The Silver Witch

‘They were, though it was more usual for the hounds to outnumber the hares. That said, these particular beasts are more finely detailed than is common. See? Such delicate curls and lines, especially the faces, which were more ordinarily quite plainly rendered.’


‘It’s big for a bracelet,’ Dylan puts in. ‘Was it for a man, maybe? Or for wearing on the upper arm, d’you think?’

‘It’s possible.’ His uncle nods. He places the find carefully on his desk and hurries to select a book from his collection. Jamming his spectacles back on his face, muttering all the while, he searches for an entry. ‘Let me see, let me see, ah, here we are. As I thought: “Hunting dogs were often seen as a sign of status, and highborn men of the area would have regularly engaged in hare coursing or deer hunting not only to supply meat for the table, but as a sporting or social activity. However, when considering depictions of dogs, whether or not they are specifically hunting hounds, the more mythological significance of both creatures should be born in mind to avoid misinterpretation of the work.” Yes,’ the professor says, nodding emphatically, ‘particularly given the imbalance of numbers here. You see, hares are usually solitary animals, so the chase would be depicted with a single hare pursued by several hounds. This shows the reverse. Also, the attention to detail, giving such character to the faces, suggests something more personal, more individual, almost.’ He snaps the book shut and removes his glasses. ‘So, there you have it.’

‘We do?’ Dylan asks.

Tilda leans forward and picks up the bracelet again. The gold feels warm in her hand. ‘So, if it’s not showing a hunt, what, then?’

‘Well, what is so special about your lovely object,’ the professor tells them, ‘is that it is a marvelous example of the importance of mythology among Celtic people. Each animal had its place in their beliefs, in their folktales, in their ancient stories. Owls, for example, traditionally foretold death. Horses represented the underworld, or departed spirits. These creatures’—he gestures at the bracelet with his glasses—‘are slightly unusual in that they both often represented the same thing.’

‘Which was?’ Tilda feels a nervous excitement charge through her body, as if someone has just startled her, or she has narrowly avoided a fall, or escaped a danger of some sort.

Professor Williams smiles as he explains, ‘Hares and dogs are reliably accepted to represent witches.’

The next two hours are spent delving deep into the professor’s library, searching for images or references that might give them clues as to who made the bracelet and who owned it. Every now and again the lights dim or flicker. Each time, Tilda takes a moment to calm herself, to still her mind, to allow the power to work. After a while she notices that she is concentrating her search on one detail of what the professor has told her: witches. She is surprised to find few mentions of them, but what is written seems to suggest an entirely different view than the one she might have expected.

‘Professor, in the time we are looking at, let’s say between 850 and 950 AD, were witches seen as good? I can’t find too many references to them being persecuted or hunted the way they were in medieval times.’

‘Not good, exactly, but an accepted fact of life. Christianity was well established in Wales by then, of course, and yet we read often that many still held the “old religion” dear. Paganism did not go away, and witches were very much a part of the older Celtic belief system. Many communities would have had a resident witch who might have provided spells and remedies for healing, or to assist warriors in battle. Some foretold future events. They would only have been prosecuted if they had been deemed to have used their magic against members of the community in which they lived—putting a hex on someone they took against, perhaps, making them ill, or causing their cattle to die, that sort of thing.’

‘Do you think the bracelet could have been owned by a witch?’

‘That seems a plausible hypothesis. Although, given the amount of gold needed to make such a thing, this particular witch must have been very wealthy. Or at least, had wealthy friends; someone who might have given the piece of jewelry as a token of thanks, possibly. All in all, I can’t say I am surprised to find evidence of such a person living by the lake, whether at the time we are considering, or later, or indeed any time at all. Greta always told me there were things history could not explain. Things we would never find proof of but would have to accept as inexplicable. Magical, even. No, I can’t say I’m surprised.’

Later, after copious amount of tea and some chunky cheese and pickle sandwiches, Tilda thanks the professor for his help, deciding it is time to leave. Suddenly there threatens to be an awkward moment.

Is Dylan expecting to come back to the cottage with me? Why would he? Come to that, why shouldn’t he?

‘I’ll give you a lift home,’ Dylan offers.

‘Actually, I want to go down to the dig and have another talk with Lucas.’

‘Oh?’