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Sat 17 Jun, 2006 06:41 pm
When you pass a fountain, do you feel compelled to throw a coin in and make a wish? I do. Does anyone know what the lore is behind it?
Wishing Well
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A wishing well is a term from European folklore to describe wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water contained deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and oftentimes a scarce commodity. Water was seen to have healing powers and therefore wells became popular with many people drinking, bathing or just simply wishing over it. People believe that the guardians or dwellers of the well would grant them their wish if they paid a price. After uttering the wish, one would generally drop coins in the well. The tradition of dropping pennies in ponds and fountains stems from this. Coins would be placed there as gifts for the deity in thanks.
Thanks for posting this dd, I Googled it and kept on getting the Trevi Fountain in Rome, this is much more informative.