Widdershins

 

Widdershins

The Three Witches from Macbeth: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, 1781 (Mary Hoare, 1744-1820)

Thinking again about anti-clockwise and counter-clockwise, I remembered ‘widdershins, which has the same meaning, but with a little magic and mystery mixed in with superstition.

The period in Britain, from about 410 to 1066 used to be called the Dark Ages, not because they were evil or nothing happened, but because there were few written records. Modern historians are more likely now to use terms like Sub-Roman or Early Middle Ages.

However they are referred to, it was thought unlucky in those times in the west to walk widdershins round a church or a cauldron. Witches were believed to move in this way to strengthen their spells, or to gain entry to the fairy kingdom.

The opposite to widdershins is deosil, or ‘sunwise.’

In some religions it is customary for processions to travel counter-clockwise.

I think it’s an attractive word, which rolls easily off the tongue. There are not many circumstances in which it can be used, however!