Mystery Of The Hidden Shoes Discovered In Ancient European Houses – What Is Behind This Bizarre Tradition?

Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – Archaeologists have on several occasions discovered deliberately hidden shoes in ancient European buildings. Different kind of footwear was placed under the floor, above the doorway or inside a chimney. It is also worth noting that hidden footwear has been discovered in private homes, churches, and monasteries.

A majority of the discovered shoes have been worn or repaired, and most finds are of single shoes. It is not so often scientists have come across a pair of hidden shoes. What did people think when they left shoes in the most surprising places? How can such bizarre ancient tradition be explained?

Three concealed shoes within the National Museum of Scotland’s collection. Credit: National Museums Scotland

We may never know the entire truth behind these curiosities, but some theories can shed light on our ancestors’ behavior.

In those days when shoes were expensive, it is logical to assume the working class wanted to hide such valuable possessions. Still, it seems the practice of concealing footwear was also a matter of superstition. Hidden shoes could ward off evil supernatural beings such as ghosts, witches, and spirits. In ancient beliefs, witches were said to be attracted by the human scent of a shoe, and after entering, one found themselves trapped, as they were unable to reverse.

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