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“Do they mean bottles trees?” I wondered when I read the headline about “eerie witch bottles” washing up on a Texas beach. There were a few reasons I questioned it.
For one, the accompanying photo looked more like the type of bottle you’d find on a bottle tree. For another, bottle trees are a staple of southern U.S. myth and lore. However, it’s not uncommon to see them in other places now, too. (Including for sale on Amazon.)
Witch bottles, on the other hand, are more of a New England thing. (Although, sometimes you also see and hear about them in other parts of the country.)
The other reason I questioned it was because of how many were found. Inside Edition and other outlets reported that one man, Jace Tunnell, had found all eight bottles that were making the news. The media didn’t specify if he’d found them all at the same time, though. I’m thinking not because the articles were recent, but I found a YouTube video (below) where he shared the discovery of witch bottles a year earlier.
Anyway, basically, it stood to reason if any kind of a bottle with supernatural proclivities was going to wash up on a beach in a southern state, it seemed more likely it’d be part of a bottle tree.
But, nope, bottle tree bottles aren’t sealed and are empty. Witch bottles are sealed and contain contents, which was the case with the bottles in Texas.
Questions and Problems
Inside Edition reported they were “filled with nails and twigs, some even contain bodily fluids.” The problem is that Tunnell didn’t open them, so how does anyone know they contain bodily fluids? However, historically, bodily fluids were a common witch bottle ingredient, so it’s understandable people would assume such a thing is among the contents.
Also, since the bottles are translucent, the contents are visible, such as nails and twigs, and maybe even liquid sloshing about. But who’s to say it’s “bodily” fluids without opening them? Even if the liquid was discolored, that could just be a problem with the seal. Maybe the bottle let water in that mixed with the bottle’s other contents.
Another question is where they came from. Inside Edition suggested South America or the Caribbean, possibly both.
But if they are witch bottles, why did people create them? For what purpose? Do they contain spells? If so, what kind? Good or evil?
Tunnell believes the eight he’s found are witch bottles and now displays them in his backyard. (Would you?) But what I’m curious about is whether anyone besides Tunnell has found similar bottles. If not, it seems a little suspicious to me that only one person has found some. I’m no statistician but I don’t think I have to be to know the odds of that are pretty unlikely.
Check-In
Do you consider tossing a witch bottle (or even a message in a bottle) into the ocean littering or just a bit of mysterious fun?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I wouldn’t hang a witch bottle in my back yard. Eek, what if something’s attached to it? If we never put messages bottles in the ocean, we’d never have sea glass. Then again, I don’t want anyone to step on broken glass and hurt themselves, so I wouldn’t do it.
I thought it was interesting the guy who found them didn’t want to bring them in his house, but didn’t mind putting them on his fence. I guess as long as they don’t break, whatever might be attached to is is trapped inside, but, like you pointed out, Priscilla, what if it breaks? And I think being outside would make it more susceptible to possible accidental breakage.
Then again, the curious cat in me would want to open one just to see what might happen. lol
Also, really great point about how the ocean does transform lost or abandoned bottles into sea glass…but how there’s also a risk of injuries from broken glass too. Wonder if it harms sea life too?
As always, thanks for leaving wonderful, thoughtful comments, Priscilla!