In European folk magic dolls were used for many purposes. For instance, dolls were used to represent a goddess, such as Bride, during seasonal observances.
Dolls were also used in love magic to bring two people together and for protection to bind people from doing harm. Less known are the dolls that were used for healing.
Fever dolls act as scapegoats. They were made out of whatever material was on hand, and kept overnight under the pillow of a feverish child. In the morning, the fever doll was removed from the home and given a mock burial. By doing this, the fever, which moved into the doll overnight, would also be buried with the doll.
Making a Fever Doll
Items Needed
2”x2” piece of cardboard
White embroidery thread
Fever dolls can be made in the same way that yarn dolls are made. Wrap the white embroidery thread around the cardboard about 20 times. Slip the wound thread off the cardboard, cut a piece of thread that is 4” long, and tie the wound thread. This bend will be where you form the head of the doll. Next, cut the wound thread opposite of the head so that you have strands instead of loops.
To form the doll, tie another thread around the neck area to form the head. Separate equal strands of yarn, about 9 strands, on each side of the body for the arms. Tie string around the wrist area of each arm. If the doll is to represent a girl, you are now finished making the doll. However, for a boy doll you will need to tie a strand of thread around the doll’s waist. Separate the remaining strands equally for the legs and tie thread around the ankles.
These little fever dolls can be made beforehand and kept safely in a drawer or in a box on your altar.
Using a Fever Doll
To use a fever doll, light a white votive candle and, standing before the candle, hold the fever doll in the palm of your power hand. Say to the doll:
- Burning fire,
- Burning fever,
- Take the heat within you.
Place the fever doll under the sick child’s pillow. If you are doing this for an infant or toddler, place the fever doll under the mattress or someplace near the crib where the little one cannot reach it. Return to the candle. Say:
- The flame burns down,
- The fever leaves [name of child].
Allow the candle to burn down and out.
The next day, remove the fever doll from under the child’s pillow. Take it outdoors and bury it. You can make this ritual a simple act of digging a small hole and burying the doll within it, or you can wrap the doll in a shroud and bury it with a blessing and a copper penny.
Knotted Cloth
Another piece of folk magic regarding the cure of fevers uses a knotted cloth. A white cloth, or washcloth was knotted three times, one knot was made in the upper half of the cloth for the head and two corners were knotted for hands. What remained was the flowing gown part that represented the body.
This knotted cloth was then rubbed over the feverish forehead to absorb the fever. It was then placed in running water, such as under a faucet, to cool the fever and wash it away.
Medicine and Folk Magic
The fever doll and knotted cloth are in no way meant to replace medicine and the expert advice of a doctor. Instead, like meditation and creative visualization, folk magic is meant to compliment modern medicine. After all, we want to help our loved ones in every way that we can.
