stones with holes from the shores of Lake Huron, Southampton, Ontario
In my childhood I spent part of every summer with my family at a cottage owned by my grandmother on the shores of Lake Huron. One of the activities of the time spent there was looking for stones with holes in them. It was supposed to bring you good luck.
My grandmother had a huge collection of these stones that she had on a string in the living room of the cottage, hanging just inside the front door.
I found that some folks were good at finding stones with holes, others were not. I was not.
Hard as I tried, I could never find one. One of my younger cousins found one every time she went down to the beach. It was infuriating. One of my sons used to find them quite regularly.
I remember one time, as I was lamenting never finding one, my cousin said “the trick is, you look for the hole, not the stone.” I could never quite figure out what that meant. Then one day, walking on the beach many decades later, I thought ok, I’ll give this one more try. And I didn’t find one. I was just about ready to walk away and give up.
Then I remembered the words of my cousin. I walked a little further, took a deep breath, and looked again. I found two stones with holes that day. Since then, I have been slightly more successful at finding stones with holes, and I have my own little collection.
Up until not that many years ago, I always thought it was a family myth that these stones had some kind of magical qualities.
But, according to the Oxford University reference site,
“One of the most widespread magic devices to protect both man and beast was a pebble with a natural hole in it, also called ‘hagstone’, ‘witch-stone’, or (in the north-east) ‘adder-stones’. They were believed to repel witchcraft, and consequently any disease caused by spells or the evil eye; in particular, they prevented hag-riding. The earliest allusion is in a 15th-century charm against nightmares …
… Small ones could be carried in the pocket or hung up over the bed; larger ones were used in stables … A variation, still known in the mid-20th century, was to hang the stone on the stable door; usually the doorkey or a bit of old chain would be attached to it, reinforcing its power with that of iron. … in Victorian times, necklaces of them were sold ‘for luck’ in Brighton … and were much worn by women of fishing families.”[1]
When I look at my small collection, I marvel at the time – at the persistence - that it must have taken for the water and sand to bore a hole right through.
I realized lately that I tend to see them now in their totality, and not with any specific story of their finding. A few actually have holes that don’t go all the way through, but there was something about the stone that drew me to it.
Each time I look at them, and hold them … I am right back on the beach. And memories comes back to me of the place … the people … the sounds and smells of the beach and the water. It seems that many of the touchstone experiences of my life happened on those shores.
Perhaps the stones do hold magical qualities. They facilitate my memories. And they invite me to stop and give thanks for all the experiences of my life that make me who I am today.
I am also aware that stones can also be used as weapons to hurt people. And stones can be used as examples or metaphors for resistance to change.
This week in worship we talk about remembering. How we remember … what we remember … and we explore the dangers of only remembering one story, which is often only our own story.
As we approach the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, non-indigenous people are called to listen to the experiences and memories of the indigenous peoples of Canada. We are called to honour the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.
In the words of the Moderator of the United Church of Canada, the Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Landsdowne in here 2024 address to the UCC, we are called “ … to reflect, learn and to pray about the continued impact of colonial policies and governance in what we call Canada.”
What are the objects and keepsakes that help you remember? When, and how, have you learned about someone else’s experience through a sacred story or object?