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A serpent staff

1998

The British Library

The British Library
London, United Kingdom

This magic staff was carved from timber that had been buried for centuries in peat. Known as bog oak, the low oxygen levels of the peat preserved the wood, hardening and blackening it in the process. The staff has been decorated with a serpent to enhance its power. Snakes represent a capacity for renewal and transformation, and their coils symbolise the dual cycles of light and dark, healing and poison, protection and destruction.

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  • Title: A serpent staff
  • Date Created: 1998
  • Location: The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
  • Original Source: The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle, 2025
  • Rights: Copyright The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
The British Library

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