An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present - Doreen Valiente 2018

Atho, a Name of the Horned God

Atho is the name given to a carved head of the horned god of witchcraft, owned by Mr. Raymond Howard of Norfolk. In 1930, when Mr. Howard was a boy, he lived with relations on a farm in Norfolk. Here he met an old lady called Alicia Franch, who lived with the Gypsies or Romanys. She took an interest in the boy, whom she first met when he was playing by a roadside pond on the day of the summer solstice.

Old Alicia apparently took this meeting as a sign, and she taught him some of the traditions of witchcraft that she knew. She told him that when she died she would leave him a legacy; and she kept her word. In due course, Mr. Howard inherited from Alicia Franch a number of magical objects, among which was the head of Atho.

I have met Mr. Howard and seen this carved head myself. It is a very impressive carving, having a crude strength and power which make it a remarkable work of primitive art. It is fashioned from a solid trunk of dark oak, evidently very old. The head is adorned with two bulls’ horns, and inset in various places with silver and jewels. It is covered with mystic symbols, representing the beliefs of the followers of Atho.

Mr. Howard allowed the head to be photographed by the press, and shown on television. He now feels this was unwise, as in April 1967 the head was stolen from Mr. Howard’s antique shop in Norfolk. Despite police enquiries, the mystery of the theft remains unsolved. The thief evidently came specially for the statue, as other valuables and a cashbox containing money were ignored. We can only hope that this remarkable relic of the witch religion will one day come to light again and be restored to its rightful owner.

ATHO, the Horned God of Witchcraft, as shown in a painting by the author.

It was characteristic of pagan Celtic Britain to carve sacred heads of deities. These were usually of stone, whereas the head of Atho is of oak. Nevertheless, the idea may have survived and been handed down. With widening archaeological discoveries, we know today that the worship of the Celtic horned god Cernunnos was widespread throughout Ancient Britain; many representations of him have been found. The name Cernunnos is really a title, and means ’The Horned One’. He was one of the many versions of the horned god of the witches.

My own painting of the head of Atho is reproduced as an illustration to this book. It is as precise a copy of the details of the original as the limits of my talent will allow.

The horns are ornamented with the signs of the zodiac. On the forehead are the five rings of witchcraft, the five different circles which are cast by witches. The nose is a wine-cup, which holds the Sabbat wine; it is ornamented with a pentagram, the sign of magic. The mouth is shaped like a bird, the messenger of air. The chin is a triangle, with the various magical meanings of the Triad.

Below are the twin serpents, representing positive and negative forces. The other symbols depicted around the head are actually carved upon the original. The sprouting and twining foliage of the background represents the forces of life and fertility, which Atho personifies.

The name Atho is evidently a Sassenach version of the Old Welsh Arddhu, ’The Dark One’.