Tracing the Footsteps of Ritual: Concealed Footwear in America

• Autores: Jessica Costello
• Localización: Historical Archaeology, ISSN 0440-9213, Vol. 48, Nº. 3, 2014, págs. 35-51
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Research concluded by the author in 2003 documented 106 cases of concealed footwear in the United States. Patterns associated with these finds indicate that most, if not all, of these items were concealed for ritual purposes. Historical documentation and popular folklore illustrate the important role that the shoe has played in Western culture for centuries. People ascribed elements of popular magic to the shoe, using it to represent the human form. Shoes were concealed to ensure protection of the home from witches and evil spirits, as part of builders’ traditions, by shoemakers to ensure prosperity, and by grieving persons to preserve loved ones’ spirits. The survival of this practice into the 20th century supports the idea that ritual and magic, instead of disappearing during the enlightened 18th century, were incorporated into modern culture.