The southern beaches of the United States are filled with "witch bottles" containing various items dedicated to "burying evil spirits." Fox News reports that "the frightening discoveries along the Gulf Coast are even scaring explorers," prompting beachgoers to "exercise caution and it's better to leave these bottles well covered."
Dr. Mosab Hawarey stated on Twitter, "If you come across #witch bottles, they need special treatment to deactivate them, if there's real dark witchcraft in them. Consult before handling."
Researcher Jess Tunell told Fox Digital, "They don't scare me, but I wouldn't open them. I mean, they definitely contain charms and things—why take the risk?" These bottles may include hair, herbs, plants, nails, and even "human fluids," materials that were traditionally used in Britain. According to the Science and Society department at McGill University, there was a strong belief in witches and their ability to cause chaos through spells during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Meanwhile, the so-called "witch bottles" were used to ward off "magic."
Jess Tunell believes these bottles were most likely made in Caribbean or South American countries, not in the United States.
