Ghosts & Bottle Trees

What are Bottle Trees? What do Bottle Trees Have to do with Ghosts?
We've seen people claiming to sell ghosts in a bottle (unfortunately); however we found
another story about bottles and ghosts with a similar idea of trapping unwanted spirits. Now,
we do not subscribe to the idea of fearing ghosts or trapping them (if it were possible), but we
do like this tale about ghosts and bottle trees – at least the decorative opportunity it presents.

If you were able to take a drive through rural regions of the southern United States, especially
west of Mississippi (think Louisiana), it is possible that you might catch glimpses of bottle
trees in front of homes. A piece of folk lore not unlike other Southern legends, (Oogles, for
example), bottle trees seem a symbolic piece of our history, exposing our deep-seated fears.
In the movie, Ghosts of Mississippi, a bottle tree can be spotted as a haunting reminder that
ghosts from our past might still be hanging around us, refusing to let go.

Superstitions of bottle trees as a way to ward off
ghosts and evil spirits is said to have come to
this country from Africa. The slave trade also
brought beliefs from the Congo to the United
States and Europe – the hanging of bottles
outside of homes being just one example.
Passing down from generation to generation,
bottle collectors stateside carried on this
tradition by displaying their collection of
beautifully-colored glass while continuing to
believe in their power as talismans capable of
repelling the worst of specters. Today, many of
these bottles are now antiques, so they are
definitely something interesting to observe.

How is a Bottle Tree Said to Work with Ghosts?
How is a bottle tree supposed to keep away
ghosts and spirits? Legend has it that during
the day, the sun shining through different hues
of glass lures ghosts through bedazzling colors.
Once they are within the bottles, some say they
are trapped for eternity (or until the bottle is
broken). Superstitious beliefs aside, we must
admit that the idea of colored glass hanging
from trees is at least charming.

Making a Bottle Tree for Decoration
Bottle trees are sometimes made by tying
shoestring or cord around the neck of two
bottles and hanging them over branches of
trees outside a home. Bottle trees may also be
made by breaking off branches and sticking
the bottle over the stems of a live tree. Others
plant a small, dead tree in a pot and move it
outdoors once bottles adorn its branches.

"The Thin Line Between Good & Evil" by Regina
Cornwell illustrates one form of bottle tree.

Thanks to Madame Furie and Creative DC for use of their bottle tree images.

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