FOR THE MEMORY.
The whitest of frankincense beaten fine, and drunk in white wine, wonderfully assisteth the memory, and is profitable for the stomach also.
FOR THE FALLING SICKNESS.
Take a hank of grey yarn3, a lock of the patient’s hair, some parings of his nails, and bury them deep in the earth, repeating, in Irish, as a burial service, “Let the great sickness lie there for ever. By the power of Mary and the soul of Paul, let the great sickness lie buried in the clay, and never more rise out of the ground. Amen.”
If the patient, on awaking from sleep, calls out the name of the person who uttered these words, his recovery is certain.
If a person crosses over the patient while he is in a fit, or stands between him and the fire, then the sickness will cleave4 to him and depart from the other that was afflicted5.
FOR CHIN-COUGH.
A griddle cake made of meal, to be given, not bought or made; but a cake given of love or of charity, not for begging; a cake given freely, with a prayer and a blessing6; and from the breakfast of a man and his wife who had the same name before marriage; this is the cure.
The touch of a piebald horse. Even a piebald horse pawing before the door helps the cure.
The child to be passed seven times under and over an ass2 while a red string is tied on the throat of the patient.
Nine hairs from the tail of a black cat, chopped up and soaked in water, which is then swallowed, and the cough will be relieved.
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“One day when out snipe shooting,” a gentleman writes, “I saw a horrid-looking insect staring up at me. I called to a man close by, and asked him the name of it. He told me it was called the Thordall, and was reckoned a great cure for the chin-cough; for if any one got it safe in a bottle and kept it prisoner till it died, the disease would go away from the patient. It was just the time to try the cure, for my child was laid up with the epidemic7. So I bottled my friend and daily examined the state of his health. It lasted for a fortnight, and at the end of that time the child had quite recovered, and the horrible-looking insect creature lay dead.”
FOR RHEUMATISM8.
The operator makes passes, like the mesmerist, over the member affected9 by the rheumatic pain, never touching10 the part, but moving his hand slowly over it at some distance, while he mutters a form of words in a low voice.
FOR A STYE ON THE EYELID11.
Point a gooseberry thorn at it nine times, saying, “Away, away, away!” and the stye will vanish presently and disappear.
TO CURE WARTS13.
On meeting a funeral, take some of the clay from under the feet of the men who bear the coffin14 and apply it to the wart12, wishing strongly at the same time that it may disappear; and so it will be.
FOR A STITCH IN THE SIDE.
Rub the part affected with unsalted butter, and make the sign of the cross seven times over the place.
FOR WEAK EYES.
A decoction of the flowers of daisies boiled down is an excellent wash, to be used constantly.
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FOR WATER ON THE BRAIN.
Cover the head well with wool, then place oil-skin over, and the water will be drawn15 up out of the head. When the wool is quite saturated16 the brain will be free and the child cured.
FOR HIP17 DISEASE.
Take three green stones, gathered from a running brook18, between midnight and morning, while no word is said. In silence it must be done. Then uncover the limb and rub each stone several times closely downwards19 from the hip to the toe, saying in Irish—
“Wear away, wear away,
There you shall not stay,
Cruel pain—away, away.”
FOR THE MUMPS21.
Wrap the child in a blanket, take it to the pigsty22, rub the child’s head to the back of a pig, and the mumps will leave it and pass from the child to the animal.
Another.
Take nine black stones gathered before sunrise, and bring the patient with a rope round his neck to a holy well—not speaking all the while. Then cast in three stones in the name of God, three in the name of Christ, and three in the name of Mary. Repeat this process for three mornings and the disease will be cured.
FOR EPILEPSY.
Take nine pieces of young elder twig23; run a thread of silk of three strands24 through the pieces, each piece being an inch long. Tie this round the patient’s neck next the skin. Should the thread break and the amulet25 fall, it must be buried deep in the earth and another amulet made like the first, for if once it touches the ground the charm is lost.
Another.
Take nine pieces of a dead man’s skull26, grind them to powder, and then mix with a decoction of wall rue20. Give the patient a200 spoonful of this mixture every morning fasting, till the whole potion is swallowed. None must be left, or the dead man would come to look for the pieces of his skull.
FOR DEPRESSION OF HEART.
When a person becomes low and depressed27 and careless about everything, as if all vital strength and energy had gone, he is said to have got a fairy blast. And blast-water must be poured over him by the hands of a fairy doctor while saying, “In the name of the saint with the sword, who has strength before God and stands at His right hand.” Great care being taken that no portion of the water is profaned29. Whatever is left after the operation, must be poured on the fire.
FOR THE FAIRY DART30.
Fairy darts31 are generally aimed at the fingers, causing the joints32 to swell33 and grow red and inflamed34. An eminent35 fairy-woman made the cure of fairy darts her speciality, and she was sent for by all the country round, and was generally successful. But she had no power unless asked to make the cure, and she took no reward at the time; not till the patient was cured, and the dart extracted. The treatment included a great many prayers and much anointing with a salve, of which she only had the secret. Then she proceeded to extract the dart with great solemnity, working with a small instrument, on the point of which she finally produced the dart. This proved to be a bit of flax artfully laid under the skin by the malicious36 fairies, causing all the evil, and of course on seeing the flax no one could doubt the power of the operator, and the grateful patient paid his fee.
VARIOUS SUPERSTITIONS38 AND CURES.
There is a book, a little book, and the house which has it will never be burned; the ship that holds it will never founder39; the woman who keeps it in her hand will be safe in childbirth. But none except a fairy man knows the name of the book, and he will not reveal it for love or money; only on his death-bed will he tell the secret of the name to the one person he selects.
The adepts40 and fairy doctors keep their mysteries very secret, and it is not easy to discover the word of a charm, for the operator201 loses his power if the words are said without the proper preliminaries, or if said by a profane28 person without faith, for the operator should not have uttered the mystery in the hearing of one who would mock, or treat the matter lightly; therefore he is punished.
Some years ago an old man lived in Mayo who had great knowledge of charms, and of certain love philtres that no woman could resist. But before his death he enclosed the written charms in a strong iron box, with directions that no one was to dare to open it except the eldest41 son of an eldest son in a direct line from himself.
Some people pretend that they have read the charms; and one of them has the strange power to make every one in the house begin to dance, and they can never cease dancing till another spell has been said over them.
But the guardian42 of the iron box is the only one who knows the magic secret of the spell, and he exacts a good price before he utters it, and so reveals or destroys the witchcraft43 of the dance.
The juice of deadly night-shade distilled44, and given in a drink, will make the person who drinks believe whatever you will to tell him, and choose him to believe.
A bunch of mint tied round the wrist is a sure remedy for disorders45 of the stomach.
A sick person’s bed must be placed north and south, not cross ways.
Nettles46 gathered in a churchyard and boiled down for a drink have the power to cure dropsy.
The touch from the hand of a seventh son cures the bite of a mad dog. This is also an Italian superstition37.
The hand of a dead man was a powerful incantation, but it was chiefly used by women. The most eminent fairy women always collected the mystic herbs for charms and cures by the light of a candle held by a dead man’s hand at midnight or by the full moon.
When a woman first takes ill in her confinement48, unlock instantly every press and drawer in the house, but when the child is born, lock them all up again at once, for if care is not taken the fairies will get in and hide in the drawers and presses, to be ready to steal away the little mortal baby when they get the opportunity, and place some ugly, wizened49 changeling in the cradle beside the202 poor mother. Therefore every key should be turned, every lock made fast; and if the fairies are hidden inside, let them stay there until all danger is over for the baby by the proper precautions being taken, such as a red coal set under the cradle, and a branch of mountain ash tied over it, or of the alder-tree, according to the sex of the child, for both trees have mystic virtues50, probably because of the ancient superstition that the first man was created from an alder-tree, and the first woman from the mountain ash.
The fairies, however, are sometimes successful in carrying off a baby, and the mother finds in the morning a poor weakly little sprite in the cradle in place of her own splendid child. But should the mortal infant happen to grow up ugly, the fairies send it back, for they love beauty above all things; and the fairy chiefs greatly desire a handsome mortal wife, so that a handsome girl must be well guarded, or they will carry her off. The children of such unions grow up beautiful and clever, but are also wild, reckless and extravagant51. They are known at once by the beauty of their eyes and hair, and they have a magic fascination52 that no one can resist, and also a fairy gift of music and song.
If a person is bitten by a dog, the dog must be killed, whether mad or not, for it might become mad; then, so also would the person who had been touched by the saliva53 of the animal.
If, by accident, you find the back tooth of a horse, carry it about with you as long as you live, and you will never want money; but it must be found by chance.
When a family has been carried off by fever, the house where they died may be again inhabited with safety if a certain number of sheep are driven in to sleep there for three nights.
An iron ring worn on the fourth finger was considered effective against rheumatism by the Irish peasantry from ancient times.
Paralysis54 is cured by stroking, but many forms and mystic incantations are also used during the process; and only certain persons have the power in the hands that can effect a cure by the magic of the stroke.
The seed of docks tied to the left arm of a woman will prevent her being barren.
A spoonful of aqua vitæ sweetened with sugar, and a little grated bread added, that it may not annoy the brain or the liver, will preserve from lethargy and apoplexy and all cold diseases.
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The juice of carrots boiled down is admirable for purifying the blood.
Clippings of the hair and nails of a child tied up in a linen55 cloth and placed under the cradle will cure convulsions.
Tober Maire (Mary’s well), near Dundalk, has a great reputation for cures. And thousands used to visit it on Lady Day for weak eyesight, and the lowness of heart. Nine times they must go round the well on their knees, always westward56. Then drink a cup of the water, and not only are they cured of their ailment57, but are as free from sin as the angels in heaven.
When children are pining away, they are supposed to be fairy-struck; and the juice of twelve leaves of foxglove may be given: also in cases of fever the same.
A bunch of mint tied round the wrist keeps off infection and disease.
There is a well near the Boyne where King James washed his sword after the battle, and ever since the water has power to cure the king’s evil.
When a seventh son is born, if an earth-worm is put into the infant’s hand and kept there till it dies, the child will have power to charm away all diseases.
The ancient arrowheads, called elf-stones by the people, are used as charms to guard the cattle.
It is not safe to take an unbaptized child in your arms without making the sign of the cross over it.
It is unlucky to give a coal of fire out of the house before the child is baptized. And a piece of iron should be sewn in the infant’s clothes, and kept there till after the baptism.
Take a piece of bride-cake and pass it three times through a wedding-ring, then sleep on it, and you will see in a dream the face of your future spouse58.
It is unlucky to accept a lock of hair, or a four-footed beast from a lover.
People ought to remember that egg-shells are favourite retreats of the fairies, therefore the judicious59 eater should always break204 the shell after use, to prevent the fairy sprite from taking up his lodgment therein.
Finvarra, the king of the fairies of the west, keeps up the most friendly relations with most of the best families of Galway, especially with the Kirwans of Castle Hacket, for Finvarra is a gentleman, every inch of him, and the Kirwans always leave out kegs of wine for him at night of the best Spanish wine. And in return, it is said, the wine vaults60 at Castle Hacket are never empty, though the wine flows freely for all comers.
If a living worm is put into the hand of a child before he is baptized, and kept there till the worm is dead, that child will have power in after life to cure all diseases to which children are subject.
After being cured from a sickness, take an oath never to comb the hair on a Friday, that so the memory of the grace received may remain by this sign till your death. Or whenever you first see the new moon, kneel down and say an ave and a pater; this also is for memory of grace done.
People born in the morning cannot see spirits or the fairy world; but those born at night have power over ghosts, and can see the spirits of the dead.
Unbaptized children are readily seized by the fairies. The best preventive is a little salt tied up in the child’s dress when it is laid to sleep in the cradle.
If pursued at night by an evil spirit, or the ghost of one dead, and you hear footsteps behind you, try and reach a stream of running water, for if you can cross it, no devil or ghost will be able to follow you.
If a chair fall as a person rises, it is an unlucky omen47.
The fortunate possessor of the four-leaved shamrock will have luck in gambling61, luck in racing62, and witchcraft will have no power over him. But he must always carry it about his person, and never give it away, or even show it to another.
A purse made from a weasel’s skin will never want for money; but the purse must be found, not given or made.
If a man is ploughing, no one should cross the path of the horses.
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It is unlucky to steal a plough, or take anything by stealth from a smith’s forge.
When yawning make the sign of the cross instantly over the mouth, or the evil spirit will make a rush down and take up his abode63 within you.
Never give away water before breakfast, nor milk while churning is going on.
A married woman should not walk upon graves, or her child will have a club-foot. If by accident she treads on a grave she must instantly kneel down, say a prayer, and make the sign of the cross on the sole of her shoe three times over.
Never take an infant in your arms, nor turn your head to look at it without saying, “God bless it.” This keeps away the fatal influence of the Evil Eye.
If a bride steers64 a boat on the day of her marriage, the winds and the waves have no power over it, be the tempest ever so fierce or the stream ever so rapid.
Do not put out a light while people are at supper, or there will be one less at the table before the year is out.
Never give any salt or fire while churning is going on. To upset the salt is exceedingly unlucky and a bad omen; to avert65 evil gather up the salt and fling it over the right shoulder into the fire, with the left hand.
If you want a person to win at cards, stick a crooked66 pin in his coat.
The seventh son of a seventh son has power over all diseases, and can cure them by laying on of hands; and a son born after his father’s death has power over fevers.
There is one hour in every day when whatever you wish will be granted, but no one knows what that hour is. It is all a chance if we come on it. There is also one hour in the day when ghost-seers can see spirits—but only one—at no other time have they the power, yet they never know the hour, the coming of it is a mystery.
In some parts of Ireland the people, it is said, on first seeing the new moon, fall on their knees and address her in a loud voice206 with the prayer: “O moon; leave us well as thou hast found us!”
It is unlucky to meet a cat, a dog, or a woman, when going out first in the morning; but unlucky above all is it to meet a woman with red hair the first thing in the morning when going on a journey, for her presence brings ill-luck and certain evil.
It is unlucky to pass under a hempen67 rope; the person who does so will die a violent death, or is fated to commit an evil act in after life, so it is decreed.
The cuttings of your hair should not be thrown where birds can find them; for they will take them to build their nests, and then you will have headaches all the year after.
The cause of a club-foot is this—The mother stood on a cross in a churchyard before her child was born—so evil came.
To cure fever, place the patient on the sandy shore when the tide is coming in, and the retreating waves will carry away the disease and leave him well.
To make the skin beautiful, wash the face in May dew upon May morning just at sunrise.
If the palm of the hand itches68 you will be getting money; if the elbow, you will be changing beds; if the ear itches and is red and hot, some one is speaking ill of you.
If three drops of water are given to an infant before it is baptized, it will answer the first three questions put to it.
To know the name of the person you are destined69 to marry, put a snail70 on a plate of flour—cover it over and leave it all night; in the morning the initial letter of the name will be found traced on the flour by the snail.
If one desires to know if a sick person will recover, take nine smooth stones from the running water; fling them over the right shoulder, then lay them in a turf fire to remain untouched for one night. If the disease is to end fatally the stones in the morning will emit a clear sound like a bell when struck together.
A whitethorn stick is a very unlucky companion on a journey; but a hazel switch brings good luck and has power over the devil.
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A hen that crows is very unlucky and should be killed; very often the hen is stoned, for it is believed that she is bewitched by the fairies.
It is asserted that on Christmas morning the ass kneels down in adoration71 of Christ, and if a person can manage to touch the cross on the back of the animal at that particular moment the wish of his heart will be granted, whatever it may be.
When taking possession of a new house, every one should bring in some present, however trifling72, but nothing should be taken away, and a prayer should be said in each corner of your bedroom, and some article of your clothing be deposited there at the same time.
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1
ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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cleave
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| v．(clave；cleaved)粘着，粘住；坚持；依恋 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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7
epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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8
rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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10
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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eyelid
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| n.眼睑，眼皮 | |
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12
wart
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| n.疣，肉赘；瑕疵 | |
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warts
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| n.疣( wart的名词复数 )；肉赘；树瘤；缺点 | |
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14
coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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15
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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16
saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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17
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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18
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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19
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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mumps
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| n.腮腺炎 | |
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pigsty
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| n.猪圈，脏房间 | |
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twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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24
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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amulet
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| n.护身符 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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profaned
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| v.不敬( profane的过去式和过去分词 )；亵渎，玷污 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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adepts
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| n.专家，能手( adept的名词复数 ) | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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distilled
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| adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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45
disorders
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| n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调 | |
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46
nettles
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| n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 ) | |
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47
omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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48
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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wizened
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| adj.凋谢的；枯槁的 | |
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50
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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51
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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52
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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53
saliva
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| n.唾液，口水 | |
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54
paralysis
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| n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症) | |
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55
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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56
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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57
ailment
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| n.疾病，小病 | |
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58
spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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59
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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60
vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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61
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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62
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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63
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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64
steers
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| n.阉公牛，肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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65
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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66
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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67
hempen
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| adj. 大麻制的, 大麻的 | |
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68
itches
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| n.痒( itch的名词复数 )；渴望，热望v.发痒( itch的第三人称单数 ) | |
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69
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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70
snail
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| n.蜗牛 | |
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71
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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72
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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