[MR] BBC: Shoes Hidden in House Walls

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

According to a BBC story, the Northampton Museum has compiled a database of
over 3,000 shoes hidden in the walls of buildings around the world, most
from Great Britain. Not exactly a foot fetish, these shoes were hidden as a
way to ward off evil from coming into the house or other building (even
cathedrals). They were particularly believed to keep away witches. The
custom in England goes back as far as 1308; that is the date that the choir
was installed in Ely Cathedral, and a shoe was left behind the paneling.
The custom lasted until the early 20th century before dying out.

The most current article on the shoes, with illustrations of some footware
from our period of interest, is found at
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-48126627 .

An earlier article can be found at
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-41507752 , which is
also linked off the more recent article.

I'm thinking that a well-used deck shoe lurking in the back of my closet
should have a home in the void space behind the bathtub access panel here
at Mallard Lodge.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆