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Last updated 21/1/2025

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'Memoirs of Extra-Ordinary Popular Delusions' by Charles Mackay was published in thrtee volumes by Richard Bentley in London in 1841. The third volume contains mention of a 'true-lover's knot' folded from paper.

A full copy of this third volume of the work can be accessed online here.

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Vol 3: Issue 3 of the Origamian for Autumn 1963 contains an extract of a letter from John Andreas pointing put that the work contains an extract from 'Mother Bridget's Dream Book' which mentions a 'true lover's knot' folded from paper.

The relevant passages from Mackay's book are:

and:

Unfortunately, it is not clear from these passages how the 'true lover's knot' in question was to be folded.

Hone's 'Every-Day Book' does contain references to 'true lover's knots' but none of them refer specifically to knots folded from paper.

I have not managed to locate a copy of 'Mother Bridget's Dream Book' in order to corroborate the reference. There are several work's attributed to 'Mother Bridget' which deal with similar themes but none of those I can access contain the passages quoted in Mackay's work.

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