Hagstones
are stones often found on the beach, which have a naturally occurring hole in
them, which allows them to be threaded and sometimes worn. They have a rich
variety of folklore and customs associated with them, and I think they could be
good objects to use in this collection of jewellery, because not only are they
completely natural, but they also have a lot of folkloric history and are often
used as talismans. When I was researching the use of hagstones, I came across this paragraph in Traditional Witchcraft by Gemma Gary:
“The
naturally holed flint stones, also known as hagstones, are another important
tool used by West Country charmers. They are collected to be used in a number
of protective charms and one special holed stone will be kept aside as a tool
to manifest or ‘birth’ desires or changes. Such a stone may incorporate a
knotted cord and it will be known as a wishing stone, or as I was taught by one
Witch in Cornwall: a whispering stone, so called due to the way in which it was
employed magically. Another will be kept as a ‘weather stone’, or ‘wind stone’
to conjure or banish certain types of weather.”
(page 86)
and
“West
Country Witches, male and female, will often wear a necklace or pendant of
magical virtue. Such things as hagstones and birds feet are used.” (Page
87)
I
think the idea of whispering to the stone to “birth” desires and changes is an
interesting one, as it gives the wearer interaction with the object. This could lead to a hagstone necklace becoming emotionally durable, which means the person would be less likely to discard it and buy new jewellery, making it more environmentally friendly.
I think hagstones are perfect for my foraged talisman collection of jewellery, because not only are they used as amulets, but they are also ready made beads! I started making some necklaces using hagstones I found in Plymouth, and used wool that I found on barbed wire and spun into yarn. I also used some beads that I made using kelp stems which had washed up on the same beach I found the hagstones on.
For my degree show, I wanted to make 13 hagstone necklaces, and decided to try to make them into one piece of art. Of course this had to be completely foraged as well so I made this frame using a hazel rod, some of my barbed wire wool dyed with oak apples, and an oak apple on each end!
I got quite a lot of interest in my hagstone necklaces at the degree show, so I am now selling them individually. Each one comes in a hand-sewn pouch with a little folded handwritten note about the folklore of hagstones! They also come with a little packet of wild flower seeds made from recycled paper. These are now available on my Etsy page, which you can see here:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/277793522/hagstone-necklace-made-with-foraged-kelp?ref=shop_home_active_2
