Well Dressing

When I was at the cottage in Derbyshire, England, I learnt of the pagan pratice of well dressing. It is unknown where well dressing originated, but one theory is that well dressing was to give thanks to the purity of the well water that was drawn during the Black Plague. In the 1300's there was a Black Plague or Black Death that began in Central Asia and estimated 75 million people died world wide of which around 20 to 30 million in Europe died...

But most likely it was a pagan practice of fertility...the pagans offered up sacrifices to the water gods..but today, it is strongly linked to the Christian Church and some wells are even dedicated to saints..

To dress a well you have to constuct a wooden frame near the well and cover the frame with a mixture of clay, water and salt..then a design is put over it..the design is usually made with natural materials like flower petals, beans, seeds, and is pressed into the clay...

Each village taking part in this custom has its own jealously guarded version and designs worked out months beforehand are not revealed until the last possible moment. Usually there is a festival and a blessing of the well..