We recently saw this picture and had no idea what it was. What could it possibly be?
The picture went around the All Cute offices while we thought about all the different ways we could use what looked like a very ordinary tree branch.
After asking for a day what on earth it could be used for, we were finally told. This branch was used for something that has been done since the 1500s. The name for this was “water dowsing.”
If you don’t know what “Water Dowsing” is or what a “dowsing tool” is, you might know it as a “diviner,” “doodlebug,” “well witch,” or “water-finder.” If you haven’t guessed already, this tool is used to find water. Even though this is more of an old wives’ story, it was a usual thing to do in the past.
A person used the Y-shaped branch by holding one end of the stick in each hand with their palms facing up. The “Y” stem, which is the bottom of the branch, is then turned 45 degrees toward the ground. After putting the tool in place, the person goes back and forth.
As the person walks back and forth, they watch for the bottom of the Y to move toward the ground. The old wives’ tale says that the tremors at the bottom of the Y are signs that there is water underground.So you might be wondering, “How did this get started?” Well, dowsing with metal sticks was used to find metals in the ground in the 1500s. As time went on, people moved to country places and used this method to find water for their new homes.
The idea was that digging for water in the wrong place could quickly become very expensive. By using the water dowser method, it would be much easier and cost less time and money to find water.
When more improved technology showed that water is under most of the Earth’s surface, the “myth” was broken. Still, the tool itself was pretty clever for its time. In fact, water drilling companies still use the water-dowsing method sometimes before they drill to make sure they’ll get any water at all.
Good for you if you knew what the tool was for. If you want to see how smart your friends are, tell us if they knew what it was.