Hardly Anyone Identifies This Vintage Device – Are You Among the Select Few Who Truly Recognize Its Function?
Recently, we stumbled upon this image and were completely puzzled. What on earth could it possibly be?The picture circulated throughout the All Cute offices while we brainstormed all the potential uses for what appeared to be an ordinary tree branch.
After a day of pondering its purpose, we finally received the answer! This branch served a practice that dates back as far as the 1500s, known as “Water Dowsing.”
If you aren’t familiar with Water Dowsing or the dowsing tool itself, you might recognize it by one of its other names: diviner, doodlebug, well witch, or water-finder. This tool, if you haven’t already guessed, was utilized to locate water sources. While it may be considered an old wives’ tale, it was once a prevalent practice in earlier times.
The Y-shaped branch was held by an individual, with one branch in each hand, palms facing upward. The stem of the “Y” (the bottom of the branch) was then tilted towards the Earth at a 45-degree angle. Once in position, the individual would walk back and forth, seeking potential water sources.