Forked hazel divining rod

This item was a prize from the Hunt for History.

Item

a forked hazel divining rod

Show

Beginning as a sturdy stick, this divining rod soon divides into nine separate branches, each one tapered to a fine point. The bark has been peeled off, leaving the rod smooth and splinter-free.

Details

Scripts:
With the tip of his hazel divining rod pointing down, X sweeps it across the ground quickly, then returns to one spot, frowning with consternation.

As X passes the tip of his hazel divining rod over the ground, it almost seems to leap out of his hands!

Loresong

As you gaze at the hazel divining rod in your hands, the image of a cozy cottage takes shape before your eyes. A young girl sits by the hearth, listening with rapt attention as her grandmother describes the mysteries of divination. The old woman taps one finger to the side of her nose and winks at the girl, binding her to secrecy. The fire crackles and you can almost smell the sap burning off the wood.

The cottage reappears, but this time the two women are just outside it, standing in a small herb garden. The old woman holds out her divining rod, letting her granddaughter touch the smooth wood. After pointing out the different branching ends, the woman places the young girl's small hands over her own time-worn fingers, and together they grip the rod, feeling its vibration.

This time, you see mostly blackness. As you adjust to the change, you begin to make out a small figure. Holding a knife in one hand, the girl walks cautiously around a field at night, jumping sideways with every sudden sound in the darkness. Little more than a sliver in the sky, Liabo casts barely enough light for her to find the hazel hedge at the far end. Upon locating it, she searches carefully through the dense structure to find the perfect twig, which she cuts off with her knife.

The familiar scene inside the cottage reappears, its warmth welcoming after that stark and lonely night. Back by the fire, the girl sits next to her grandmother and carves the rod under her watchful gaze. The old woman says something, and the two of them laugh in unison, identical sparks dancing in the depths of their ageless eyes. The vision fades slowly, leaving you with a sense of connection to these two unknown women.