widdershins

alternative uncommon withershins · alternative archaic widdersins · alternative archaic withersins · alternative archaic widishins

1. archaicnot comparablenow chiefly fantasy or witchcraftAnticlockwise, counter-clockwise.

   It is unlucky to walk widdershins around a church.

   5 more examples

   If Burd Ellen had gone “widishins" round the church, she would, I think, have used the best homoeopathic specific against the Elf-King's power; for "to go widishins" was the chief element in elfin practices, and if mortals wished to resist or unspell elf-craft, they, too, had "to go widershins," or they had to repeat the Paternoster backwards, which came to the same thing, or do something else contrariwise.

   1891 January 3, I. Gollancz, “Widishins”, in The Academy, London, page 14, column 3

   Now while they rested, a flittermouse flew forth from the Witchland booths and went widdershins round the wrastling ground and so returned silently whence she came.

   1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 22

   Astronomers cannot help regarding the solar system as a small widdershins universe, because the real movements with which they are familiar are nearly all widdershins: the rotation of the sun on its axis, the rotation and revolution of the earth and the moon, the rotation and revolution of the planets and of most of their satellites.

   1946, Herbert McKay, The World of Numbers, Cambridge University Press, →OL, page 45

   "Widdershins, brother!" said Catweazle impatiently. "Widdershins!" "What are you babbling about?" said Carrot. "We must seek protection. Dost not know widdershins?" "No," said Carrot. "'Tis beyond belief," said Catweazle, shaking his head. Spreading his arms, the old sorcerer crouched down and began to revolve on the spot. Faster and faster he whirled until he was like a spinning top.

   1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, published 1984, page x. 136

   Cummer, go ye before, cummer, go ye. If ye willna go before, cummer, let me. Ring-a-ring a-widdershins Linkin' lithely widdershins Cummer carlin crone and queen Roun' go we!

   1989, Ken Radford, Fire Burn, page 81

   Antonyms: clockwise, sunwise, deasil

2. Scotlandnot comparableThe wrong way.