Hand of Glory

Example of a hand of glory, thought to have been constructed in the 1890s.

The Hand of Glory is the dried and pickled hand of a man who has been hanged, often specified as being the left hand, or else, if the man were hanged for murder, the hand that did the deed.

According to old European beliefs, a candle made of the fat from a malefactor who died on the gallows, virgin wax, and Lapland sesame oil - lighted and placed (as if in a candlestick) in the Hand of Glory, which comes from the same man as the fat in the candle - would have rendered motionless all persons to whom it was presented. The candle could only be put out with milk.

If the hair of the dead man is used as a wick, also the candle is said to give light only to the holder, and will grant Invisibility when lit and carried.

A Hand of Glory also purportedly has the power to unlock any door it came across.

The method of making a hand of glory is described in Compendium Maleficarum.

Contemporary manufacture of these objects is primarily limited to members of the Necromancers Guild.