BS: Ghost Chains

Subject: RE: BS: Ghost Chains
From: Amergin
Date: 12 Jun 01 - 12:55 AM

interesting...i hope somebody in the know can tell us more...sounds kind of like a worldwide phenomenon...

Subject: RE: BS: Ghost Chains
From: GUEST,Karen
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 01:48 PM

Hmmm...I'll be in the Appalachian area over the 4th of July holiday and plan on attending a few craft/folk festivals. I'll keep my eyes peeled for "ghost chains" and let you know if I find anything.

Subject: RE: BS: Ghost Chains
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:06 AM

West Africans do a lovely carved thing of several people together, so that you can collapse the carving into something like a cylinder for storage, but when you open it up, their arms go out and their legs go in and across and you get a kind of hourglass figure, with the top = bowl that you can put things in and the bottom = the legs supporting the bowl part. All carved from one piece of wood. It makes a bowl you can't put soup in, but you can rest another bowl INTO it and it kind of makes a raised trivet. Great wedding gifts. Not sure if Ivorian per se or generic West African... but I'd like to hear more too...

Subject: RE: BS: Ghost Chains
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:00 AM

If you put "carved wooden chains" in the www.google.com search box, there are a bunch of links which come up for exploring. I didn't glance but at a few. Good luck. I'd really love to hear more about this.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Ghost Chains
From: GUEST,jayohjo in Russia
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 10:15 AM

I don't know the meaning of this, but Welsh love spoons are always made from one continuous piece of wood, with a chain of wood on the handle end.

Subject: RE: BS: Ghost Chains
From: Charcloth
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 08:57 AM

refresh

Subject: Ghost Chains
From: Charcloth
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 11:17 PM

Hey folks. I met a fellow who was carving wooden chains this weekend. I mentioned that it reminded me of the ghost chains I had seen shown at Apalachain (however you spell it) festivals. To which he replied he had never heard of Ghost chains before. Now I am thinking this is an old Celtic custom. But I can't remember. All I remember is that it is said that ghost can't resist sliding in & out of the links which are supposed to trap the spirits & keep one safe. If I am right it is to be a continuous chain or cicle carved out of a single piece of wood with no splices. Does any one have any more info on Ghost Chains? As Always I thank you for your kind help,Charcloth.