poppet

The word poppet is an older spelling of puppet, from the Middle English popet, meaning a small child or doll. In British Dialect it continues to hold this meaning. Poppet is also a chiefly English term of endearment.

Magical use

In folk-magic and witchcraft, a poppet is a doll made to represent a person, for casting spells on that person (such as healing, fertility, or binding spells). These dolls may be fashioned from such materials as a carved root, grain or corn shafts, a fruit, paper, wax, a potato, clay, branches, or cloth stuffed with herbs. The intention is that whatever actions are performed upon the effigy will be transferred to the subject. This use of poppets is known as "image magic". While the dolls can be used to perform or assist, magically, a specific person, they can also be made to resemble no one. That is that they can be made by a person of magic for someone else to help them with, love issues, or money issues. To help provide protection. While poppets are very powerful magic, anyone who makes one should follow the crede of "Do what thou wilt, but harm none." They are also known as Poppits and Pippies. Sometimes these dolls are mistakenly called "voodoo dolls". See Vodou myths and misconceptions.

"To some others at these times he [the Devil] teacheth how to make pictures of wax or clay. That by the roasting thereof, the persons that they beare the name of, may be continually melted or die away by continually sickness."

^{Source: James I, Demonologie}

Wax figures could also be used to counter witchcraft and turn the magic back on the caster.

The term poppet is also sometimes applied to a Maiden or Mother Goddess doll, used in harvest or other festivals to symbolise the fertility of the Earth and/or Goddess. In some instances, dolls are used to represent the male gender instead of the female (corn dollies, scarecrows and the Wicker Man of the Druids are examples).^{[citation needed]} Poppets are believed to be infused with life by their makers. The doll is a "little life", symbolic of the inner person.

Other Uses

In addition, Poppets is a brand of chocolate-covered sweets in the United Kingdom.

Poppet may also refer to a poppet valve.

In nautical terms it also means any of the vertical timbers bracing the bow or stern of a vessel about to be launched.

References

• Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. 17 Nov. 2006.

See also

• Puppet
• The Crucible

Donate to Wikimedia