Charms, Spells, and Incantations.
“This, gathered in the planetary hour,
With noxious weeds, and spell’d with words of power,
Dire stepdames in the magic bowl infuse.”
--_Dryden._
“Begin, begin; the mystic spell prepare.”
--_Milton._
As long as the popular belief in witchcraft exists--and with all the
boasted light and civilisation of the nineteenth century it still
holds its ground--there will be found those who imagine that the evil
influence of the sorcerer may be averted by a counteracting spell, or
by certain practices, such as carrying an amulet about one’s person,
nailing a horse-shoe to the door of a house or the mast of a ship, etc.
With the ignorant and unlearned it is often useless to reason: they
cannot understand nice distinctions, and if their faith be shaken or
destroyed on one point, who can tell where the current of unbelief will
stop? That there are persons who, by their illicit arts, can cause
sickness to man or beast is firmly credited, but as there is no evil
without a remedy, it is equally an article of popular belief that there
are also those who are in possession of the necessary knowledge and
power to counteract the evil designs and practices of the sorcerer.
As may readily be supposed these last are cunning and unprincipled
wretches, who trade on the folly and superstition of their ignorant
neighbours, and who, doubtless, are often the cause of the malady of
the unfortunate cow or pig, which they are afterwards called in to
advise about. Various charms and ceremonies are resorted to on these
occasions, whereof the most potent appears to be that known as “_la
bouïture_,” which consists in setting a number of ingredients to
seethe together in a cauldron, of which the principal is the heart of
some animal stuck full of pins. It is not easy to arrive at a correct
knowledge of what is done, for great secrecy is generally observed, and
the actors in these superstitious follies are afraid to divulge what
takes place. The object of the charm seems to be either to avert the
evil, or to discover the author of it. In the latter case, it often
leads to serious misunderstandings between neighbours. There are,
however, certain charms of a more innocent character, which can be
resorted to without the intervention of a cunning man.
Shortly after the Rev. Thomas Brock took possession of the Rectory of
St. Pierre-du-Bois, about the beginning of the nineteenth century, he
was returning home one night from town, where he had been detained
until a late hour. It was midnight when he reached the parsonage, and
in the imperfect light he thought that he saw a number of persons
assembled near the church porch. Astonished at so unusual a sight, and
wondering what could possibly be the cause of such an assembly at that
hour, he tied up his horse to the gate, and stepped over the stile into
the churchyard. On drawing near he was witness to an extraordinary
ceremony. Several of his parishioners, among whom he recognised many
of the better sort, were walking in orderly procession round the
church, and touching every angle as they passed. He addressed them and
inquired what they were doing, but not a single word could he get in
answer to his questions. Perfect silence was preserved until they came
to the church-porch, where they all knelt down and recited the Lord’s
Prayer. This was repeated more than once, and at last they left the
place without satisfying the legitimate curiosity of their pastor.
Determined to fathom the mystery, he called the next day on some of the
principal actors in the ceremony, and then learnt, not without some
difficulty, that it was intended to remove a spell that was supposed
to be hanging over the son or daughter of one of the parties, and that
a single word spoken by any of the persons engaged in the solemn rite,
would have effectually broken the charm.
In reference to this charm it may here be mentioned that an old
servant of the Rev. W. Chepmell, Rector of St. Sampson’s and the Vale,
was suffering from an ulcer in the leg. To cure it she went round
the church, stopping at each of the angles, and repeating a certain
prayer. The Rev. H. Le M. Chepmell, D.D., who was a child at the time,
remembers the circumstance, but does not know what the prayer was that
was used on the occasion.
The forms which follow, and which, for the benefit of those who
are unacquainted with French, have been translated as closely as
possible, were found in a book of memoranda, household and farming
accounts, recipes for medicines, etc., which once belonged to Sieur
Jean Lenfestey, des Adams, in the parish of St. Pierre-du-Bois. It
was written about the end of the last, and beginning of the present,
century. The mystical words used in some of the spells have been given
just as they were found in the manuscript. They appear to be a curious
jumble of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, very much disfigured by having
passed through the hands of ignorant, unlettered transcribers, or,
perhaps, by having been transmitted orally from one to another, and,
at last, taken down from dictation. It is quite impossible to say how
long these spells and charms have been in use among the peasantry,
whether they have been handed down by tradition from times before the
Reformation, or whether--which is far more probable--they have been
introduced in comparatively recent times by some of the farm-labourers,
who, in times of peace, come to the island from the neighbouring coasts
of Normandy and Brittany in search of work. It is only on the latter
supposition that the invocation of St. Blaize and St. Nicodemus, the
saying of a Mass, and the reciting of _Paters_ and _Ave-Marias_ can
be accounted for, the indigenous population having been so thoroughly
reformed as to have lost all recollection of these matters.
TO REMOVE ANY KIND OF SPELL, AND CAUSE THE PERSON WHO HAS CAST IT TO
APPEAR.
Choose one of the animals whose death has been caused, taking care that
there is no sign of life remaining in it: take out its heart, and place
it in a clean plate: then take nine thorns of “noble épine”[200] and
proceed as follows:--
[Illustration: The “Groignet.”]
Pierce one of the thorns into the heart, saying:--
_Adibaga, Sabaoth, Adonay, contra, ratout prisons preront fini unixio
paracle gasum_.
Take two thorns and pierce them in, saying:--_Qui susum mediotos agres
gravoil valax_.
Take two more, and in placing them say:--_Laula zazai valoi sator
saluxu paracle gassum_.
Take two more, and say in placing them:--_Mortuis cum fice suni et per
flagelationem domini nostri Jesu Christi_.
Then place the last two thorns with these words:--_Avir sunt devant
nous paracle tui strator verbonum ossisum fidando_.
Then continue saying:--“I call on him or her who has caused the Missal
Abel to be fabricated: cease from thine evil deed; come, nevertheless,
by sea or by land, wherever thou art; show thyself to us without delay
and without fail.”
(Note: that if thorns of the “noble épine” are not to be procured, one
may have recourse to new nails).
The heart, being pierced with thorns, as directed, must be put into a
small bag and hung in the chimney. The next day it must be taken out
of the bag and put upon a plate; then pull out the first thorn, and
place it in another part of the heart, pronouncing the same words as
were said at first; then take out the two next thorns with the fitting
words, and so on with the others in due order, replacing them as we
have directed, and being careful never to stick a thorn again into the
same hole. This is to be done on nine consecutive days; nevertheless,
if you wish not to give any respite to the malefactor, you may compress
the nine days into one, observing the order above prescribed. At
the last operation, after having pierced in the thorns or nails with
the fitting words, you must make a large fire, place the heart on a
gridiron, and put it to roast on the live embers. The malefactor will
be obliged to appear and to beg for mercy; and if it be out of his
power to appear within the time you appoint, his death will ensue.
[200] Probably a corruption of “aube-épine.”
ANOTHER METHOD.
Kill a pigeon; open it and pluck out its heart. Stick new pins all
round the heart. Put water to boil in a small pot, and when it is
boiling throw the heart in it. You must have ready a green turf
to serve as a cover to the pot, and must put it on with the earth
downwards.
The pot must boil for an hour. Be careful to keep up a good fire of
wood or charcoal, and at the end of the hour throw the heart into the
burning embers. See that all the doors, windows, and other openings of
the house are closed. The sorcerer will come and call and knock at the
door, demanding to speak with you; but you must not open to him until
you have made him promise to do what you wish.
ANOTHER MEANS OF CAUSING A SORCERER TO SHEW HIMSELF.
Take the tails of two fresh-water eels, with the inner bark of an ash
tree, that which is next the wood. Buy twenty-six new needles, and put
all to burn together with flower of sulphur.
If you wish to see the sorcerer by daylight you must take the roots of
small and large sage, with the pith of the elder and daffodil bulbs.
Put the whole to boil together in vinegar, and make your arrangements
so that it shall boil a quarter of an hour before noon. As soon as the
first bubbles begin to rise the sorcerer will make his appearance. In
this experiment you must leave the door open. It is done simply with
the view of knowing the malefactor.
TO AVERT ALL SORTS OF SPELLS AND ENCHANTMENTS.
Take a sheep’s heart, pierce nails into it, and hang it in the chimney,
saying:--_Rostin, Clasta Auvara, Chasta, Custodia, Duranee_. These
words must be said over the heart every day, and eight days will not
have elapsed before the sorcerer who has cast the spell will come and
beg you to remove the heart, complaining that he feels great pain
internally. You can then ask him to remove the spell, and he will
request you to give him some animal to which he may transfer it. You
may grant what he asks, otherwise he will burst asunder.
A PRESERVATIVE AGAINST SPELLS, TO BE HUNG ROUND THE NECK.
Take nine bits of green broom, and two sprigs of the same, which
you must tie together in the form of a cross (×); nine morsels of
elder, nine leaves of betony, nine of agrimony, a little bay salt,
sal-ammoniac, new wax, barley, leaven, camphor and quick-silver. The
quick-silver must be inclosed in cobbler’s wax. Put the whole into
a new linen cloth which has never been used, and sew it well up so
that nothing may fall out. Hang this round your neck. It is a sure
preservative against the power of witches.
TO WIN AT PLAY
On St. John’s Eve gather fern before noon. Make a bracelet of it in the
form of these letters--H U T Y.
TO MAKE PEACE BETWEEN MEN WHO ARE FIGHTING.
Write on the circumference of an apple the letters H A O N and throw it
into the midst of the combatants.
TO STOP BLEEDING.
Touching the part affected, say:--_Place + + + Consummatum + + +
Resurrexit_.
TO CURE A BURN.
Repeat these words thrice over the burn, breathing thereon each time:--
_“Feu de Dieu, perds ta chaleur,_
_Comme Judas perdit sa couleur,_
_Quand il trahit notre Seigneur,_
_Au jardin des oliviers.”_[201]
[201] EDITOR’S NOTE.--Another form is as follows.--
Brulure, brulure, mollis ta chaleur,
Comme Judas perdit sa couleur
En trahissant notre Seigneur.
--_From John de Garis, Esq._
TO STOP A FIRE THAT IS BURNING A HOUSE.
Make three crosses on the mantel-piece with a live coal, and say:--“_In
te Domine speravi, non confundar in æternum_.”
TO CAUSE A PERSON TO LOVE YOU.
Take four-leaved clover and place it on a consecrated stone; then say
a Mass over it, put it into a nosegay, and make the person smell it,
saying at the same time “_Gabriel illa sunt_.”
ANOTHER MEANS.
On St. John’s Eve gather clecampane (alliène de campana), dry it in an
oven, reduce it to powder with ambergris, and wear it next your heart
for nine days. Then endeavour to get the person whose love you wish to
obtain, to swallow a portion of it, and the effect is sure to follow.
TO PREVENT A SPORTSMAN FROM KILLING ANY GAME.
Say:--“_Si ergo me quæritis, sinite hos abire_.”
TO CURE A HORSE THAT HAS THE VIVES OR THE GRIPES.[202]
Say:--“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made the Heavens and
the Earth. In the name of God, Amen! St. Nicodemus, who tookest down
our Lord Jesus Christ from the cross, deign by the permission of God to
cure this horse (name the colour), belonging to (name the owner), of
the vives or gripes (as the case may be).”
Then let all who are present say the Lord’s Prayer nine times.
[202] This charm must have been long current in Guernsey, for the
invocation with which it commences is a strictly Presbyterian form,
being the sentence with which the services of the Reformed French
Church invariably began.
The mention of “_Paters_” and “_Aves_,” and the invocation of St. Eloy
in the second charm, points clearly to a Romish origin, and render it
very doubtful whether the charm could ever have been resorted to in
Guernsey within the last two or three hundred years. St. Nicodemus
might still be recognised, but St. Eloy has long been entirely
forgotten, and probably not one in a thousand of our peasantry has the
slightest idea of what is meant by the words “_Pater_” and “_Ave_.”
ANOTHER FORM.
“Horse (name the colour), belonging to (name the owner), if thou hast
the vives, or the red gripes, or any other of thirty-six maladies, in
case thou be suffering from them: May God cure thee and the blessed
Saint Eloy! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost, Amen!”
Then say five “_Paters_” and five “_Aves_” on your knees.
TO REMOVE A FISH BONE FROM THE THROAT.
Say:--“Blaise, martyr for Jesus Christ, command thee to come up or go
down.”
TO PREVENT A DOG FROM BARKING OR BITING.
Say three times, while looking at the dog:--“Bare--Barbare! May
thy tail hang down! May St. Peter’s key close thy jaws until
to-morrow!”[203]
[203] EDITOR’S NOTE.--Many of these charms are to be found almost word
for word in _Croyances et Légendes du Centre de la France_, by Laisnel
de la Salle, Vol. I., p. 291-330., etc.
QUICK-SILVER A PROTECTION AGAINST WITCHCRAFT.
A belief in the efficacy of quick-silver in counteracting the evil eye,
and averting the injurious effects of spells, is very universal among
the lower orders; and there are many persons who will never venture
beyond their threshold without having in their pocket, or hung round
their neck, a small portion of this metal.
A fisherman, who for some time had been unsuccessful in his fishing,
imagined that a spell had been cast upon him. No man was better
acquainted with the marks by which the fishermen recognise the spots
where the finny tribe are to be found in most abundance. None was
better acquainted with the intricate tides and currents which render
the rocky coasts of the island such a puzzle to navigators, or knew
better when to take advantage of them to secure a plentiful catch of
fish. His tackle was good, he used the best and most tempting bait, and
yet, under the most propitious circumstances, with the most favourable
conditions of tide, wind, and weather, day after day passed and he took
next to nothing. Winter was coming on, and a longer continuance of
bad weather than is usual at that season, combined with the worthless
quality of the fish caught when he did venture out between the
gales,--in short, a continued run of ill-luck,--confirmed him in the
idea that he was bewitched.
He confided his fears to an old man of his own profession, who had the
reputation of knowing more than his neighbours, and particularly of
being able to give advice in such cases as this, where there was reason
to suppose that some unlawful influence was at work.
The old man listened to his tale, confirmed him in the idea that some
evil-disposed person, in league with Satan, had cast an evil eye on
him, and ended by counselling him always to carry quick-silver about
with him. With this precaution he told him that he might defy the
spells of all the wizards and witches that ever met on a Friday night
at Catiôroc to pay their homage to Old Nick.
The fisherman took the old man’s advice, and procured a small vial
containing mercury, which he placed carefully in the purse in which he
carried his money, when he was fortunate enough to have any.
Strange to say, from that moment his luck turned, and, a succession of
good hauls rewarding his industry, the fisherman soon found himself in
possession of what, to him, was a goodly sum of money, and in which
not a few gold pieces were included. These were, of course, carefully
deposited in the purse containing the precious amulet, to which he
attributed his good luck and his deliverance from the spell, which, he
no longer doubted, had been cast upon him.
[Illustration: Old House at Cobo.]
Alas! his confidence in the charm was destined to be, for a time,
rudely broken. One night, in manœuvring his boat, an accidental blow
from some of the gear shattered the bottle containing the quick-silver.
What was his dismay the next morning, on opening his purse, to perceive
that all his gold was turned into silver, and that the silver coins
bore the appearance of vile lead! He was in despair, concluding
very naturally that he had fallen into the power of some prince of
magicians, and that henceforth he was a ruined man. He again consulted
his old friend, whose experience this time proved of more practical
use than his former advice. The wise man soon saw what had caused
the apparent change in the coin, and recommended him to go without
delay to a silversmith, who soon removed the quick-silver with which
the precious pieces were coated, and restored them to their pristine
brightness.[204]
[204] From Mr. John Le Cheminant.
THE CURE OF WARTS, ETC.
There are certain old men and women who, without pretending to any
supernatural knowledge, are nevertheless supposed to possess the power
of causing those unsightly excrescences (warts) to disappear, merely
by looking at, and counting, them. Some mystery, however, is attached
to the operation. They may not impart their secret, neither may they
receive money for their services, although there is no reason why they
should refuse any other present that may be offered. There is no doubt
that the hands of growing boys and girls are more often disfigured
by these excrescences than those of adults, and that, at a certain
age, they are apt to disappear almost suddenly. Perhaps this has
been noticed by the persons who pretend to the art of removing warts,
and that they do not undertake the cure unless they perceive certain
indications of their being likely to disappear before long by the mere
agency of natural causes. Nevertheless, the cases in which a cure has
been effected after all the usual surgical remedies have been resorted
to in vain, are quite sufficiently numerous to justify a belief in the
minds of the vulgar of a possession of this extraordinary gift.
The operation, whatever it may be, is designated by the word
“_décompter_,” which may be translated “to uncount,” or “to count
backwards.”
The process by which a wen, or glandular swelling, known in our local
dialect as “_un veuble_,” is to be removed, is expressed by the same
term, but in this there is no mystery which requires concealment. The
charm is well known, and may be used by anyone. It is as follows.
The person who undertakes the cure must begin by making the sign of
the cross on the part affected, and must then repeat the following
formula:--“_Pour décompter un veuble_.”[205] “_Saint Jean avait un
veuble qui coulait à neuf pertins. De neuf ils vinrent à huit; de huit
ils vinrent à sept; de sept ils vinrent à six; de six ils vinrent à
cinq; de cinq ils vinrent à quatre; de quatre ils vinrent à trois; de
trois ils vinrent à deux; de deux ils vinrent à un; d’un il vint à
rien, et ainsi Saint Jean perdit son veuble._”
The second day the operator must begin at “eight,” the day after at
“seven,” and so on until the whole nine are counted off, when, if a
cure is not effected, it must be set down to some neglect or want of
faith in one or the other of the parties concerned, for no one can
venture to doubt the efficacy of the spell.
It will, doubtless, have struck the reader that in this, as well as
in other charms, the number nine plays a conspicuous part. This may
possibly be connected in some way with the practice of the Church of
Rome, which, on certain special occasions, orders solemn prayers and
ceremonies for nine consecutive days.
In most farm-houses there were formerly to be found one or more old
oak-chests, sometimes very richly and quaintly carved. In some places
where they had been taken care of, they were in excellent preservation,
but, in the majority of cases, they had given way to those more modern
articles of furniture--chests of drawers and wardrobes--less elegant,
perhaps, but more fashionable, and decidedly more convenient. Now there
are few or none to be met with, the revival of the taste for rich and
elaborate carving having led to a demand for these ancient specimens
of the skill of our forefathers to be remodelled into sideboards,
cabinets, and other similar articles of furniture. When these old
coffers had ceased to be thought worthy of a place in the bettermost
rooms of the house, they were frequently to be found in the stables
or outhouses, serving as cornbins, or receptacles for all sorts of
rubbish. Still they were sometimes remembered, for old people would
tell of their efficacy in curing erysipelas, or, as it is locally
termed, “_le faeu sauvage_.” The chests chosen for this purpose were
those ornamented with Scriptural subjects or figures of Apostles and
Saints, and the cure was supposed to be effected by opening and
shutting the lid of the coffer nine times, so as to fan the face of the
patient.
One of the many mysterious ills to which poor human nature is subject,
is known as “_la maladie de la nère poule_.” This is to be removed by
procuring a perfectly black hen, and swinging her round the head of the
sufferer three times.
To cure an equally undefined affection known as “_le mal volant_” the
patient must also take a black hen, and, holding her in both hands,
must rub that part of the body in which the pain is felt. The hen used
in this incantation must be bought; if a gift, the charm would fail of
its effect. After having been used it must not be kept or put to death,
but given away. The classical reader will not require to be reminded
that cocks were sacrificed to Æsculapius.
[205] From Mrs. Dalgairns and Rachel Duport.
CELTS.
These interesting relics of the aboriginal inhabitants of the island
are called by the country people “_fouïdres_,” _i.e._ thunderbolts. It
is firmly believed that the house which has the happiness to possess
one of them will neither be struck by lightning nor consumed by fire.
It is believed that animals that are sick can be cured by giving them
water to drink in which a celt has been dipped.
ANOTHER COUNTER-CHARM FOR WITCHCRAFT.
When a person has reason to believe that either himself or any of his
belongings is under the influence of a spell, he should procure the
heart of an animal--that of a black sheep is supposed to be the most
efficacious,--and, having stuck it over thickly in every part with new
pins or nails, put it down to roast before a strong fire. Care must,
however, have been taken previously to close up all means of entry into
the house, even to stuffing up the key-hole. The heart no sooner begins
to feel the influence of the fire than doleful cries are heard from
without, which increase more and more as the roasting goes on. Loud
knocks are next heard at the door, and urgent appeals for admission are
made, so urgent that few have the heart to withstand them. No sooner,
however, is the door opened than all the clamour ceases. No one is
seen outside, and, on looking at the heart, it is found to be burnt
to a cinder. The charm has failed, and those who tried it remain as
much under the influence of the sorcerer as ever, with the additional
certainty of having offended their enemy without a chance of pardon or
pity on his part, nay, they know that they have only exposed themselves
to greater persecution in revenge for the pain they have made him
suffer; for it is universally believed that the wizards or witches are
irresistibly attracted to the place where this counter-spell is being
performed; and that, while it lasts, the tortures of the damned are
suffered by them. What would occur if the spell were persevered in and
the door kept closed is not generally known, but it is thought that as
the heart dried up before the flames, the sorcerer would wither away,
and that, with the last drop of moisture, his wicked soul would depart
to the place of everlasting torment.[206]
[206] From Charlotte Du Port.
THE SEIGNEUR OF ST. GEORGE AND THE DÉSORCELLEUR.
It is related that towards the end of the eighteenth century a number
of country people were assembled in a farm-house in the parish of
Ste. Marie-du-Castel, for the purpose of putting into practice the
counter-spell described in the preceding paragraph, or one of a similar
nature; for it is believed that the same end may be attained by
setting a cauldron on the hearth, and boiling the heart with certain
herbs, gathered with some peculiar precautions, and known only to the
“_désorcelleurs_,” as the white-witches who generally conduct these
ceremonies are called in the local dialect. The doors of the house, as
is required in these cases, had been carefully closed and fastened,
and the charm was, to all appearance, progressing favourably, when a
knock was heard at the door. No one answered, for fear of breaking
the spell, but all remained in breathless and awe-stricken silence,
believing firmly that their incantation was working favourably and in
accordance with their wishes. The visitor on the outside, who could
plainly see that the house was not untenanted, grew impatient at not
being admitted, and called out with a loud and authoritative voice,
to know why an entrance was refused him. The voice was that of a
gentleman residing in the neighbourhood, the Seigneur de St. George, a
magistrate universally respected for his integrity, and beloved for his
benevolence. The inmates of the dwelling durst no longer keep him out;
the door was at last unbolted, but, as the common belief is that the
first person who applies for admission after the spell has begun is the
sorcerer, the assembled peasants were at their wits’ end to account for
his presence.
The gentleman was not long in perceiving how matters stood. He lectured
the assembly soundly on their folly and superstition, and, recognising
among them the “_désorcelleur_,” whom he well knew to be a designing
knave, making his profit out of the credulity of his neighbours, he
drove him out of the house with some well-applied stripes from a
dog-whip he chanced to have in his hand.
It is not known whether the Seigneur de St. George succeeded in
convincing any of his neighbours of the folly of believing in
witchcraft; it is rather thought, on the contrary, that from that day
forward they considered him wiser than need be![207]
[207] From W. P. Métivier, Esq.
Love Spells.
“A love-potion works more by the strength of charm than
nature.”--Collier, _On Popularity_.
Under the head of Holy Wells mention has already been made of a means
resorted to by maidens to ascertain who their future husbands are to
be, but this is not the only manner by which this most interesting
information is to be obtained.
St. Thomas’ Night, La Longue Veille, Christmas Eve, and the last night
of the year, are all seasons in which it is supposed that the powers of
the air, devils, witches, fairies, and goblins, are abroad and active,
and accordingly, these days, like Hallowe’en in Scotland, are chosen
for the performance of spells by which some of the secrets of futurity
may be discovered.
[Illustration: Old Manor House, Anneville.]
Some of these charms must be performed alone--others are social, but
all require strict silence. As to the social spells, it is easy to
conceive that when a number of girls are met together to try their
fortunes, the charm is frequently broken, either by the fears of the
superstitious, or the laughter of the incredulous. We will begin with
the solitary spells. On St. Thomas’ Night the girl who is desirous
of knowing whom she is to marry, must take a golden pippin, and,
when about retiring to rest, must pass two pins crossways through
it, and lay it under her pillow. Some say that the pippin should be
wrapped up in the stocking taken from the left leg--others that this
stocking should be taken off last and thrown over the left shoulder.
Which is right, we have no means of ascertaining, but doubtless the
efficacy of the spell depends on following the correct formula. It is
then necessary to get into bed backwards, and repeat the following
incantation thrice:--
_“Saint Thomas, Saint Thomas,_
_Le plus court, le plus bas,_
_Fais moi voir en m’endormant_
_Celui qui sera mon amant,_
_Et le pays, et la contrée._
_Où il fait sa demeurée,_
_Et le métier qu’il sait faire_
_Devant moi qu’il vienne faire._
_Qu’il soit beau ou qu’il soit laid_
_Tel qu’il sera je l’aimerai._
_Saint Thomas, fait moi la grâce_
_Que je le voie, que je l’embrasse.”_
_“Ainsi soit il.”_
Not another word must be spoken, and, if the rite has been duly
performed, the desired knowledge will be communicated in a dream. There
are different versions of the words to be repeated. One of them avoids
a direct invocation of the Saint, and begins thus:--
_“Le jour Saint Thomas,_
_Le plus court, le plus bas,_
_Je prie Dieu incessamment_
_De me faire voir en dormant_
_Celui qui doit être mon amant, etc.”_[208]
Another charm consists in placing two fronds of agrimony, each bearing
nine leaflets, crosswise under the pillow, and securing them by means
of two new pins, also crossed. The future husband is sure to appear in
a dream.[209]
The name of the future husband may be discovered by writing the letters
of the alphabet on a piece of paper, cutting them apart, and, when
getting into bed, just after extinguishing the light, throwing them
into a basin or bucket of water. Next morning the bits of paper which
float with the written side uppermost indicate the name. This charm is
efficacious on Midsummer Eve.[210]
The trade of the husband that is to be may be guessed at by throwing
the white of a raw egg into a glass of water, and exposing it to
the rays of the noonday sun at Christmas or Midsummer. The egg in
coagulating assumes curious and fantastic forms, and these are
interpreted to denote the trade or profession of him whom the girl who
tries the charm is destined to marry. A sort of divination to the same
effect is also practised by pouring molten lead into water.
A spell which requires to be performed in society is as follows. On
any of the solemn nights about Christmastide, when spells are supposed
to be efficaciously used, a number of girls meet together and make a
chaplet in perfect silence, by stringing grains of allspice and berries
of holly alternately, placing, at intervals of twelve, an acorn, of
which there must be as many as there are persons in the company.
This chaplet is twined round a log of wood, which is then placed on the
blazing hearth, and, as the last acorn is being consumed, each of the
young women sees the form of her future husband pass between her and
the fire.[211]
Another social spell consists in making a cake, to which each person in
the company contributes a portion of flour, salt, and water, together
with a hair from her own head, or parings from the nails. When the cake
is kneaded--an operation in which all must take a part--it is placed on
the hearth to bake. A table is then set out in the middle of the room,
and covered with a clean cloth. As many plates are laid out as there
are persons present, and as many seats placed round the table, each
girl designating her own. The cake, when thoroughly baked, is placed
on the board, and the girls watch in solemn silence until the hour of
midnight, when, exactly as the clock strikes twelve, the appearances
of the future husbands are seen to enter, and seat themselves in the
chairs prepared for them; each girl, however, seeing only her own
husband that is to be, those of her companions remaining invisible to
her. Should anyone of the party be destined to die unmarried, instead
of the appearance of a man, she sees a coffin. The spell is broken,
should a single word be uttered from the moment when the ingredients
for the cake are first produced, until the whole of the ceremony is
completed.[212]
The charmed cake may also be used by a person alone, in which case the
manner of proceeding is as follows. The cake, which should be composed
of equal quantities of flour, salt, and soot, must be made and baked
in secret and in silence. On retiring to rest it must be divided into
two equal portions, one of which must be eaten by the person who tries
the charm, but no water or other liquid is to be drunk with it. The
other half is to be wrapped up in the garter taken from the left leg,
and placed under the pillow. At midnight the form of the future husband
will stand at the bedside and be seen by his intended bride.[213]
[208] See _Notes and Queries_, IV. Series. Vol. VIII., p. 506.
_Derbyshire Folk-Lore._
On St. Thomas’ Eve there used to be a custom among girls to procure a
large red onion, into which, after peeling, they would stick nine pins,
and say:--
“Good St. Thomas, do me right,
Send me my true love this night,
In his clothes and his array,
Which he weareth every day.”
Eight pins were stuck round one in the centre, to which was given the
name of the swain--the “true love.”
The onion was placed under the pillow on going to bed, and they would
dream of the desired person.
[209] From Miss Lane.
[210] From Miss Lane.
[211] From Miss Lane.
[212] From the late Miss Sophy Brock and Rachel Du Port.
[213] From Miss Lane.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF A LOVE SPELL.
It must not be supposed that these love charms can always be tried
with impunity. Like all other forms of divination they are sinful, and
instances are on record in which punishment has followed the unhallowed
attempt to pry into the secrets of futurity so wisely hidden from our
mortal ken. It would seem that not merely the wraith or similitude of
the destined husband can be made to show itself, but that, by some
unexplained and mysterious agency, the actual presence in the body can
be completed, at whatever distance the man may at that moment be. To
the unfortunate individual who is made the victim of these practices
the whole appears the effect of a frightful dream, attended with much
suffering. It is related that an officer, thus forced to show himself,
left behind him a sword, which was found by the young woman after his
departure, and carefully hidden away. In process of time he came to the
island, saw the girl, fell in love with her, and was married. For many
years they lived happily together, until, one day, in turning out the
contents of an old coffer, he found at the bottom of it the identical
sword which had disappeared from his possession in so unaccountable
and mysterious a manner. The memory of the frightful dream in which he
had endured so much flashed across his mind. In a frenzy of passion he
sought his wife, and, upbraiding her with having been to him the cause
of dreadful suffering, and of having put him in peril of his life by
her magical practices, plunged the sword into her breast.[214]
[214] From Rachel Du Port.
See _Les Veillées Allemandes_, by Grimm. _La Veille de St. André_, Vol.
I., p. 201.
WITCHES AND THE WHITE-THORN.
There appear to be some superstitious notions with regard to the
connection of witchcraft with the white-thorn. Witches are suspected
of meeting at night under its shade. An old man of very eccentric
habits not many years since still inhabited the ruined manor house of
Anneville, once the residence of the ancient family of de Chesney, sold
in 1509 to Nicholas Fashin, and subsequently passing by inheritance
into the Andros family, in whose possession it still remains.
He passed with his neighbours for a wizard, although he only professed
to be a “_désorcelleur_” or white-witch, and was said to have been in
the habit of taking those who applied to him to be unbewitched to a
very old thorn-bush, which had grown up within the walls of an ancient
square tower adjoining the house, and there, before sunrise, making
them go through certain evolutions which were supposed to counteract
the spells which had been cast upon them.[215]
The hawthorn, or at least such specimens of the tree as are
remarkable for their age, their size, or their gnarled branches,
seems to be associated in the minds of our peasantry with magic and
magical practices. The wizards and witches, when, in their nocturnal
excursions they take the form of hares, rabbits, cats, or other
animals, assemble under the shadow, or in the vicinity of some ancient
thorn, and amuse themselves with skipping round it in the moonlight.
The “_désorcelleur_” who pretends to the power of counteracting the
spells of witches, and freeing the unfortunate victims of their art
from their evil influence, resorts with the sufferer to some noted
thorn-bush, and there goes through the ceremonies and incantations
which are to free the sufferer. A large and very old tree, on the
estate of a gentleman in the parish of St. Saviour’s, was, in days
gone by, constantly resorted to at night for the purpose of cutting
from it small portions of the wood to be carried about the person as a
safeguard against witchcraft. It is essential to the efficacy of this
charm that the part of the branch cut off should be that from which
three spurs issue.[216]
William Le Poidevin was told by his grandmother that the
“blanche-épine” is “le roi des bois;” the wood must not be employed for
common uses. A boat or ship, into the construction of which it entered,
would infallibly be lost or come to grief.[217]
[215] From the present proprietor of Anneville.
[216] From George Allez, Esq., who calls the tree he speaks of
“aube-épine,” but declares it was not a hawthorn. May it not be a
mountain ash or rowan tree?
[217] Among the Blakeway MSS. in the Bodleian Library I found noticed
these superstitious cures for whooping-cough.
“Near to Button Oak, in the Forest of Bewdley, grows a thorn in the
form of an arch, one end in the county of Salop, the other in Stafford.
This is visited by numbers in order to make their children pass under
it for the cure of the whooping-cough.”--_Notes and Queries_, IV.
Series, III. 216.
DIVINING ROD.
The following extract from a work published in London in 1815, but
which is now very rarely to be met with, gives so good an account of
the manner in which springs of water are believed in these islands to
be discovered by means of the divining rod, that we have no hesitation
in copying it at length.
The work bears the following title: “General View of the Agriculture
and Present State of the Islands of Normandy subject to the Crown
of Great Britain, drawn up for the consideration of the Board of
Agriculture and Internal Improvement,” by Thomas Quayle, Esq.
[Illustration: Oratory Window, Anneville.]
The passage in question will be found at p. 31. _Baguette
Divinatoire._--“The opinion still prevails in Jersey, of a power,
possessed by certain individuals, of discovering by means of a rod
of hazel or of some few trees, in what spot springs of water may be
found. A respectable farmer in the parish of St. Sauveur is persuaded
that he is endowed with this faculty, of which he says he discovered
himself to be possessed in consequence of observing and imitating the
ceremonies employed for a similar purpose by an emigrant priest. The
farmer, on repeating these himself, found them equally efficacious, and
afterwards received from the priest instructions for his exercise of
the water-finding art.
“He first removes from his person every particle of metal. A slender
rod of hazel, terminating in two twigs, the whole about ten inches in
length, is taken into both hands, one holding each twig. The forked
point of the rod, and palms of the hands, as closed, are turned
upwards. The operator then walks forward, with his eye directed on
the forked end of the rod. When he approaches a spot where a spring
is concealed, the elevated point of the rod begins to wave and bend
downwards; at the spot itself it becomes inverted.
“On the 28th of August, 1812, these ceremonies were practised in
the presence of three gentlemen, then and still unconvinced of the
existence of any such power. The farmer had, at their request, civilly
left his harvest, and repeated his practice for their satisfaction.
He first held the rod over his own well, where it did not bend, in
consequence, as he asserted, of the spring not being perennial. He
then slowly walked forward with the rod of hazel held in his hands; at
a particular spot, near his own dwelling, the forked end of the rod
began to be agitated and droop downward; at length, as he proceeded,
it became nearly or quite inverted. He then marked the spot, walked
away, and, setting off in another direction, returned toward the same
spot. When he arrived near it, the end of the rod again began to droop,
and, at the spot, was, as before, inverted. When he was proceeding, the
persons present carefully watched his hands, but could not discern any
motion in either, or any other visible means by which the rod could be
affected. One of them took the rod into his own hands, and, repeating
the same practice over the same ground, the rod did not bend.
“Whether under the designated spot a spring exists or not was not
examined; probably there may, quite apart from any virtue in the
_Baguette divinatoire_.
“On several occasions the farmer has been requested to seek for water,
and it has not only been found, but nearly at the depth which he
indicated. He is a man of good character, of simple manners, obliging
and communicative. Being in easy circumstances, he exercises his art
without reward. The priest had communicated some rules, to enable him
to judge of the exact distance of the water from the surface. These, he
observes, proved fallacious, and the only guide he has for judging of
the depth of the water, is his observation of the distance between the
spot at which the forked end of the rod begins to be agitated, and that
at which, when he arrives, the rod becomes wholly inverted.”
It will be observed that Quayle does not assert that he himself saw
the farmer practise his art, but merely that it had been witnessed
by three gentlemen in 1812. The copy of Quayle’s work, however, from
which the extract was made, contains a very interesting marginal note
in pencil, in the handwriting of a former owner of the book, Peter Le
Pelley, Esq., Seigneur of Sark, who was, unfortunately, drowned by
the capsizing of a boat in which he was crossing from that island to
Guernsey in March, 1839. He says:--
“I have seen it practised by Mr. Moullin, of _Le Ponchez_, at Sark
and Brechou; and at Brechou the forked stick became so inverted that
it split at the fork. He did it in my presence on gold, silver, and
water, and the rod inverted over them. He first rubbed his hands with
the substance to be sought for, and, if water, dipped his hands in it,
and held his two thumbs on the extremity of the forks. That there is a
virtue in the using of the _Baguette divinatoire_ is incontestable, the
reason I deem unknown. May not electricity or magnetism be concerned in
it? It turned in the hands of some Sarkmen who previously were ignorant
of possessing that power. _Ergo_ it is independent of the will.
“On Mr. Moullin’s indication, who told me I should find water at twenty
to twenty-two feet at Brechou, I had a well dug. The men blasted all
the way through the solid rock without finding any water, and at
nineteen to twenty feet, on making a hole with a jumper, the water
sprang up and filled the well. Mr. Moullin found a ring that had been
lost by means of the _Baguette divinatoire_.”
Brechou, mentioned in this note, is a small islet or dependency of
Sark, more generally known by the name of l’Ile des Marchants, a
name it derived from some former proprietors, members of the ancient
Guernsey family of Le Marchant; and for those who are unacquainted with
the art of quarrying, it may not be amiss to explain that a “jumper” is
an iron tool with which holes are bored in the rock for the purpose of
blasting it with gunpowder, and so facilitating its removal piecemeal.
The writer of the present compilation had an opportunity of witnessing
experiments with the divining rod, when attending, in September, 1875,
at Guingamp, in Brittany, a meeting of the “Association Bretonne,”
a combination of the Agricultural and Archæological Societies of
that Province. The place where the experiments were made was a piece
of grass-land at the head of a small valley, and the course of an
underground stream seemed to be traced by the deflections of the rod,
until it pointed almost perpendicularly downwards over a certain spot
in the garden of a neighbouring _château_, where, we were told, there
was no doubt a strong spring would be found at no great distance
from the surface, which, taking into consideration the nature of the
locality, seemed highly probable. It is certain that in the hands of
some who had never seen the experiment performed before, and who at
first professed incredulity, the rod appeared ready to twist itself
out of their grasp as soon as they drew near to the place where water
was supposed to be, while with others, who were disposed to believe
only the evidence of what they witnessed with their own eyes, the
mysterious twig remained perfectly still. No attempt at deceit could be
detected. The persons who made the experiment were gentlemen, and men
of education, although, as Bretons, not perhaps quite free from that
tinge of superstitious feeling which is so characteristic of all Celtic
nations. The writer is bound to add that, neither in his own hands,
nor in those of his companion and fellow countryman, was the slightest
effect produced, although they were carefully instructed how to hold
the rod, and they went over the very same ground where, in the hands of
others, the rod had been visibly affected.
It is not irrelevant to add that in Cornwall, and other mining
countries, the divining rod is said to be used for the purpose of
discovering and tracing veins of metalliferous ore.
BEES PUT IN MOURNING.
Few insects besides the bee and the silk-worm have been pressed into
the service of man--at least in such a manner as to be looked upon as
domesticated--and of these the bee, from its superior intelligence, and
the striking fact of its living in community, with the semblance of
a well-organised government, has, from the earliest times, attracted
the attention and excited the interest of mankind. It is asserted by
those who keep these useful insects, as well as by naturalists who have
made them their especial study, that they recognise their masters and
the members of their families, and that these may approach them with
impunity when a stranger would run great risk of being stung. If this
is really the case, it is not difficult to conceive how, among a people
rude and ignorant, and yet observant of the phenomena of nature, the
bee should come to be regarded with particular respect. It is probably
from a feeling of this kind that the custom arose of informing the
bees when a death occurs in a family. The correct way of performing the
ceremony is this. One of the household must take the door-key, and,
proceeding to the hives, knock with it, and give notice to the bees in
a whisper of the sad event which has just taken place, affixing, at the
same time, a small shred of black crape or other stuff to each of the
hives. If this formality is omitted, it is believed that the bees will
die, or forsake the place. The same custom exists in other countries,
but in Guernsey it is also thought proper to give them notice of
weddings, and to deck the hives with white streamers.
A swarm of bees ought not to be sold for money, if you wish it to
prosper. It should be given or exchanged for something of equal value.
A money price is, however, sometimes agreed for, but in this case the
sum must not be paid in any baser metal than gold. In following a swarm
of bees, besides beating on pots and pans to make them settle, it is
customary to call out to them “_Align’ous, mes p’tits, align’ous_.”[218]
[218] From J. de Garis, Esq., J. L. Mansell, Esq., and others.
EDITOR’S NOTE.
Various Editor’s Notes on the subject of Charms and Spells will be
found in Appendix C.