The silvering of the Well has been a topic of interest on several different forums the past few months. There are many reasons for silvering the Well... but what I find most interesting is the use of the term 'silvering the Well' considering one of the properties which silver has.
We do not know for sure why the ancient Pagan's offered silver to wells, streams, rivers, and lakes. Sure it was a precious metal and sacrifice is about giving something of yourself which can be seen as being a bit of a hardship for you. Well in ancient times anything made of silver would have been precious indeed. And giving this kind of gift to the Kindred would have been seen as a true sacrifice but why silver? And why do we use the term silvering.
Well I learned a long time ago that silver has a most interesting property. I have often wondered if this property was the reasoning, at least on a subconsciousness level, silver was effective protection against werewolves, vampires, and all kinds of evil beings. Does this same property hold the answer to why silver was such a popular offering, besides the fact it would have been easier than gold?
The property I speak of is the fact that silver functions as an anti-bacteria and anti-algae agent. When placed in water in the proper amount, the silver ions actively kills bacteria and algae that form. Many companies, including hospitals, are starting to use silver in their water filtration systems for this very reason. It seems that the world is beginning to slowly replace chlorine with silver because it does not have lasting effects on the human body or ecosystem.
So when you think about silvering the Well to purify it remember this, you are actually PURIFYING the water from harmful living agents.
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