Wells in History:

Wishing wells are a unique part of history that has survived through the ages. Their origins are hidden deep in history. It is thought that the roots could come from numerous mentions of wells in history.

Wells in the Bible

Many pagan wells were rededicated to Catholic Saints. However, wells have also been mentioned in the Bible as well. Abraham was instructed to set aside female lambs as an offering after digging a well. The Jews also believed in the healing powers of wells, as evidenced in the crowds gathering around the pools at Siloam and Bethesda.

Wells in other works

The Bible is not the only religious text that speaks of wells. The Koran also speaks of them, with Mohammed saying that when wells were abandoned, this was a case of desolation of the city.

Homer talks about seeing signs in a stream when recounting the battle of Troy. And other texts mention how men were once dominated by rivers and fountains and had once held much respect for their powers.

Well worship looked down on

However, well worship has not always been looked upon favorably. Since 567, well worship has been outlawed and ridiculed. King Egbert, for example, called for a fast of three years for anyone who worshipped anywhere but in a church.

The Saxon homily against witchcraft put well worship in the same category as witchcraft. Despite this, however, well waking continued throughout the Middle Ages.

In 963, Edgar encourages the clergy to advance Christianity and to extinguish the worship of wells and other heathen practices. And the laws of Knut, written in 1018, prohibited the worship of water sources and other natural items.

In 1102, St. Anselm ordered that no one could make a well holy without previous authority of the Bishop. However, it is thought that the wells attributed to the saints were originally used for pagan worship prior to the arrival of Christianity.

Modern customs, ancient roots

Some customs that are still in use today have been in use for some time. Here is a look at some things you might recognize today:

Having streams of water come out of the mouth of a lion is said to come from the Egyptians and their worship of the river. The Nile flooded when the sun was under the zodiac of Leo (during the summer). You often see gargoyles and lions on the waterspouts of modern buildings.

Attaching a ladle or bucket by a chain to a well hails back to Edwine, who ordered that they be placed there so that travelers could get a drink when they passed by.

Churches are often built near rivers because the pastor needed fresh clean water to perform the baptism ceremony. Churches have also been erected over the wells that were rededicated to saints.

Well worship has continued throughout history, despite numerous attempts to destroy it. Many of the practices that are still used today hail back to the worship of rivers, pools, and wells.