Witch Ball Folklore

Whether or not the story is true, the “four thieves” remedy was developed into an herbal formulation in Europe between 1413 and 1722. Because of its touted protective benefits, herbalists have passed along its recipe for hundreds of years, and it typically involves a combination of various herbs and spices, most often cinnamon,

At a point where a pocket would have been was a collection of perforated periwinkle shells, presumably either decorations for clothing or a necklace, or objects to be cast as some kind of divinatory process.