These genuine hag stones were found on the shores of the Hook Peninsula, County Wexford, Ireland in by local picker, Lila Strand. Hag stones (also called witch stones, fairy stones, eye stones, adder stones, snake eggs, or snake beads) can be found on just about any stony shore, but we thought it would be nice to get some specifically from one of the areas where the hag stone myth originated.
It has long been believed that stones with naturally occurring holes boring all the way through them are magical, and in what way they are magical varies depending on culture and locale. Gaelic custom generally states that looking through them allows one to see through disguises, especially the magical disguises of a witch, fairy, or other shapeshifter, and Brittonic custom generally states that these stones can cure snake bites or grant magical power, though the stories are mixed and merged across all the Celtic nations. Other beliefs hold that tiny spirits live within these rocks and confer good luck or that having this stone on your person - in a pocket or on a necklace, for example - prevents hexes from sticking to you. They have also been hung in windows or nailed to walls to protect a building, hung above a bed to prevent bad dreams, or used for divination as a pendulum or throwing stone.
It's unclear what kind of stone they are, but most are medium grey with flecks of white. They are cool and smooth to the touch, very relaxing to hold, and each feature at least 1 natural hole all the way through, and some have multiple. As well, some have several more incomplete holes. The high price of these stones is due to both compensating Strand for her time and also for paying to ship these all the way from Ireland. Currently, there has been more interest in loose stones than in those strung on necklaces, so our latest batch has not been added to necklaces. However, if you would like one on a necklace, just use the chat function in the bottom right corner, and we can discuss the options.
We now also offer larger unique hag stones, which are a less common find. They are described as follows:
- Hag Stone A measures 49 x 39 x 22 mm. It has a couple of hair-thin white lines in its dark grey stone and features one large prominent hole, and another half hole at one end. We have nickname it "Amongus" because it looks like a crewmate from the video game Among Us. Lila found a smaller stone that resembles it and chose to include it, so we will include that with purchase of this one as well.
- Hag Stone B measures 66 x 42 x 18 mm. It has some flecks of white in its dark grey stone and features 5-6 holes that go all the way through, depending on how you count. (2 of the hole tunnels are are merged together.)
When ordering any of the smaller stones, your stone will be intuitively chosen for you, and your stone may not be one of the ones pictured. This does not apply to the large unique hag stones. All items ship from our booth at the 400 Market in Innisfil, Ontario. All our prices include sales tax within Canada.
