Ritual 'Litter' Redressed

Ritual 'Litter' Redressed examines ritual deposition in the contemporary West, where objects are placed in particular settings as part of personal, communal or symbolic practices. Ceri Houlbrook considers roadside memorials, love-lock bridges, wishing fountains and coin-trees, alongside older examples such as swords deposited in watery places and votive statuettes left in temples.

The book considers the beliefs and symbolism attached to these modern folk assemblages, asking how their meanings are formed and understood. It also examines why contemporary deposits are often treated as rubbish rather than ritual activity, and why they receive less academic attention or heritage recognition than historical objects. Its central concern is whether the dismissive term ‘ritual litter’ should be reconsidered.