Superstitions and protective charms have existed ever since early man heard some strange noise in the dark of the night. The beliefs that witch bottles or witch balls could deflect or absorb negative energy and offer protection flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, but still exist in some magickal traditions and as folk crafts today.

The witch bottle was a protective charm that was found in use in Europe during the 15th through 17th centuries, with most examples found today coming from the latter part of that period. The bottles that survived in the best condition have been stoneware, not glass. Not only are they sturdier but the blocking out of light has allowed the contents to survive in the best condition. Modern scientific methods also allow for found bottles to be scanned and analyzed before they are even opened.

Witch balls were a more modern variation of protective charm, which proliferated in the New England region of the United States in the 18th century. Most often occurring in Wiccan and Neo-Pagan traditions today as housewarming or wedding gifts they are becoming more popular in mainstream culture due to their growing multi-denominational interpretation as a good-hearted symbol of household tranquility and their unique beauty.

Inside the glass balls are connective threads of glass, formed when the balls are created. They are believed to entangle dark or negative energies. Some people draw analogies to being like how a Native American dream catcher functions as a trap but in a more magickal sense instead of nightmares. Sometimes they are solid colors, sometimes tinted, sometimes patterned.

Occasionally the inside structuring deforms the globe a bit so that it's not perfectly round but this isn't necessarily more a sign of character than a defect.  The connective stranding most often seen is a single connection of glass across the inside of the ball from top to bottom and it's usually very organic in size and shape.  But some hand-crafted witch balls also have multiple strands and these can vary in placement and thickness.