Charms.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4035, 3 December 1881, Page 1

Charms.

Charms are certain words which have, been used in ages past, and are, in 'point of fact, believed by very .many persons in the present age, to possess a certain magic power. Not-alone have' .foolish tiixd credulous persons allowed themselves to be deceived and doped .by the rubbish, mummery, nonsense, or, to use an elegant word of Irish origin, "balderdash," denominated charms, but great perioni have on numerous occasions > been weak* minded and superstitious enough to give ear to the voice of the charmer. Not charmer in the sense we use the word now-a days, for in that respect charmers are all potent still. The' same guileful tongue which charmed poor old Father Adam, and made him turn amateur tailor, is still possessed with all the' latest improvements by the female descendants of our earliest mamma. With oharmers, or charms, of- this nature., I have nothing to do at present. Witchtfs have been noted in all times of old for their charms and incantations. Scotch witches seem to have been the bossesses in this business. , Witness the-' witch scene in Macbeth, and the sad. calamity which happened to the " gude grey mare" of Tarn O'Shanter on the Brig O'Doon, through the indiscretion of her boozed owner in interfering at the witches' orgie and praising "cutty sark" so vehemently. When Scotch witches wanted to fly they usually straddled a broom-handle, a corn-stalk, or a rush, and cried out, " Horse, and hattock, in the devil's name," and away they flew forty times higher than the moon, did they choose to reach that elevation. Somerset witches used to say "Thoufc, tout, throughout and about," to start themselves, give a. leg up, as it were, and when they wished to return they said "Return tormentum." German witches said "dp and away ! Hi I Up aloft, and nowhere stay.". Scotch witches had m&des of working destruction to the person of those whom they meant evil; which strongly resembled the negro obeaism or mandirigai; One of these. was to make a hash of an unbaptised child, with that of dogs and sheep, and to put this goodly dish in the house of the victim, reciting at the, same time a rhyme which is too long; for insertion here. The Irish people were greatly given to charms, and are at the present day. One common charm for curing of warts is a most ridiculous piece of absurdity. " Take ten pieces of straw, each containing a joint. These are to be put in a paper bag and worn about the person ten days. On the -tenth day the lessee of the warts is to go to a cross road and there . throw bag and straws over his rigbt shoulder repeating the words, V Straws,,l knotted you; straws, you loosed me 5 straws, I throw you. away." The wart, patient is then to return home, and on no" account to look back, otherwise the charm.will lose its virtue, or probably the person who. ia trying the experiment- suffer the punishment of Lot's wife. In the event of he or she arriving, home all right, they will, doubtless, find the wart in its usual place. There is another used in Ireland, which, in a spirit of superstition and ignorant irreverence, uses the name of the Saviour for a very trivial human ailment. It is to cure the toothache, and requires the repeating of the following nonsensical string of words:—" St., Peter sitting on a marble stone, our Saviour passing by asked him what was the matter: 'Oh, Lord, a toothache!.'. 'Stand up, Peter, and follow me; and whoever keeps these words in memory of me, shall never be troubled with a toothache. .Amen.'" The following charm is, as far as I e«u recollect, a most effective cure, for the

sting of a hornet, bumble-bee, rattlemake, cobra, centipede, tarantula, or, in fact, anything venomous :— " Bandylegged' Borachio Mustachio Wbiakerifusticus, the bold, bald, brave, and brilliant Bombardino of Bagdad, helped Abomilique Blue-Beard, Bashaw of Babelmandeb, to batter, bruise, and beat down an abominable bumble-bee of Balsora." It is worth while to get stung by a wasp just to hare the pleasure .of trying this charm. Another one for A headache, brought on by whiskey, is worthy of record, and here it is—"onfcry, twoery, diokery, clavery; Hollow-bow, crack-a-brow. John-a-min ■very; Whiskey, brandy, billy-cum-bine: rumblety-bumblety, twenty-nine." Most Eastern nations have great faith in charms; so also have negroes and North American Indians. 'It is a treat not easily forgotten to see an Indian medicine man charming an evil spirit out of some unfortunate warrior prostrated with fever or other wasting diseases. The native American— white—does not place the value of a 'red cent, on any charm but one, " The Almighty.dollar." With this all-powerful charm fie guesses and calculates he could more all creation, orinore if required.— " L*qsart," in Western Weekly News.