In what sounds like the opening scene of a horror movie, British cave enthusiasts have discovered hundreds of centuries-old protective marks and ritualistic drawings designed to capture, trap and repel evil forces.
You cant help but wonder: How scared were they of something? asked Paul Baker, director of Creswell Crags, an ancient cave system about 150 miles north of London. What were they concerned about that they would go to this level? There is no area that hasnt got a mark on it somewhere.
The drawings, which date to the medieval and early modern periods, had been spotted before but dismissed as graffiti from more recent eras.
However, cavers from the Subterranea Britannica organization noticed that the etchings were actually apotropaic marks essentially protective marks scrawled all over the wells, ceilings and around holes and crevices, the caves operator said in a news release.
Advertisement
The etchings include diagonal lines, boxes and mazes believed to be devices for capturing or trapping evil. There are also VV marks that are believed to represent Mary, Virgin of Virgins, as well as PM, for Pace Maria.
The caves organization said the marks could have been made to ward off sickness, death and poor crop yields.
","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Creswell Crags","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcqyFUQ2yoT-5fEPtIEn5Zw","cache_age":86400,"description":"Brand new discovery for 2019, the largest collection of Witches' Marks in the UK!","provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-5j3JKGZtHs/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Witches' Marks","type":"video","url":"https://action.news/watch?v=-5j3JKGZtHs","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5c7359f1e4b03cfdaa56fe82","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/creswell-crags-witches-marks_n_5c7359f1e4b03cfdaa56fe82","entryTagsList":"england,nonprofit-organization,etching,creswell-crags","sectionSlug":"weird-news","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"travel,world-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.weird-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":5},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5c7359f1e4b03cfdaa56fe82","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":" england","slug":"england","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/england","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/england","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/england"},"relegenceId":3683931,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"United Kingdom","slug":"united-kingdom","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/united-kingdom"},{"name":"nonprofit organization","slug":"nonprofit-organization","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/nonprofit-organization","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/nonprofit-organization","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/nonprofit-organization"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/nonprofit-organization"},{"name":"Etching","slug":"etching","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/etching","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/etching","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/etching"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/etching"},{"name":"Creswell Crags","slug":"creswell-crags","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/creswell-crags","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/creswell-crags","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/creswell-crags"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/creswell-crags"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">
_(720p).jpg)
 OFFICIAL HD MUSIC VIDEO.jpg)
.jpg)
