‘Cursed’ bell has VANISHED from ancient Scottish ‘burial island’ made famous by Harry Potter films
THIEVES have stolen a medieval bell from a remote Scottish burial island made famous by the Harry Potter films.
According to an ancient legend, the precious artefact will put a 200-year-old curse on anyone who dares to move it from its home on St. Finan's isle on Loch Shiel.
Loch Shiel has been made famous for featuring as Black Lake in the Harry Potter films and many fans will recall the iconic scene when Harry rides Buckbeak over the water there.
The lake is home to a ruined stone chapel and a burial ground dating back to 661AD on St Finan's Isle, which is were the 1,000 year old bell should be located.
It was reported missing late last month by the Moidart History Group but still hasn't been found.
A spokesman for the group : "I hope the curse is genuine."
Police are investigating the bell's disappearance but the Moidart History Group are worried that it will never bee found.
The early-medieval hand bell has been stolen once before during the Jacobite Rising revolt in 1745.
After the revolt, a British solider took the bell as loot but angry locals pursued him.
He was caught and severely flog and then the bell was returned to the island.
However, legend states that the bell actually flew itself back there.
The Modiart History Group has said: "The thief would have needed heavy bolt cutters, since the flimsy chain that attached the bell to the altar was replaced by a hand-forged bronze chain in 2017, so the theft was likely to have been a planned affair.
"There is a curse on whoever takes the bell off the island. It was stolen by a British soldier in the 1740s but returned after a chase along the seventeen-mile long Loch Shiel. The thief was flogged severely, and the bell returned by his officers."
The bell is said to have no monetary value but is of great religious and historical importance.
Some people think that St. Finan himself may have brought the bell to the isle.
Bells were important to medieval Christian churches because they told the time to locals, called them to prayer and were believed to drive away demons.
St. Finan's Isle is remote and uninhabited but visitor numbers are increasing due to the popularity of kayaking on Loch Shiel because of its connections to Harry Potter.
A spokesman for Police Scotland said: "Anyone with information about the theft or the whereabouts of the bell is asked to call 101, quoting incident 2838 of July 18, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
Strange UK burials sites
Here are some of the weirdest...
Leicester car park: King Richard III's remains
- In 2012, King Richard III's skeleton was famously found under a Leicester car park.
- The corpse had a metal arrow in its back and severe trauma to its skull.
- The following February, lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, of the University of Leicester, said tests proved the remains were the king’s “beyond reasonable doubt”.
- Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.
- His demise was dramatised by Shakespeare, who had the monarch calling out “a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse” before he died on battlefield.
Dartmoor: Grave of 'Bronze Age princess'
- Its beautiful moor attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, but in 2011, remains thought to belong to a Bronze Age princess were discovered on Dartmoor.
- The bones - thought to date back over 4,000 years - were found in a peat bog on White Horse Hill alongside a number of remarkable items, including around 150 beads, an animal pelt, a delicate bracelet and a woven bag.
- The picturesque National Park's archaeologists were stunned to uncover the grave, which was described at the time as one of the most significant historical finds ever at the site.
- It is speculated that the grave was that of a young, royal woman.
Rare Oxfordshire stream: 26 human skeletons
- A beautiful stream in Oxfordshire might look like an unlikely place to find 26 human skeletons - but that's what happened recently near the precious Letcombe Brook.
- The skeletons, believed to be from the Iron Age and Roman periods, were discovered during a £14.5 million Thames Water project to ease pressure on the rare chalk stream.
- Archaeologists believe some may have been victims of ritual human sacrifice.
- The skeletons are thought to be about 3,000 years old.
- Evidence of dwellings, animal carcasses and household items, including pottery, cutting implements and a decorative comb, were also unearthed.
- Cotswold Archaeology removed the items for forensic examination, which meant Thames Water could start laying the six-kilometre pipe.
In other news, a Viking ‘party hall’ where Norse chieftains may have chugged ale has been found buried under a British farm.
Archaeologists reveal world's earliest known infant cemetery.
Do you recognise Loch Shiel from the Harry Potter films? Let us know in the comments...
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