Wishing wells and water fountains littered with coins of some hapless passersby eager for a break, were once seen in most major malls and public squares in the U.S.

Now water fountains that gather penny pitchers wishes are spotted less frequently. Where did the idea of wishing wells and magical fountains originate from? And have we stopped believing in the fantastical idea that wishes come true when a few coins hit the bottom of a well?

Across time and culture, water has symbolized healing and life. The mystique surrounding wishing wells and water fountains has its roots in European folklore.

The power of “healing waters” is referenced in religious texts and ancient mythology. According to European folklore, deities resided in water wells. Ancient Germanic and Celtic groups would throw the weapons of defeated enemy forces into water wells as a sacrifice to their deity, paying tribute to their gods, thankful for the favor that was bestowed upon them in battle.

Despite the differences in currency used for paying tribute at a wishing well, one common denominator underlies all of these practices. At the site of all wishing wells or fountains, one would have to sacrifice a precious commodity in order to receive what he or she was asking for. Sacrifice has consistently been understood as a means of seeing a dream come true.

In ancient Norse mythology, the story of Odin holds that he sacrificed his eye at Mimir’s Well, or the Well of Wisdom, in order to attain infinite wisdom. Ironically, Odin and others like him pay exorbitant prices to attain what can’t be bought and sold by men.

Over time, presenting gifts to the water deities evolved into the Western cultural practice of throwing spare change into fountains and water wells.

The hopeful penny-tosser may not be aware of the pagan roots of water well wishes. But, the act of paying tribute or sacrificing to a deity for the sake of fulfilling a wish is rooted in this ancient mythology.

But why have wishing wells and water fountains slowly faded from cultural practice? Has the recession got even dreamers pinching every nickel and dime? Don’t people believe, even if just for the sake of believing, that water well wishes really can come true?

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