16 THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS 



administered when the charm was sung over him were a yew- 

 berry, lupin, helenium, marsh mallow, dock elder, wormwood 

 and strawberry leaves. 



Goblins and nightmare were regarded as at least akin to 

 elves, and we find the same herbs were to be used against 

 them, betony being of peculiar efficacy against " monstrous 

 nocturnal visions and against frightful visions and dreams." 1 

 The malicious elves did not confine their attacks to human 

 beings ; references to elf-shot cattle are numerous. I quote the 

 following from the chapter " against elf disease." 



" For that ilk [i. e. for one who is elf-shot]. 



"Go on Thursday evening when the sun is set where thou 

 knowest that helenium stands, then sing the Benedicite and 

 Pater Noster and a litany and stick thy knife into the wort, 

 make it stick fast and go away; go again when day and night 

 just divide; at the same period go first to church and cross 

 thyself and commend thyself to God; then go in silence and, 

 though anything soever of an awful sort or man meet thee, say 

 not thou to him any word ere thou come to the wort which on 

 the evening before thou markedst; then sing the Benedicite 

 and the Pater Noster and a litany, delve up the wort, let the 

 knife stick in it ; go again as quickly as thou art able to church 

 and let it lie under the altar with the knife; let it lie till the 

 sun be up, wash it afterwards, and make into a drink with 

 bishopwort and lichen off a crucifix ; boil in milk thrice, thrice 

 pour holy water upon it and sing over it the Pater Noster, the 

 Credo and the Gloria in Excelsis Deo, and sing upon it a litany 

 and score with a sword round about it on three sides a cross, 

 and then after that let the man drink the wort ; Soon it will be 

 well with him." Leech Book, III. 62. 



The instructions for a horse or cattle that are elf-shot runs 

 thus : 



1 Herb. Ap., I. 



