416 SERPENT 



drover in the Reay country. Ointment made of serpents' grease 

 or fat was believed to enable one touching or anointing the eyes 

 with it to see the fairies, water spirits, or the Dracae. In Vol. 

 XII., page 23G, of tlie Celtic Magazine, will be found the following 

 charm, which we had procured partly previously elsewhere. As 

 this version is most complete we take the liberty of (juoting it for 

 the benefit of all whom it may concern : — " For flying venom and 

 every venomous swelling, on Friday churn butter which has 

 been made of milk from a neat or hind all of one colour (white for 

 choice), and let it not be mingled with water. Sing or chant 

 over it nine times a litany (fonn urnuigh), and a Paler nosier nine 

 times (Paidir), this incantation (ubag) : ' Acrae aercrae aernem 

 nadre aercuna hel aernem nithaern aer asan buithine aderice 

 aernem meodre aernem aethern aernem allu honor ucus idar adsert 

 cunolari raticamo helae icas xpita haele tobaert tera fueli cui 

 robater plana uili.'" No solution of above is attempted, as 

 partly received elsewhere. It was used specifically against serpents' 

 stings or bites. The bite of a serpent left a green mark on the 

 body of a certain Gadelis, son of the monarch Nial, who was then 

 residing at Capacirum, near the Red Sea, but the bite and conse- 

 quences were healed and counteracted by no less a person than 

 Moses. The green mark, however, remained, and afterwards the 

 prince was called Gaodhal-glas, altered by more modern authors to 

 Gadelas, glas signifying green. From this it is said the Irish race 

 are called Clana Gaodhal, i.e., the children or posterity of Gaodhal 

 or Gadelas. A great-grandson of this Nial had a banner with a 

 dead serpent and the rod of Moses painted upon it for a coat-of- 

 arms in memory of above. It will be remembered that one of the 

 twelve tribes, viz., Dan, had the serpent as his coat-of-arms. A 

 serpent idol (or great worm) was, in Ireland, called "crom-cruadh " 

 or " crom-cruach," referred to in the Revue Celticpie, Tome I., as 

 "cenn cruach," and in the Rennes Dinnsenchus as '' crom croich." 

 The serpent is inordinately fond of milk, so much so, that in the 

 story of the doomed prince, as found in Eguptian Tales by W. M. F. 

 Petrie, 1895, it got drunk or over satiated thereon and lay upside 

 down. Dragons were supposed to be winged serpents or snakes 

 which had drunk a woman's milk, while the " basilisk " was said 

 to be a creature hatched by a serpent from a cock's t^g ! A 

 serpent's skin or slough when cast was also said to be used by the 

 fairies as garments. In Scott's Mannion, St Hilda's serpents are 

 ammonite, her day 18th November, and that she by her prayers 

 converted snakes into stones. A serpent (sea) or sea-snake was 

 supposed to be the emblem of eternity among the ancient Irish. 

 The twisted knot-work in our own Highland sgian-dubh is also 

 supposed to be akin thereto, or a relic of the ancient serpent- 

 worship which prevailed throughout Europe, and which formed 

 part of the sacred machinery of the Druids, it is said, at Stone- 

 henge and elsewhere. This is distinctly mentioned or referred 



