The Witching Hour

[Frideswide]

When is it? What is it? How far back does it go?

 

[maximus otter]

When is it? What is it? How far back does it go?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witching_hour

maximus otter

 

[Erinaceus]

How did witches know when it was time to go a-witching? I wouldn't have thought they were likely to have a timepiece in their hovels.

 

[Mythopoeika]

How did witches know when it was time to go a-witching? I wouldn't have thought they were likely to have a timepiece in their hovels.

Many inns and pubs had clocks and there were large public clocks mounted on buildings.

 

[Erinaceus]

I was thinking more about witches in rural settings or earlier times but I don't suppose witches were too troubled with the time.

 

[Mythopoeika]

I was thinking more about witches in rural settings or earlier times but I don't suppose witches were too troubled with the time.

They could have used a water clock, like the Romans did.

 

[Frideswide]

How about how hungry you were? W£here the stars had got to?

So is it something that has been invented and then retrofitted?

 

[Victory]

Candle clock?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_clock

 

[EnolaGaia]

How did witches know when it was time to go a-witching? I wouldn't have thought they were likely to have a timepiece in their hovels.

Check the Wikipedia article Maximus posted. The label "witching hour" is only about 250 years old, and there's no consensus as to which hour or period during the night is specifically associated with "witching."

In the western Xtian tradition in which our most common allusions to witches are based, the earliest time period attributed to the Devil's (etc.) activity was roughly 0300 - 0400. This attribution wasn't based on incidence of devilish / paranormal / occult activity; it was simply dreamed up as the time opposite the canonically ascribed time that Christ died on the cross (circa 1500). This particular timeframe was the object of Church prohibitions and warnings as early as the 16th century.

 

[maximus otter]

How did witches know when it was time to go a-witching? I wouldn't have thought they were likely to have a timepiece in their hovels.

We’ve had chiming church clocks since the 14th century.

maximus otter

 

[Tunn11]

All of our demons are busy at present. Your summons is important to us and all summonings are recorded for training and security purposes. Please hold.

 

[SimonBurchell]

When I was a kid in the 70s, we always understood the witching hour to be midnight to 1am.

 

[catseye]

Any time I damn well fancy witching is witching hour, quite frankly.

 

[Mythopoeika]

All of our demons are busy at present. Your summons is important to us and all summonings are recorded for training and security purposes. Please hold.

Any issues reported to us will be used in an investigation by infernal audit.

 

[Frideswide]

When I was a kid in the 70s, we always understood the witching hour to be midnight to 1am.

that's my memory from the same time. I'm sure I read books where that was the case.