The Witches' Rock, on the Tilt c. mid 19th century

This stereograph, "The Witches' Rock, on the Tilt," was captured by G.W. Wilson in the 19th century. It depicts a landscape with a prominent rock formation amidst flowing water, evoking a sense of nature's mystical allure. The rock itself is the primary symbol here. The association of natural sites with witchcraft taps into a deep well of cultural memory. Across cultures, remote, wild places—forests, caves, and yes, peculiar rock formations—have long been associated with the supernatural and the otherworld. This is where the rational world meets the irrational. Consider the German legends of the Brocken mountain, a gathering place for witches. Wilson's photograph captures a similar sentiment, where the rugged, untamed landscape becomes a stage for the imagination. The idea of witches and the wilderness is not a linear progression, but rather a cyclical return to primal fears and fascinations, resurfacing in art and folklore across generations.