Clootie wells (also Cloutie or Cloughtie wells) are places of pilgrimage in Celtic areas. They are wells or springs, almost always with a tree growing beside them, where strips of cloth or rags have been left, usually tied to the branches of the tree as part of a healing ritual. In Scots nomenclature, a "clootie" or "cloot" is a strip of cloth or rag. Pilgrim at Mecca In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. ... The Six Nations considered the heartland of the modern Celts Celtic nations are areas of Europe inhabited by members of Celtic cultures, specifically speakers of Celtic languages. ... Cable tool water well drilling rig in Kimball, West Virginia. ... A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan. ... Healing is the process whereby the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area. ... A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ... A clootie or cloot in Scots is a strip or piece of cloth, a rag or item of clothing; it can also refer to fabric used in the patching of clothes or the making of proddy rugs (aka clootie mats).[1] The saying Neer cast a cloot til May...

Practices

When used at the clootie wells in Scotland and Ireland, the pieces of cloth are generally dipped in the water of the holy well and then tied to a branch while a prayer of supplication is said to the spirit of the well - in modern times usually a saint, but in pre-Christian times a goddess or local nature spirit. This is most often done by those seeking healing, though some may do it simply to honour the spirit of the well. In either case, many see this as a probable continuation of the ancient Celtic practice of leaving votive offerings in wells or pits.^[1][2] Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - UK Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78,772 km... Holiness means the state of being holy, that is, set apart for the worship or service of a god or gods. ... Mary Magdalene in prayer. ... Supplication (also known as petitioning) is the most common form of prayer, wherein a person asks a supernatural deity to provide something, either for the person who is praying or for someone else on whose behalf a prayer of supplication is being made. ... The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus (breath). // The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning breath (compare spiritus asper), but also soul, courage, vigor, ultimately from a PIE root *(s)peis- (to blow). In the Vulgate, the Latin word translates Greek (πνευμα), pneuma (Hebrew (רוח) ruah), as... In traditional Christian iconography, Saints are usually depicted as having halos. ... Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Celts. ... Statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of the agriculture A goddess is a female deity, in contrast with a male deity known as a god. Many cultures have goddesses, sometimes alone, but more often as part of a larger pantheon that includes both the conventional genders and in some cases... Animism is a belief system that does not accept the separation of body and soul, of spirit from matter. ... An icon of Aghia Paraskevi with votive offerings hung beside it. ...

There are local variations to the practice. At some wells the tradition is to wash the affected part of the body with the wet rag and then tie the washing-rag on the branch; as the rag disintegrates over time, the ailment is supposed to fade away as well. At some wells the clooties are definitely "rags" and discards, at others, brightly-colored strips of fine cloth. In some locations the ceremony may also include circumambulation (or circling) of the well a set number of times and making an offering of a coin, pin or stone. Additional votive offerings hung on the branches or deposited in the wells may include rosaries, religious medals, crosses, religious icons and other symbols of faith.^[1][2] Circumambulation is the act of walking around something. ... Our Lady of Lourdes - Mary appearing at Lourdes with Rosary beads. ... A Greek cross (all arms of equal length) above a saltire, a cross rotated by 45 degrees A famous khachkar at Goshavank (Notice the cross). ... Christ the Redeemer (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) Jewish Star of David Icon from Living Trees An icon (from Greek , eikon, image) is an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by signifying or representing it, or by analogy, as in semiotics; in...

At clootie wells where the operative principle is to shed the ailment, and the clootie is thought to represent the ailment, the "offerings" can be grotesque castoffs. Those that instead view the clootie as an offering to the spirit, saint or deity are more likely to tie an attractive, clean piece of cloth or ribbon.^[1][2]

The sacred trees at clootie wells are usually Whitethorn trees, though Ash trees are also common.^[1][2] Binomial name Crataegus monogyna Jacq. ... Species See text European Ash in flower Narrow-leafed Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) shoot with leaves Closeup of European Ash seeds 19th century illustration of Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus) An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families (see end of page for disambiguation), but...

The most popular times for pilgrimages to clootie wells, like other holy wells, is on the feast days of Saints, the Pattern or Patron day, or on the old Gaelic festival days of Imbolc (February 1), Beltane (May 1), Lughnasadh (August 1), or Samhain (November 1).^[3][2] The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is of the Gaelic (Goidelic) family, a division of Insular Celtic languages. ... Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. ... This article is about the Gaelic holiday. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the Celtic holiday. ...

Locations

In Scotland, near the villages of North Kessock and Munlochy, 1 mile west of Munlochy on the A832, is a clootie well at an ancient spring dedicated to Saint Curidan (or Curitan), where rags are still hung on the surrounding bushes and trees. Here the well was once thought to have had the power to cure sick children who were left there overnight. Craigie Well at Avoch on the Black Isle has both offerings of coins and clooties. Rags, wool and human hair were also used as charms against sorcery, and as tokens of penance or fulfilment of a vow.^[4] Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - UK Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78,772 km... North Kessock is the first village encountered on the Black Isle when driving from Inverness north over the Kessock Bridge. ... Munlochy (Scottish Gaelic: Bun Lòchaidh/Poll Lòchaidh) is a small village, in northern Scotland, lying at the head of Munlochy Bay (Ob Poll Lòchaidh). ... Avoch (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a harbour-village located on the Black Isle, on the Moray Firth. ... The Black Isle (Scottish Gaelic: an t-Eilean Dubh) is an eastern area of Ross and Cromarty. ...

In Cornwall, at Madron Well (SW446 328) the practice is to tie the cloth and as it rots the ailment is believed to disappear.^[5][6] Alsia Well (SW393 251) is another Cornish "cloughtie" well,^[5] and Christ's Well at Mentieth was described in 1618 "as all tapestried about with old rags".^[4] Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in South West England, United Kingdom, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar. ... Madron is a village in West Cornwall, Britain in the district of Penwith situated outside of the modern parish boundary of the town of Penzance. ...

See also

• Knockanare Well
• Culloden, Scotland
• Well dressing
• Wish Tree

Knockanare Well is a holy well in County Cork, Ireland on the grounds of Blackwater Castle. ... Culloden (from Gaelic Cul loden, back of the pond) is the name of a village five miles east of Inverness, Scotland and the surrounding area. ... Well dressing in Youlgreave Well dressing is a custom practised in the Peak District of England, in which wells are decorated with designs created from flower petals. ... A Wish Tree is an individual tree, usually distinctive due to species, position or appearance, and identified as being of special religious value or spiritual identity. ...

References

External links

• The Clootie Well, Munlochy
• Pictures of the Clootie Well, Munlochy
• Ireland - Rag Trees
• Irish Holy Wells - some with rags and ribbons
• A mention of the Clootie Well of St Curidan (Scotland)
• Doon Well, a renowned Holy well in Co. Donegal
• Irish Landmarks: The Holy Wells of Ireland