As we get older, it’s easy to feel like the world around us has changed so much that we hardly recognize it. Trends shift quickly, and even the small changes that happen over the years can make everything feel different.
My grandmother, bless her soul, used to show us strange gadgets and trinkets that no one else in the family recognized. She would always talk about the routines and habits she had when she was younger. If I’m lucky enough to live as long as she did, I imagine it will be the same for me.
This kind of nostalgia is probably why “what’s this?” articles are so popular on the internet. People share photos of mysterious objects, curious about what they are and how they were used. A new one is currently making the rounds, and it’s quite puzzling to figure out what it is and what it does.
When I first saw a picture of the tool below online, I had no idea what it was. Thankfully, many people did.
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary, old tree branch with a V shape and nothing particularly special about it. However, this tool has a fascinating history dating back to the 1500s, and it’s linked to a technique called “Water Dowsing.”
The water dowser, also known as a “doodlebug,” “water-finder,” “diviner,” or “well witch,” was used to locate water.
A person would hold the branches of the stick with their palms facing up. The lower part of the V—the stem where the two rods join—would be tilted 45 degrees towards the ground.
The dowser would then walk back and forth, waiting for vibrations at the base of the V, which supposedly indicated the presence of water beneath the earth’s surface.
This method, originally used with metal rods to find metals in the ground, was adapted in the 1500s to help people in remote areas locate water sources.
So, the next time you come across an old, mysterious object, remember that it might have an interesting story behind it, just like the water dowser.
Share this story with your family and friends to spark some curiosity and nostalgia!
Share your thoughts in the comments down below!
