Clootie Well (Celtic healing pilgrimage site)

[tummelv]

Went to this place today and thought I would share a few photos. Basically, in ye olde times people would come to these places and leave a cloth or rag which would represent someone's sickness (old Scots word for cloth is cloot - hence Clootie) in the hopes that when the rag rotted their sickness would disappear with it -very spiritual.

Anyway, here are the pics:

I must say, this bear looked really new and I was tempted to take it.

I'm pretty sure this was a cast from someone's broken leg. It certainly ties in with the shoe being there...I thought at first it was one of those rollup mat things you sleep in a tent with. :bonk:

Not looking for any real critique on these but go ahead if you feel like it. Perhaps this should have been posted in fluffy kittens and cotton wool?

And yeah, I left my own rag.

 

[EdinburghGary]

This is a very interesting set, a ritual I haven't heard of!! Strange

Gary.

 

[VJS Photography]

Thats seriously weird amazing sight and reminds me of the baby/childrens shoe trees I saw in Brussels. I never did find the reasoning behind them. never heard of clootie wells before.

 

[Blue Eagle]

Going by the number of rags that haven't rotted, it looks like there are still a lot of sick people lol.....

 

[melscmax]

Nice spooky set .This place was written about in a book by Ian Rankin the Scotish crimefiction guy.The Naming Of The Dead.

 

[Just Dave]

that place is weird, thanks for sharing

 

[Paddysnapper]

Odd to you perhaps! We have a lot of them here in rural Ireland, along with Fairy Trees.
A bush that gets decorated in a similar manner
All very new age traveller!