u8 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



that the power [of the moth] will pass into any woman 

 the wearer may fix his mind upon, and cause her to 

 become pregnant." l So the Lucky Fool wished the 

 princess to become pregnant, and it was done. 



I have mentioned some articles of clothing which 

 are obviously worn as amulets. Amulets, in fact, are 

 believed to play a great part in procuring offspring. 

 A few examples will suffice to illustrate a superstition 

 of very wide extent. In the Gironde women carried 

 away "in order to facilitate childbirth" pieces of a 

 stone which formerly existed at Avensan. 2 Among 

 Bavarian women, to carry about under the left arm .a 

 certain small bone of a stag was a prophylactic against 

 sterility. 3 Hungarian Gipsy women carry a little snail- 

 shaped object ; and if within three years this is not 

 effectual they give up hope. 4 The ancient Hindu 

 \\omen wore a bracelet to ensure conception. The 

 spell preserved in the Atharva- Veda for use in 

 connection w r ith this bracelet addresses it, praying it 

 not merely to open up the womb that the embryo be 

 put into it, but also to furnish a son and it would seem 

 bring him into the womb. In the commentary on 

 another spell of the same collection we learn that 

 while reciting it an arrow is broken to pieces over the 

 woman's head and a fragment is fastened upon her as 

 an amulet. Milk of a cow which has a calf of the same 

 colour as herself is then poured into a cup made from a 

 plough ; rice, barley, and leaves from certain other 

 plants are mashed up in it, and it is put up the woman's 



1 Journ. Am. F. L. xviii. 260. 



2 Se"bilk>t, Am. Anthrop. N.S. iv. 92, citing Daleau. 



3 Lammert, 157. 



4 Temesvary, 7. The object in question is perhaps phallic. 



