The Hand of Glory

A Hand of Glory displayed in Whitby Museum. Source

     The hand of glory is said to be a shriveled, disembodied, hand of a man who has been hanged. Several legends, folk tales, and even so-called books of sorcery tell of its supposed dark powers.
     In folklore, these hands are usually created and used by criminals and thieves. To make a hand of glory, it is said that during the hottest days of the summer one must sever the hand of a criminal (sometimes specifically a murderer) who has just been hanged. Some accounts say it must be the left hand, some say it must be the hand that committed the crime (this is often the case in accounts that claim that the criminal must be a murderer), and others say it doesn't matter which hand it is. Then it is said that the remaining blood must be squeezed out with a shroud or winding sheet. After that, it supposedly must be pickled and dried.
     Some legends claim that the fingers of the hand must be oiled and then lit to make its dark powers take effect, others claim that the hand should be used to hold a candle (often this candle must be made from the fat of a criminal, and often this criminal must be the same man from whom the hand is severed) for its enchantments to work.
     Legends from England claim that the hand holds a wide range of powers, from keeping people who have fallen asleep from waking up while the hand is lit to unlocking any door. Other supposed powers from English legend include shattering stones, both revealing and hiding treasure. In France, Germany, and Spain, it was believed that the hand would make whomever it was presented to enter into a magical sleep, even if they were awake when it was presented to them. Similar legends include Raven's Stones, the remains of an executed criminals eyes, and Thieves' Lights, the fingers or toes of unborn children, both of which, when lit, are said to give light only to their owner. Some legends from Germany also claim that Thieves' Lights, like the Hand of Glory, will cause anyone asleep in a building to remain asleep while they are lit. Legends of the finger of a thief (The Finger of Sin) from Poland and a Thief's Foot, Hand or Finger from the Netherlands are similar.
     In England, it is believed that to end the enchantments of a Hand of Glory, one must douse its flame(s) with milk (or sometimes it must be blood, or either one) - no other liquid(s) will work. In France, Germany, and Spain it was believed that the only way to keep the hand from working was to compose a mixture of the bile of a black cat, the fat of a white hen, and the blood of a screech owl in the hottest days of the summer; then put the mixture on the threshold of a door or window where a thief with such a hand in his possession may enter. If such a thief crossed over a threshold anointed in this way, it was believed that their Hand of Glory would become powerless.
     In the Harry Potter series, the Hand of Glory gives light only to its holder when lit, and possibly possesses additional powers as well.
     In Pottermore, a Hand of Glory can be seen at Borgin and Burkes in a glass display case in the third zoom of Chapter 4, Moment 3.