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Offerings In Leicester River

Nosmo King

I'm not a cat
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
7,499
Whilst on a sabbatical from the forum i came across a video of a father and son magnet fishing in a river in Leicester, over the period of the video they found a number of strange packages of, what can only be rescribed as offerings. These were in the form of bags and boxes, taped up to prevent water ingress, containing loose change (mostly low denomination) candles and religious items, such as roseries and crucifixes. I have now idea what what these are or what the reason for these offerings are. Can anybody shed any light on this?
I thought i had the link for the video but i cant find it, i will look for it again.
 
Whilst on a sabbatical from the forum i came across a video of a father and son magnet fishing in a river in Leicester, over the period of the video they found a number of strange packages of, what can only be rescribed as offerings. These were in the form of bags and boxes, taped up to prevent water ingress, containing loose change (mostly low denomination) candles and religious items, such as roseries and crucifixes. I have now idea what what these are or what the reason for these offerings are. Can anybody shed any light on this?
I thought i had the link for the video but i cant find it, i will look for it again.
It may be low-level witchcraft by local people, but I think it's likely to be an immigrant (African?) doing some kind of rituals.
 
Yikes! Three guns, a weird number of shells and bits of guns, bags of coins and candles... a McDonald's sign... very odd!
You should watch some of the vids, the same guys found the sawn end off of a double barrelled shorgun with the hacksaw blade inserted also, there are some weirder finds than that i just thought the 'offerings' were worth a share.
 
Pointing out that

* making assumptions about groups of people, cultures, religions etc is unwise.

* creating a dichotomy between local people and immigrants is unwise; consider a Danish immigrant who is a follower of Kierkegaard versus someone who follows these practices and whose family has been in the area for 200 years.

* Juju is a specific religious/spiritual thing and isn't a shorthand for non-christian beliefs originating or currently existing on the continent of Africa. It's too often used in a reductive and dismissive way.

* witchcraft as a current practice is complicated. Phrases such as low-level witchcraft could be usefully expanded and explained - otherwise it's just ambiguous possibly dismissive shorthand.

* please don't post links without an explanation. An explanation is more than for lolz, or you must see this!!!!!!

The above things are unwise because they are too vague to be useful (especially in this place where we can argue for years over the meaning of a single word!) and/or against the custom of the Forums and/or don't fit in with previous guidance on posting.

Frideswide
 
You make some very valid points, Frideswide, but expanding on this limited dataset could be rather complicated.

Asking what the local community know about this would be a constructive start.

(Says she who is currently researching what looks like to be an ordinary site, but which may have an undiscovered ritual function however this function might equally simply be an artefact of the beholder...)
 
(Says she who is currently researching what looks like to be an ordinary site, but which may have an undiscovered ritual function however this function might equally simply be an artefact of the beholder...)

You do realise that this information will stop me sleeping tonight? :rollingw:
 
Pointing out that

* making assumptions about groups of people, cultures, religions etc is unwise.

* creating a dichotomy between local people and immigrants is unwise; consider a Danish immigrant who is a follower of Kierkegaard versus someone who follows these practices and whose family has been in the area for 200 years.

* Juju is a specific religious/spiritual thing and isn't a shorthand for non-christian beliefs originating or currently existing on the continent of Africa. It's too often used in a reductive and dismissive way.

* witchcraft as a current practice is complicated. Phrases such as low-level witchcraft could be usefully expanded and explained - otherwise it's just ambiguous possibly dismissive shorthand.

* please don't post links without an explanation. An explanation is more than for lolz, or you must see this!!!!!!

The above things are unwise because they are too vague to be useful (especially in this place where we can argue for years over the meaning of a single word!) and/or against the custom of the Forums and/or don't fit in with previous guidance on posting.

Frideswide
You're right! Let's not discuss anything! Ever!
 
Given the nature of the stuff they dragged out of the river, and the fact they were dragging beside a bridge ...

The simplest explanation is that the bridge was a convenient place for jettisoning evidence of criminal activity (theft; vandalism; robbery; etc.).
 
Given the nature of the stuff they dragged out of the river, and the fact they were dragging beside a bridge ...

The simplest explanation is that the bridge was a convenient place for jettisoning evidence of criminal activity (theft; vandalism; robbery; etc.).
That is the case with 99.9% of the items dragged out of rivers,canals,lakes etc, which is why i thought these specific finds were unusual in that they appeared to be specifically cast into this river at this spot, the fact that there are more than one of the 'offerings', they are well wrapped in a similar fashion and contain a similar odd mix of items not usually found or stored together, if it was just cash bags of coins then yes, proceeds of a crime probably, but these 'offerings' seemed strange enough for me to think that someone here may know, or would like to speculate, on there origin, meaning or purpose, if im wrong then i apologise and feel free to deete this thread :(
 
And we can add in that many humans drop coins into water!

I get gut-feelings of this is a meaningful assemblage in some way though. Something more purpousful and deliberate than just a convenient place. Although as I can't put my finger on why, I'm not holding this view terribly firmly :)
 
if im wrong then i apologise and feel free to deete this thread :(

nononononnono!

It's a valid and interesting thread even if it's random chance. From my point of view (archaeologist, folklorist) it's even more interesting if we can find a motive for a curated assemblage. :)
 
And we can add in that many humans drop coins into water!

I get gut-feelings of this is a meaningful assemblage in some way though. Something more purpousful and deliberate than just a convenient place. Although as I can't put my finger on why, I'm not holding this view terribly firmly :)
To me the items seem too specific, that they were selected and placed together, wrapped and cast into the river with some purpose in mind, i dont know what that purpose is or was, that is why im asking for any ideas or if anyone has any knowlege of these combinations of items being used in any ritual, prayer, rite etc
 
nononononnono!

It's a valid and interesting thread even if it's random chance. From my point of view (archaeologist, folklorist) it's even more interesting if we can find a motive for a curated assemblage. :)
As i said im my OP i had a free weekend away from here, and spent a lot of time watching videos of metal detecting, river diving, magnet fishing etc and as i sad 99.9% or more of the items found in all of these videos can be catagorised into, lost, dumped or stolen, the items i mentioned in this thread are the only ones that made me think 'hey thats weird, i wonder what the hell thats all about', and thought 'if anyone will know it will be the insightful, curious folks of the fortean community' so here i am.
 
I want to know how you magnet fish for non ferrous items.

And how to post pdfs; then I might relieve Frideswide of her worry over my academic integrity
 
I want to know how you magnet fish for non ferrous items.

And how to post pdfs; then I might relieve Frideswide of her worry over my academic integrity
There are some vids where they use grappling hooks
 
It would be interesting to learn whether the dates on the coins offer any clues as to the timespan for the 'dumps' made at that location.
 
To me the items seem too specific, that they were selected and placed together, wrapped and cast into the river with some purpose in mind, i dont know what that purpose is or was, that is why im asking for any ideas or if anyone has any knowlege of these combinations of items being used in any ritual, prayer, rite etc

Throwing coins into water has been going on for years. From fountains in shopping malls to Bristol Zoo Penguin enclosure. Many people toss the coin and make a wish. Trevi Fountain in Rome gathers $4000 a day. The Money found in fountains and water in Disney Parks gets donated to children's charities.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-happens-all-coins-tossed-fountains-180959314/


It's whimsical, it's parting with something of value that has been close to your body, it's literally a minor sacrifice. It also has its roots in antiquity

https://insearchofholywellsandheali...ries-contents/wishing-wells-votive-offerings/


In the Hindu Religion it is a well-established practice.



(Love the music very Ghost Box)

We've all do it whether it's votive or just a wish. I see little difference between adding a rosary or votive candle to the mix either. It's just intensifying the experience.
 
It would be interesting to learn whether the dates on the coins offer any clues as to the timespan for the 'dumps' made at that location.
It could probably narrow it down to a latest date ie the newest coin in the bags but coins hand around for ever especially low denomination coins, but it would be a good start, im more interested in what the 'offerings' meaning/significance is.
 
Throwing coins into water has been going on for years. From fountains in shopping malls to Bristol Zoo Penguin enclosure. Many people toss the coin and make a wish. Trevi Fountain in Rome gathers $4000 a day. The Money found in fountains and water in Disney Parks gets donated to children's charities.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-what-happens-all-coins-tossed-fountains-180959314/


It's whimsical, it's parting with something of value that has been close to your body, it's literally a minor sacrifice. It also has its roots in antiquity

https://insearchofholywellsandheali...ries-contents/wishing-wells-votive-offerings/


In the Hindu Religion it is a well-established practice.



(Love the music very Ghost Box)

We've all do it whether it's votive or just a wish. I see little difference between adding a rosary or votive candle to the mix either. It's just intensifying the experience.
This i get and there are hunderds of individual coins pulled from every concievable water source by magnet fishermen, these are a completely different kettle of fish (lol) these are not random individual coins, these are bags filled with coins, candles, christian symbols and other weird items, wrapped in plastic and tape, they certainly dont smack of 'tossing a penny in a well for good luck' these have been deliberately assembled and cast into the river.
 
This i get and there are hunderds of individual coins pulled from every concievable water source by magnet fishermen, these are a completely different kettle of fish (lol) these are not random individual coins, these are bags filled with coins, candles, christian symbols and other weird items, wrapped in plastic and tape, they certainly dont smack of 'tossing a penny in a well for good luck' these have been deliberately assembled and cast into the river.

But the principle is the same. I also threw weird little time capsules in my local river when little. If I'd been religious it would have included
iconography but I wasn't, so I didn't.
 
But the principle is the same. I also threw weird little time capsules in my local river when little. If I'd been religious it would have included
iconography but I wasn't, so I didn't.
Its the fact that there are multiple packages containing similar items seems more ritualistic in my eyes, or at the very least someone with OCD.
 
We did have a thread on engraved cubes thrown into local rivers as offerings.
Sounds like the same sort of thing to me.

Based on the responses, he believes the objects are connected to a Hindu prayer ritual.


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https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/mystery-60-peculiar-cubes-inscriptions-18232422
 
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