Abstract
The human head has proved to be an enduring symbol, employed over several millennia in a variety of contexts suggestive of a more or less consistent association of meanings. Repeated appearances as skull or sculptured artefact through prehistory indicate a ritualised application of the head as symbol, as does a frequent recurrence at locations which may be seen as boundaries or thresholds, whether of a physical or metaphysical nature. Prehistoric artwork from a wide variety of cultures also implies a perception of the human head over and above a design element, extending to a degree of purposive application. Further appearances in the historical record to the present day, as skull or artefact, in narrative or artwork, tend to echo earlier manifestations.
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© 2015 John Billingsley
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Billingsley, J. (2015). Instances and Contexts of the Head Motif in Britain. In: Hutton, R. (eds) Physical Evidence for Ritual Acts, Sorcery and Witchcraft in Christian Britain. Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137444820_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137444820_4
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