Beating the Bounds

From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project

BEATING THE BOUND is an action performed by a group of local folk perambulating their farms, manors, kirkyards or specific geographical boundaries stopping at particular markers such as trees, walls, hedges, wells and standing stones that mark the extent of the boundary in order to ritually *beat'* specific landmarks with sticks (of Ash and Birch) to chase off such things as the spirit of the old year and negative energies for protective measures.