Was the Hand of Glory made up just for Supernatural?

In Supernatural Season 3, Episode 6, the Hand of Glory was introduced. A haunted item from a museum, the Winchesters needed it to get rid of a vengeful spirit. However, was it just made up for the show?

When Supernatural Season 3, Episode 6 introduced the Hand of Glory, it would have been easy to view it as an artifact made up for the show. After all, many other shows would have done this. But not a show created by Eric Kripke. He and his team did their research to make sure everything was encased in legend or lore.

That’s certainly the case with the Hand of Glory. There is lore that surrounds real artifacts and here’s all you need to know.

The Hand of Glory in Supernatural

In the series, the Hand of Glory was the severed right hand of a pirate, who had been hanged for theft. The hand had been removed from the body as it hanged and was then later pickled and dried. For the series, this hand was found in one of the local maritime museums.

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During “Red Sky at Morning,” Sam mentions that the hand is supposed to have powers–that it’s an important and powerful occult object. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Bela wanted it. However, it turns out that the hand is haunted by its owner, a spirit who wants vengeance against his brother.

Real lore about the Hand of Glory

In real lore, the hand can either be the left or right. When the lore states the right, it’s because this hand was considered as the one that did the deed. If the left, it’s because the left hand is considered to be the sinister hand.

Those who were left-handed in days gone by were beaten to do things right handed, because the left hand was considered the hand the devil worked with. After all, the Bible mentions a lot of “sitting at the right hand of the father.”

The Hand of Glory would often be used as a candle holder or even a candle itself. The idea was that it would hold mystical powers when used for this purpose. Powers were linked to those that a thief would need: to light his way, to burn forever, to be able to unlock any lock, and to put house occupants to sleep.

A Hand of Glory would be taken from a man still hanging from the gallows. More often it was a murderer, but other criminals could be used for this purpose too.

One of the reasons for the lore is possibly taken from the name. The “Hand of Glory” comes from the French “main de gloire,” named after the mandrake root. In Saxon history, the mandrake root was believed to glow at night, giving light in the darkness.

Next: Coma and spirit lore used in Supernatural

Did you know the truth about the Hand of Glory? Did you realize it had real lore attached to it? Share in the comments below.

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