Mysterious Witch Bottles Washing Up on Texas Beaches Bewitch Curious Beachcombers
Along the Gulf of Mexico’s shores, superstitious beachcombers are being warned to keep their distance from mysterious “witch bottles” that are popping up along the coast. These bottles, believed to entomb malevolent spirits, have become the talk of the town near Corpus Christi, Texas.
By Richard Cole · November 28, 2023
According to Jace Tunnell, a researcher at the Harte Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, eight of these peculiar “witch bottle” artifacts have washed ashore in a 60-mile stretch since 2017. The most recent discovery, made on Nov. 15, was filled with vegetation, including gooseneck barnacles that had hitched a ride on the green glass.
I mean, they're supposed to have spells and stuff in them – why take the chance?
Tunnell, who has been monitoring the phenomenon, assures the public that he doesn’t get creeped out by the bottles. However, he is not willing to take any chances. “I mean, they’re supposed to have spells and stuff in them – why take the chance?” he said. Instead, Tunnell has dedicated a sunlit section of his back fence to display his occult finds, noting that his wife has drawn the line at bringing spell bottles inside.
The origin of these mysterious bottles with contents ranging from hair, herbs, nails to bodily fluids, is a head-scratcher. Traditionally observed in the United Kingdom, nearly 200 have been recovered there, hidden in walls or buried underground. The McGill University Office of Science and Society explains that in the 16th and 17th centuries, people believed in witches’ ability to cause illness through spells. To counteract these spells, the so-called “witch bottles” were prepared to reflect the spell and torment the witch.
In the U.S., less than a dozen remnants of this practice have been discovered, according to William & Mary. Tunnell speculates that some spell casters may toss their bottles into the ocean, though he remains uncertain whether they were swept into the sea by rivers or rainwater.
The Harte Institute’s beachcombing YouTube series, initiated after Hurricane Hanna, aims to raise awareness about debris washing up on the Gulf shores. Tunnell emphasizes the importance of picking up trash to prevent it from reaching the ocean, as even inland items find their way to the water after rain.
Among the oddities discovered in over 180 episodes of the series are an abandoned drone, a lost lifepod, lost ship supplies, and about 30 messages in bottles. While Tunnell and his team can often trace the origin of washed-up objects, the spell bottles remain a mystery. Tunnell doubts they were made in the U.S., noting that some bottles come from Haiti, complete with sea turtle bites, suggesting they originate from the Caribbean or South America.
If you’re ever strolling along the Gulf of Mexico, keep an eye out for more than just seashells – you might just stumble upon a bewitched bottle with a centuries-old secret.