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An exploded cauldron

20th century

The British Library

The British Library
London, United Kingdom

This is a real witch’s cauldron, coated in a black tarry substance. It reportedly exploded when some Cornish witches were making a powerful potion by the sea, in order to invoke a spirit. One account describes how, when ‘it was realised that the volume of the smoke was reaching unprecedented proportions … they lost their nerve and panicked and fled the spot as best they could.’ When their friends visited the site, all they found was this damaged cauldron.

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  • Title: An exploded cauldron
  • Date Created: 20th century
  • Location: The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
  • Original Source: The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle, 170
  • Rights: Copyright The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
The British Library

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