The Secret of the Eagle Stone

An Eagle Stone was a piece of iron ore that housed a smaller stone inside, a type of geode. A few examples appear to actually be a type of unknown nut, its hardened shell containing the shrivelled nut inside.

While serving as a status symbol for cunning folk, they were commonly used in folklore as magical protection for pregnant women, the expectant mother wearing it on her left arm while she carried the unborn child then moving it to the right thigh when labour began.

Another use was to suspend the eagle stone on a thread above the pregnant woman’s abdomen to predict the sex of the child, in some cases it would be judged on whether the stone swung while in others it was expected to spin.

During the early days of the English Civil War an incident involving an eagle stone occurred at Castlemorton near Malvern which demonstrated the high regard these objects were held in. The Bartlett family were catholic recuscants and became a target for Parliamentary militiamen who were building in the area. Just days before the minor but symbolic Battle of Powick Bridge a detachment under the command of one Captain Scriven from Gloucester descended on Castlemorton, blocked all roads in and out of the village, then a small party led by Scriven rode up to the Bartlett family home.

They forced their way in under the pretence of searching the house for weapons but on finding none Scriven and his underlings began to drink their way through Bartlett’s store of ale. An argument broke out when Scriven took exception to Bartlett keeping his own sword for personal protection, then things turned nasty very quickly as the Roundheads grabbed Bartlett’s maid and pointed a pistol at her head, jabbing at her with sword points. Bartlett relented, indicating a chest containing valuables in his bedroom, which was broken open and the contents thrown out onto the floor. Jewellery, silver plates and fine cloth were seized but something else piqued Scriven’s attention.

“An eagle’s stone” for which Bartlett had been offered “30 pieces” by “a phissician” but had refused the sale. Captain Scriven was entranced, he knew what it was and how much it could potentially be worth, and simply walked out towards his horse holding the eagle stone in both hands as he stared down at it. Ecstatic at finding the magical artefact he called to his whole company to descend on the house and take whatever they liked, which they sadly did.

I can find no further mention of Captain Scriven and the eagle stone after that, it simply went out into that chaotic world of conflict and superstition. The eagle stone pictured was sold at auction from a private collection in Norfolk…it might have been the stone taken from Castlemorton.

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