for hundreds of years the Cimaruta has probably been a talisman against witchcraft, but I can’t help but think that it has a much deeper history than that statement suggests.

Cimaruta have been a great source of fascination since I first laid eyes on them quite a few years ago now. Since then I have delved into their fascinating symbolism and history, but because of the lack of knowledge surrounding them and conflicting information available I have only gotten so far. I fully intend to continue my quest to learn all there is to know about these beautiful relics of superstition and magic and shed light of their true and I believe very ancient history.

Witch Marks After Dark: Apotropaic magic at Creswell Crags

Apotropaic magic is a very interesting and mysterious subject. In recent years the interest in apotropaic magic has soared, largely I believe due to our increasing understanding of the subject, and the ongoing discovery of apotropaic marks and objects in all sorts of places. One of these places is Creswell Crags. It would be tempting to say that recently apotropaic marks were discovered in their largest cave system, however the term ‘identified’ is actually much more appropriate.

In an unusual turn of events, two visitors to the Crags Hayley Clark and Ed Waters, avid hunters of so called ‘Witches Marks’ spotted some marks within the cave and informed their guide. After further research and observations in the cave what had previously been thought to be nothing more than (reasonably) modern graffiti was actually suddenly understood to be hundreds upon hundreds of apotropaic marks.

A brief explanation on apotropaic magic; the term literally means something which has the power to ‘turn away’ evil. There are countless different examples of this in most cultures throughout the world; the evil eye charm in Greece and Turkey, the Cimaruta and Mano Cornuto in Italy, Witches bottles and Horse shoes in Britain, the Eguzkilore in Basque France and Spain, to name just a few. The main purpose of these objects is believed to be to cast away evil spirits, Witches, Demons and Dark Magic. Apotropaic items have been found hidden within buildings; in cavity walls or under floorboards. But most apotropaic items or symbols are situated in or around entrance ways, to prevent the evil entering the building. A very common form of apotropaic magic as well as objects is marks, like the ones seen in Wookey Hole, Woolsthorpe Manor, Tithe Barn and of course Creswell Crags.

Creswell Crags has the largest concentration of spotropaic marks in Britain, and specialists are still trying to fully understand why. There are a few theories; perhaps to keep evil spirits from the cave so it could be used for winter storage, perhaps the site was a focus for local folklore and superstition or maybe the cave was perceived as a meeting place between worlds and the hole which plummets into the earth (incidentally where the concentration of the marks is most fervent) was perceived as a ‘well to hell’ and the Marks served the purpose to keep the demons from entering our world. Maybe we will never know what was going through the minds of the people who laboriously scratched these marks into the rock, but it’s certainly a major cause for curiosity.

The symbolism of the particular marks at Creswell are largely derived from Latin words or phrases commonly thought to be protective in the 17th century. The most heavily featured is the double V, which looks a lot like a W, which stand for ‘Virgo Virginum’ (Virgin of Virgins), but there are also many ‘C’s for Christ, I for Iesus (original Latin spelling of Jesus), R for Rex or Regina (referring to king or queen) and several other variations which generally all relate to Mary and Jesus in some form.

There are also some which may take the form of ‘demonic traps’ designed to ensnare evil in a maze like form, such as a Merels board, ladders and other usually straight edged shapes.

As you might imagine there has been some scepticism from visitors suggesting that the symbols are merely graffiti. However when you take into account the sheer volume of symbols, witness first hand their obsessive repetition and are aware of the presence of the same symbols hundreds of miles apart the significance of these marks becomes startlingly obvious.

I hope that in years to come more becomes known about the Witch Marks at Creswell Crags and that we learn who put them there and exactly why. But the team there are certainly up against it with all the changes that have happened on site over the last few hundred years, in particular Victorian excavations which didn’t record findings as rigorously as archaeologists do today, and considered anything from the 17th century too contemporary to bother with and sadly may have discarded many clues to deciphering the mysteries of the cave.

A huge thank you to the team at Creswell for their dedication and passion, and of course to our guide Sarah who made the experience a fantastic one!
Witch Marks After Dark tours run on select dates until the end of the month. Check out the Creswell Crags website here to find out more!

Nine Stones Close

Recently I have become more determined than ever to visit the amazing ancient sites spread across our country.

Our island nations pre-Christian history and traditions are very important to me as I feel they reflect our identity and the true nature of our people and land. These ancient oral traditions are largely lost to us now, but glimpses still remain here and there, in tales, songs and most importantly the landscape.
One huge impact still seen in the British landscape today is henges and barrows.

Throughout 2019 I’ve been trying to make a strange heathen pilgrimage to as many of these sites as I can, starting of course with my local county Derbyshire.

Having already visitors Doll Tor, Arbour Lowe and the Nine Ladies, the next on my list was Nine Stones Close, near to Robin Hoods Stride.

These adventures are always a bit of a magical mystery tour, as Neolithic sites such as this are not generally depicted on my hiking app, so it’s always a bit of a voyage of discovery, which is refreshing as you usually stumble on all sorts of other interesting things on the way.

Unfortunately only 4 of the nine stones which make up the circle remain erect, and yet the stone circle still has a powerful presence within the landscape. It’s easy to imagine just how impacting it would have been with all 9 stones standing, proud on the brow of the hill, with Robin Hoods Stride in the distance and the landscape rolling all around.

I always find it an amazing experience to walk around these places in the footsteps of our ancestors, to touch the stones they touched and wonder what they felt, what it meant to them. Also looking out to gaze upon their world and what they would have seen from this obviously important spot, usually it’s a breathtaking landscape and endless moorland. While today the landscape is somewhat changed, with farming having a large impact on what we see now, it’s easy to imagine what our ancestors might have seen looking out into the wider world.

 

Work in progress: The Green Man series

For the longest time, in my first ideas book after finishing University I have had scribblings of series which are still patiently waiting to be realised. Every year I declare I’m going to finally start on my own Green Man series and do justice to these nature spirits I dreamed the faces of so many years ago. And every year things happen, other ideas crop up and I continue to keep them on the back burner.

But as this year drew to a close I decided enough was enough. I started working on progressing my thumbnail sketches into full size line work, and then onto paper, returning to my most common mixed media technique using biro and watercolour (as opposed to my recent dip pen experiments).

One daunting issue with this series has always been the sheer number of ideas I have. If I work on them all the series will be mammoth! So I’ve decided to be selective (for now) and initially work on what I’m calling ‘the four seasons’. It’s quite frustrating as I really want to realise a lot of the other characters, but that may have to be a battle for another day!

Because of the detail involved in these pieces they are proving very time consuming. Never one to make life easy for myself I decided to also incorporate some knotwork in the form of borders as a nod to our Celtic history and pre-Christian traditions and beliefs in Britain. This has proved a real challenge and is somewhat unforgiving if you make any errors. Complete precision is essential but tough. I can see why manuscript scholars claimed they would put one error on each page because only god is perfect, it’s near impossible not to make one! (Good cover story lads!)

So far with these pieces I’ve gotten a lot of pen work done, but as ever with this time of year there’s so few hours of daylight in which to work, making moving onto my watercolour layer difficult indeed.
I’m hoping that now with the passing of midwinter and the lengthening of days once more I can begin to get some colour into the pieces and truly bring them to life!

Brian Froud

In all my years I can't say I've changed a great deal honestly. As a child, books and films were some of the biggest influences on my life and who I was, and the same is still true today.
As a young, impressionable girl I remember my love of picking up beautiful books filled with wonderous pictures (again, nothings changed). 'In Search of Forever' by Rodney Matthews, 'The Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were' by Michael Page and Robert Ingpen (with illustrations by various artists) and 'Faeries' by Brian Froud and Alan Lee were the ones which have stuck with me all my life and left a lasting impression on me, as well as moulding me as a person.
So when by chance I saw that Brian and Wendy Froud would be appearing at Fantasy Forest Festival, giving a talk but also present all weekend, I knew what needed to be done.

As a child never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would meet these incredible people with off the scale talent in real life. And I admit, part of me still feels that way; disbelief. Meeting Brian Froud was a big deal, to 6 year old me reading about Kelpies and Redcaps for the first time, but also to aging Alice as an Artist herself.

Brian was certainly the most humble, down to earth artist I've ever met. I felt rather embarrassed taking my tatty old copy of  'Faeries' to him, but he signed it all the same, which was important to me as its been with me all my life, and I intend to keep it that way. He was more than happy to indulge my ramblings and also discuss the upcoming new 'Dark Crystal' series which Netflix are due to release, and we happily agreed on a passion for 'real' things and what they bring that CGI just cant.

Brian's talk was an incredible insight into his mind, methods and world. Clearly nervous and it would appear not particularly fond of public speaking, Brian immediately won us over jokingly asking if he could go home and he'd made a mistake agreeing to do this (though I do suspect there may have been some truth in his words), but he talked on about his work and the thinking behind it. He was truly in his stride when he got out a portfolio and began to share new artworks with us all. All previously unseen by the public, mostly painted in the last few months. I didn't fail to appreciate what an amazing, once in a life time opportunity this was. My eyes were out on stalks.

Brian shared pieces in his trademark style of a composition bursting with countless faeries, he discussed these pieces being quite 'flat', which I'd never actually considered before, but is entirely true. They were nothing short of stunning and moved me so much. I felt like a child thumbing through 'Faeries' seeing Froud's art for the first time. Then came pieces which were quite different, much more close-up, in your face faeries. Their personality really shone through, their naughtiness, their cheeky sidewards glances, their mystery. And though very different they are equally engaging and have the same curiosity-inducing, mystical beauty.   

Brian talking about his pieces in detail was fascinating. What different elements mean, and the fact one day he could simply no longer paint with watercolour washes anymore. It just wouldn't physically work, which is incredible! So started working in acrylic instead. His mention of 'The Green Woman' was also very intriguing as I am planning a Green Man series later this year myself, definitely food for thought!

For me, the most interesting insight was hearing Brian talk about being what being an artist is to him. Hearing him say he hates painting and its a total nightmare initially shocked me, but when he talked about wishing there was an easier way to get to the end result, without all the torture and torment, I began to understand what he meant. I remember for many years a hideous frustration at seeing what I wanted to create in my mind and not having the artistic skill to achieve it. While I'm not for a second suggesting Brian could ever not achieve what he put his mind to, art can be a difficult, heart wrenching thing. Something else I thought was fascinating was his comments that creating artwork is just constantly trying to fix what you're working on and resolve a piece, but knowing when to stop and not tip a painting over the edge meaning you have lots more fixing to do. A very true sentiment even though I never thought about painting like that.
Brian saying he thinks hes very boring and has no imagination was really quite baffling! He gave the impression its not really him creating these creatures, but they create themselves and come into being through their own will. He lets them take on their own personality and creates them all from shapes or lines, and doesn't seem to consider his own imagination to have any part in the matter.

Something which was honestly refreshing, was hearing Brian talk about his belief in Faeries. I think without this belief Brian couldn't really create the compositions which he does with such beauty and conviction. It is a wonderful thing to believe that there truly is still some real magic in the world, and Brian has helped capture that for countless people with minds wandering astray from the world which we live in. Brian may think he has no imagination, but I think him and Wendy have minds, and hearts nothing short of glorious.

Thank you to Brian and Wendy for their time, kindness and being absolutely wonderful souls!

'Maleficia and Magic'

I'm pleased to unleash a brand new series of artworks entitled 'Maleficia and Magic'. The series is inspired by the magic and mystery which is woven within our society. Witchcraft and folklore have a prominent place in our history and are intertwined with our customs and traditions. This series celebrates the roots of British witchcraft and the ancient religions of our world and magnificent magic deep and darkly seated in this green and pleasant land.

Each piece is inspired by a different magical artifact or practice and the history or mythos surrounding it. I wrote a short poem for each artwork, which runs around the border of each piece, detailing the sinister nature of that particular artifact, its creation and its potential use. Medieval manuscripts were one of the largest visual influences on the series, leading me to combine the illustration of the magical tool with intricate, detailed borders, text and additional illustrations to expand upon the artifact.

The series is now available to purchase as limited edition prints. Prints are available to purchase singularly or as a set of 4 from the Etsy store. Click here to check them out now!

Art in focus: 'The Magician'

'The Magician' is the very conduit between the Universe and Humanity. He has the ability to channel the power of the world through his actions and being. This card is all about skill, concentration and creativity. A time is upon you when you can achieve your goals with your own skill, initiative and determination. Focus your energy and actions, trust the message of 'The Magician', draw on the power of the universe and it will aid your own creativity to achieve your desires. Commitment, concentration and creativity ensure success.

Depictions of 'The Magician' vary from deck to deck but many similarities are often maintained, such as the suggestion of supernatural, magical powers and a mysterious atmosphere. Most depictions of the Magician show him holding a wand, dating back as far as Marseille Tarot, and include a table of significant objects referring to the suits of Tarot. In the Rider-Waite deck 'The Magician' maintains many original elements, but is enriched with further symbolism such as the red roses and white lilies at his feet representing duality, his red and white clothing symbolising purity and knowledge and the eternity symbol, which is hinted at on the brim of the hat in Marseille Tarot, but is here shown more obviously above the Magicians head.

While I was sketching ideas for my Magician I went on a short post-Christmas break to York with my partner. In a Church there I was struck by a stained glass window which had some striking similarities to my preliminary sketches back home. At that point the only decision I had made was that my Magician would be holding a flaming Chalice, all other elements were still open to development. The window figure was holding a chalice with snake emerging from it. I photographed the window, thinking it a stroke of fate that I had stumbled across Something so similar to my sketch, and decided to go with the timely suggestion made by fate and incorporated some other elements from the window, including the deep blue clothing and fair hair.
The Magician is one of my designs with the most separate symbolic elements. His elemental study/studio is full of objects symbolically referring to Tarot. Upon the Magicians workbench are items representing the suits of Tarot; a wand, a pentangle in the form of a wax seal stamp, the Magician holds the cup, and two swords are displayed upon the wall. Other items within the scene also have symbolic meaning, with the books representing knowledge and learning, the quill and parchment expressing creativity and the hourglass reminding us of our mortality. Within a glass cloche on the very edge of the image sits a specimen of a Crow. The crow is a recurring element in my series which I decided to include in this piece for continuity and also to symbolise knowledge.
The chalice held by the Magician burns with the flame of knowledge, but also represents his powers of alchemy and the possibility of his skill and knowledge. Other elements on his bench hint to alchemy, such as the glass bottle and notes, but his experimentation is left deliberately mysterious to the viewer.
As 'The Magician' is the card is numbered one it represents new beginnings, I chose to express this through the hint of the new dawn through the arched window, which frames the magician. His laboratory is purposely humble and modest, with a flagstone floor and lime washed walls, excess is of no concern to him, and would only serve as a distraction from the real importance of his existence and purpose. His eyes stare with a haunting knowledge and depth, hinting at his relationship with the universe and the power it channels through him. His headband is another recurring feature in the series, an ouroboros, representing infinity and eternity.
I wanted to give the impression that the viewer is looking into the magicians private, personal life and space, and witnessing an important, seminal moment in his existence, which is only being shared between him and the universe, we are simply spying in on the scene of his skill, dedication and concentration come to fruition.

Art in focus: 'The World'

In Tarot 'The World' signifies the end of life's journey. You have experienced what the world has to offer, you are wiser and more learned because of it. With the end of the great cycle of life comes fulfillment, achievement and understanding. Great satisfaction comes with following your path through life and upon completion, this eternal process begins anew.

From the earliest surviving Tarot through to popular modern day decks, such as Rider-Waite, the traditional imagery of 'The World' is largely unchanged. A dancing figure rejoices, surrounded by a wreath of thick foliage and in each corner a lion, bull, cherub and eagle reside, representing the four fixed signs of the zodiac, the four elements and the four suits of Tarot. The symbolism is complex, representing victory, achievement, infinity but also enlightenment.  

With 'The World' I took a very different approach to the imagery seen in most Tarot decks. I wanted to move away from traditional depictions and re-imagine 'The World', but maintain many of its key messages. I decided a logical option was to depict our world, earth, in its place within the universe, seen not from an insular point of view, but encompassing all.
The Earth is surrounded, almost cocooned and protected by Ouroboros - an ancient symbol, usually a snake or dragon eating its own tail. It represents the infinite and continual cycle of nature, of birth and death, of eternal renewal and the constant cycle of life. In my depiction of 'The World' the Ouroboros represents that not only the cycle of life all over the Earth, but across the universe.
I chose to include the Sun and the Moon, as the Earths celestial neighbours they are essential to our survival, providing warmth, light, fertility and tides to our planet. They are essential to our balance and place within the universe.
Surrounding the World are the constellations of the 12 signs of the zodiac. They surround the earth, signifying their relationship to the world and life, and the different qualities they bring to the world.
The infinite blackness of space is the canvas for our world, often feeling lonely and isolated, but also suggesting that in the infinite vastness of the universe, 'The World' may not be alone.

My version of  'The World' was not a difficult creation, mentally wrestled over and struggled with as art works often are. It simply leapt from my mind one day, virtually fully formed, and I had to race to scribble it down before it vanished as quickly as it had arrived. Those are often the artworks which feel most satisfying as an artist. Their creation and conception has felt like an effortless joy, so their completion often feels very rewarding and 'meant to be' in a strangely comforting sense.

Design work for 'The World' and a clearer view of the 12 zodiac constellations 

Fate and Fortune ...

A recent series which I have been working on is a slight departure from a lot of the themes of my recent work. Stepping away from animals (briefly), I have created this series inspired by vintage sideshow imagery and various different methods of fortune telling and prediction. I have attempted to combine my own style, the typography of the circus and sideshow attractions and traditional Gypsy practices and fortune telling to create a series of posters promoting the power of prediction.

Upon completion of the series I decided to have them printed as cards, pocket sized propaganda to reveal your occult obsession. Check out the cards on sale now at my Etsy store:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DanseMacabreUK?ref=hdr

Derby Folk Festival

This weekend saw my first solo event as an artist displaying and selling my artwork, cards and prints at Derby Folk Festivals Arts and Craft Fair. The weeks leading up to the Folk Festival had been nerve wracking to say the least, filled with lots of preparation and fear of the unknown.

The three day event was an exciting, colourful celebration of individuality and self expression, by countless musicians, artists and crafters. I was visited by many wonderful people throughout the weekend, excited by the event, the music and the atmosphere. A huge thank you to all the people who took the time to visit my stall, for your kind, encouraging words and for your purchases. You all made the weekend a great one!

Major thanks to my friends and family for all their support leading up to the event, to my Partner for making everything from POS to frames and being there beside me all weekend and to everyone that visited me over the weekend! Without all of you this wouldn't have been possible.

Many thanks! I hope to see you all an another event soon!