My dünket kinnen de meyste lude sik doch wårüm et verhål ditmål geit. Villicht hebben de meyste lude et ouk en mål sülv uutprebeard, süms as en spel, süms villicht wat seriöser. Ik snak vansülv üm de wikkerrod: en reev, warmed eyn alderhande såken vinden kind. Et givt der twey vörms. Et givt de Y-rod, oft en tak dee eyn in de bosk vindet, wårvan de steyle sik upsplitst in tweye. Dan givt et ouk nog de L-roden, oft twey metålen ståvkes wår of eyne de körte kant in de hand holded.

By wikkerroden geit et derüm, såken to vinden, dee vorbörgen binnen vöär normåle lude. Süms is et idea, dat eyn vöär et wikkerroden loupen sünderlike gåven hebben müt, supernormåle gåven. Üm disse natuurlike gåve to vorstarken, kin eyn en reev bruken. Dat kinnen alderhande såken weasen, lykas een pendel, tarotkaarten, mor düs ouk en wikkerrod.

Eyn van de wysen wårvöär wikkerroden bruked wurden, is üm bornen van water to vinden. Süksen gebruuk is mindestens 400 jår old, dår in et Engeland van de 17. eyw de wikkerrod ouk wel Mouses-rod enuumd wurdet. Lykas Mouses in de Bibel water uut en steyn slån kin dermed (Exodus 17:1-7), sou ouk kin eyn water dermed vinden (Johannes Dillinger, “Dowsing from the Late Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century” (2012), s. 3). Vanof de 20. eyw is dit de meyst populäre wyse üm en wikkerrod to bruken (s. 15). Dat seen wy ouk in Alie van der Veer uut Öle höär vortelling. Disse vortelling geit üm höär olders. See kümt weaderümme wounen in Öle nå en beste set jåren vurd west te weasen, en krigt al gauw al wat bekyks:

“Mien va har ok biejzeundere gaven, hee kon wellen opzeuken met ‘n täkske. Dan sneed hee zich nen tak of van nen wilg in ne Y-voarm, ‘n schearp knief har hee aait in ‘n tuk. Dat möt nen boer wal biej zich hebben, vuur ‘t geval ne koo of ‘n peerd vast koomp te zitten.

“De Geurtsjongs, twee vriejgezelle boeren, harren heurd dat mien va met zun täkske ne welle op kon zeuken woara’j dan ne putte konnen sloan. Mar zee geleufden der helemoals niks van. An de aandere kaant waren ze ‘t ok zat um elken dag met ne koare hen en wier te veuren wied van ‘t hoes achter in de Hooltmoat. En zo besleuten ze um toch mien va te vroagen of hee ne welle op wol zeuken.

“Zo gezegd zo gedoan en ze gungen tehope de weare in en mien va begun heanigan roond te lopen. De Geurtsjongs keken too en schudden met ‘n kop en toen noa ‘n zetje den peunt van dat täkske noar daalten gung, geleuven ze nich wat ze zeen harren, keukeleriej dachen ze. Der wörden toch’n pöalke in de groond doan, aans konnen ze dee stea nich wier veenden, iej konnen ‘t joa nooit weten. Zee wollen’t ok eaven preberen, mar gin van beire kon der wat met.

“Mar ‘n klooksten van dee beiden, Bennad, har nen kloaren roojen tukdook metnommen en den kreeg mien va as bleenddook vuur. Toen namen ze beire mien va tusken zich in en bunt kris kras duur de weare lopen. Doarnoa kreeg mien va ‘t täkske wier en is met ‘n roojen tukdook vuur d’oagen, heanigan verdan lopen. En merakels, tot grote verwoondering van beire Geurtsjongs gung op dezölfde stea den peunt wier noar daalten. Joa, toen mossen ze ‘t wal geleuven en nen zet later wörden doar ne put slagen. Doar zat water in oawervlood in en de Geurtsjongs konnen eur geluk nich op. ‘t Hele noaberschop kreeg te heuren hoo bes Geugies Hendrik water kon zeuken.

“Nog bunt der putten te veenden in Eule woar mien va gangs is wes. En nich allenig in Eul, toen wiej in Twekkel kwamen te wonnen hef mien va twee beste wellen opzoch. Doar he’k noe met dee dreuge zommers heel völ wille van. Gelukkig kon hee ‘t biej miej zoonder bleenddook of.”

Alie van der Veer, “Wichelroede Lopen”, in En Noe Verdan (2020), s. 221-222.

Neet allennig vöär water, mor ouk vöär alderhande andere såken hev de wikkerrod nüt. As de mynbouw löskümt in de 16. eyw in Düütskland, wurdet de wikkerrod ouk en bült bruked. Ouk vöär et söken når minerålen en metålen warket et good, skynbår (Johannes Dillinger, “Dowsing from the Late Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century” (2012), s. 5-6). Eyn höövet der neet vöär buten to kummen, umreaden eyn kin de wikkerroden ouk boaven en kaart bruken. Wår of de wikkerroden mekår kruust (of de punt dalewyst), dår vindet eyn seakers de sköynste metålen en minerålen (Dillinger, s. 14).

Wårüm of de wikkerroden warken binnen verskydene teories üm. Et vangt altomål an med Basilius syn teory, dat metålen, water, en alderhande skatten uutåsemt, en dat disse åsem döär wikkerroden meaten wurden kind (Dillinger, s. 7). Disse teory ligget ouk an de basis vöär de nymoudske aerdstralen-teory: dat ter en ard magnetiske energy in de objekten sit, dee döär de wikkerrod uppikked wurden kin. Dit seen wy ouk weaderüm in de andere vortelling:

“De monteurs harren in de garage oonder ’t schaften een heel gesprek ehad oawer aardstralen, en oawer ne wichelroede, dat ze vroger biej de boeren op dee manere noa ne goo stea zochen um ne putte te greawen of ne piepe te sloan vuur ne wel. ‘Vergist oe nit’, zee Getjan, ‘zonne wichelroede besteet wal degelijk, mear nit alleman kan der met. Miej lukket het wal; ik zeuke oe zo ne waterbane op as der tenminste ene löp, hier of doar. En as ’t aardstralen zeent, en doar steet ’s naches nen auto op, dan krig he vandeage of moarn trammelant met de ontsteking, dat krig hee! En zegt nit dat ’t nit woar is.’

“‘Iej zeent nit good wies,’ zea Derk nog ’n moal. ‘Man, loopt toch roondumme met oew wichelroede.’ Getjan gung mear ees efkes noar boeten, nen boom oetzeuken um ’t water of te tappen. En toen zag hee duur ’n reamke van de woarkplaatse nog net dat Derk Getjan zin stoetentrumke vorstoppen in ’n kofferbak van nen Mercedes den ze krek oonder haande harren.

“Hee dee ’n gulp dichte en gung retou. ‘Hee!’ zea-r-he, ‘wee hef der an minnen stoetendeuze ezetten?’ Gin means reageerden. ‘Kiekt mear ees met de wichelroede,’ zea Derk, ‘wee weet kö’j ne wal veenden, benaamd as der aardstralen oonder het beleg zit.’

“Getjan nöm nen bol lasdroad, maken d’r ne wichelroede van en zwalpen doar met duur de garage, eerst expres de verkeerde kaante oet en toen in de richting van ’n Mercedes, en toen hee in de buurte van ’n kofferbak köm, leut hee de wichelroede froai bibbern en drejen en zea: ‘doar mut he liggen.’ Hee deer ’n kofferbak lös en haalden zin trumke der oet.”

Gerrit Kraa, ‘Wichelroede’, in Twents: Spelling en Grammatica (2008), s. 86.

Hyr kin eyn seen, dat neet elkeneyn glöyv har an de wikkerrod. Ouk in de skydnis vinden wy lude, dee de warkkracht van de wikkerrod untkrachten wilden. Sou givt et Johann Zeidler, dee in 1700 skreav dat de müsklen al vansülv beweagen döär how of de wikkerrod vastholden wurden mus. Neavens hum givt et geyn underskyd tüsken et bruken van en wikkerrod of en knakwurst (in Dillinger, s. 8). Dit heyt ouk wel et Carpenter-effekt: müsklen beweygt siksülv, as eyn allennig al denket an de beweging, of et en ander doon seet.

Wat et ouk weasen mag, lude döär de tyd hevvet en bült dån med de wikkerrod. Neet allennig et söken når water of metålen, mor ouk skatten, vormiste lude, untsnappede gevangenen, lere steaden up en begråvplåts, en ouk feilers in en skydnisbook. Ouk et bruken van wikkerroden as en ouija-bröd binnen gangs. Eyn maket en bröd med letters en woorden derup, en med de wikkerrod kin eyn dan nårichten uutspellen (Dillinger, s. 14).

De wikkerrod wurdet düs vöär alderhande såken bruuked. Mor: warket et ouk wårlik? Dat is vansülv en groute vråg. En bült lude vöär tydstyden haer en nowdestyds swöyrt derby, lykas de vortelling van Alie van der Veer. Anderen binnen wat skeptisker, lykas in Gerrit Kraa syn vortelling: uutendlik hev de wikkerrode-löyper gelyk, mor hee müt dervöär bedrög bruken. En bült lude hebben dat idea: eyglyks warken wikkerroden neet, et is alderhande bedrög. Eyn weyt al wår of eyn water vinden kin, of metålen, of alle andre såken.

Mor süms, villicht, müt eyn eyrst de kunst performatyv doon, bevör et ouk wårlik warken geit. Dit seet eyn ofter by alderhande paragnosten en lude in de alternatyve heylingskunst. Et slimste an en paranormåle is, dat disse krachten oft neet to kontrollearen binnen, neet up to ropen. Mor eyn såk dat helpen kin, is üm to doon, dat see der wel binnen. Dårümme hebben alderhande paragnosten en heyl repertoire an meyr toneylachtige handlings. Nåst dat disse bruked wurden kind vöär en spektakuläre show, düt see ouk wat med de klienten. Süms is et lykas en placebo-effekt, süms is der wat anders gangs. Et geyt neet altyd üm sünderlike energyen en sükse paranormåle såken, mor süms is et ouk et glöyv dat disse ouk verskynen künt as eyn dår eyrst en rituelle ruumte vöär maket up süksen ‘bedrög’-wyse (Jeffrey Kripal, The Superhumanities: Historical Precedents, Moral Objections, New Realities (2022), s. 37). Niks hyrvan is en bewys vöär alderhande paranormåle gåven of krachten, dår heb ik ouk geyn stark glöyv an noch kin it sükse såken bewysen. Mor villicht müt eyn eyrst bedötten bevör et kin klöppen.

I believe that most people know the objects which are the topic of today’s stories. Perhaps most people have even tried them out themselves, perhaps just as a game, or perhaps with more serious intent. I’m talking about the dowsing rod, of course: a tool with which one can find all kinds of stuff. There are two forms. There is the Y-rod, often a twig found in the woods, whose branch splits off into two ends. Then there are also the L-rods, often two metal rods of which the short end is held in the hand.

By dowsing, one can find things hidden for normal people. Sometimes it is claimed that people need special powers to operate the dowsing rods, supernatural powers. In order to enhance this natural power, one can use a tool. There are many such tools, like a pendulum, tarot cards, but also dowsing rods.

One of the things dowsing rods are used for are finding sources of water. Such a usage is at least 400 years old, because in 17^th century England the dowsing rods were also known as Moses rods. Just like Moses in the Bible can strike water from a rock with it (Exodus 17:1-7), one can also locate water with it (Johannes Dillinger, “Dowsing from the Late Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century” (2012), p. 3). From the 20^th century onwards, this became the most popular way to utilize a dowsing rod (p. 15). We also see that in the story by Alie van der Veer from Öle. This story is about her parents, who return to live in Öle after having left for many years, and soon pull some attention their way:

“My dad also had special powers: he could locate water wells with a tree branch. He would cut off a branch of a willow in a Y-shape, he always carries around a sharp knife in his pocket. A farmer needs that on their person, just in case a cow or horse gets stuck.

“The Geurts boys, two bachelor farmers, had heard that my dad could locate a water well with such a branch from which you could dug up. But they didn’t buy any of it. On the other hand, they got real tired of dragging a water cart back and forth far from the house all the way back in the Holtmåt. And so they decided to ask my dad whether he would locate a well for them.

“That was agreed upon, and they came upon the pasture together, and my dad started calmly pacing around. The Geurts boys watched and shook their heads, and when, after a while, the tip of the branch pointed downwards, they didn’t believe their eyes, and made it out to be deceit. Still, they hewed a pole into the ground, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to locate that spot again, you never know. Both brothers wanted to try out the dowsing rods, but neither of them were able to work with it.

“The smartest of them both, Bennad, brought a red handkerchief along, which was fashioned into a blindfold for my dad. Then both of them took my dad in-between their arms and started crisscrossing the pasture with him. After that, they gave back the rod to my dad and he started walking calmly again with the red blindfold bound over his eyes. And, oh, it was a miracle, to great astonishment of both Geurts boys, the tip of the dowsing rod went down at the same spot. Yes, then they had to believe it, and sometime later they dug a well there. It was filled to the brim with water and the Geurts boys could not believe their luck. The whole neighbourhood was told how skilled Geugies Hendrik was at finding water sources.

“Still wells can be found in Öle that were found by my dad. And not only in Öle, but when my family moved to Twekkel, my dad also located two excellent wells there. These are excellent sources during these dry summers. He was able to locate those without a blindfold, fortunately.”

Alie van der Veer, “Wichelroede Lopen”, in En Noe Verdan (2020), p. 221-222.

The dowsing rods may not just be used for locating water, but also for locating all kinds of other stuff. When mining starts off in Germany in the 16th century, the dowsing rods are also used quite often. Apparently they are excellent tools for locating minerals and metals (Johannes Dillinger, “Dowsing from the Late Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century” (2012), p. 5-6). One doesn’t even have to go outside for it, since one can also use the dowsing rods above a map. There where the dowsing rods cross each other on the map (or the tip points downwards), there one is sure to find the most precious metals and minerals (Dillinger, p. 14).

Why the dowsing rods work is explained through different theories. It all started with Basilius’ theory, which stated that metals, water, and all kinds of treasures breathe out, and that this breath could be picked up on by dowsing rods (Dillinger, p. 7). This theory stands at the basis for the modern earth ray theory: there is some kind of magnetic energy in those objects, which can be detected by the dowsing rod. That is what we seen in this story as well:

“The engineers talked during their lunch break in the garage about earth rays, and about a dowsing rod, which were used in the past by farmers to find a good spot to dig a well and construct a pumping system. ‘Don’t be mistaken’, said Getjan, ‘such dowsing rods do exist, but not everyone can utilize them. I do have that talent; I look for such a water stream, if there is running one at least, here or there. And when they are earth rays, and a car is parked on those during the night, then there will be issues sooner or later with the ignition! And don’t tell me that it isn’t true.’

“‘You’re mad,’ said Derk again. ‘Man, take a hike with your dowsing rods.’ Getjan went outside to take a leak against a tree. And then he just saw through the window of the work shop that Derk hid away his bread container in the trunk space of a Mercedes that they were fixing up.

“He zipped up his zipper and returned. ‘Hey!’ he said, ‘who has touched my lunch box?’ No one responded. ‘Why don’t you use your dowsing rods,’ Derk said, ‘who knows you will be able to find it, especially when there are some earth rays stuck underneath the sandwich spread.’

“Getjan took a ball of welding wire, fashioned a pair of dowsing rods from it, and swayed with them through the garage, first the wrong way on purpose, but then towards the Mercedes, and when he approached the trunk space of the car, he made the dowsing rods jiggle like jelly and turned them frantically around and said: ‘It should be there.’ He opened the trunk space and his lunch box emerged from it.”

Gerrit Kraa, ‘Wichelroede’, in Twents: Spelling en Grammatica (2008), p. 86.

Here one can perceive that not everyone believes in the efficacy of the dowsing rods. Throughout history we find people who try to disprove the utility of dowsing rods. For example, Johann Zeidler wrote in 1700 that the muscles move by themselves, caused by the manner in which the dowsing rods had to be held. According to him, it made no difference whether one used a dowsing rod or a frankfurter sausage (in Dillinger, p. 8). This is also known as the Carpenter effect: muscles will move themselves even if one just thinks about a certain movement, or see others make that movement.

Whatever it is, people throughout the ages have been using the dowsing rods a lot. Not just for locating water of metals, but also treasure, missing people, escaped convicts, empty graveyard plots, and also mistakes in a history book. One can even use the dowsing rods as a Ouija board. One can craft a board with letters and words, with which one can spell out messages with the dowsing rods (Dillinger, p. 14).

Dowsing rods have been utilized for all sorts of business. The big question remains: do they actually work? That is quite a big question. A lot of people, both in the past and nowadays, swear at their effectiveness, like in the story of Alie van der Veer. Others are more sceptical, like in Gerrit Kraa’s story: in the end the dowser is right, but he has to use trickery to prove his point. A lot of people would claim so: in actuality, dowsing rods do not work, it is just a lot of deceitful behaviour. The dowser already knows where they can find water, or metals, or all those other things.

But sometimes, perhaps, one has to performatively show its usage before it will actually work. This is what we see more often with all kinds of clairvoyants and people involved in alternative medicine. The most difficult thing about the paranormal is that such powers are hard to control or to call forth. One thing that does sometimes seem to work, however, is by acting as if they are there already. That is why many clairvoyants have a full repertoire of quite stage-like acts. In addition to that these can be used for a spectacular show, can they also be of help to the clients. Something something like a placebo-effect is going on, sometimes something else. There is not always something special going on with energies or paranormal business, but it is believed that these can also appear once one has first prepared a ritual stage through the use of ‘trickery’ (Jeffrey Kripal, The Superhumanities: Historical Precedents, Moral Objections, New Realities (2022), s. 37). Nothing of this is a proof of paranormal powers of gifts in any manner, I do not have a strong faith in such things nor proof for it. But perhaps one first has to be fooled before they can be cured.