CHAPTER XI.

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:--

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.

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.

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.

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.