THE ANGLO-SAXON HERBALS 33 



and from worm and from every mischief. Sing also the Benedicite 

 nine times." Lacnunga, 95. 1 



One of the most remarkable narrative charms is that for 

 warts copied below from the Lacnunga. It is to be sung first 

 into the left ear, then into the right ear, then above the man's 

 poll, then " let one who is a maiden go to him and hang it upon 

 his neck, do so for three days, it will soon be well with him." 



" Here came entering 

 A spider wight. 



He had his hands upon his hams. 

 He quoth that thou his hackney wert. 

 Lay thee against his neck. 

 They began to sail off the land. 



As soon as they off the land came, then began they to cool. 

 Then came in a wild beast's sister. 



Then she ended 

 And oaths she swore that never could this harm the sick, nor him who could 



get at this charm, nor him who had skill to sing this charm. Amen. 



Fiat." Lacnunga, 56. 



Of the world-wide custom of charming disease from the 

 patient and transferring it to some inanimate object we find 

 numerous examples. This custom is not only of very ancient 

 origin, but persisted until recent times even in this country. 

 As commonly practised in out-of-the-way parts of Great Britain 

 it was believed that the disease transferred to an inanimate 

 object would be contracted by the next person who picked it 

 up, but in the Saxon herbals we find an apparently older custom 

 of transferring the disease to " running water " (suggestive of 

 the Israelitish scapegoat), and also that of throwing the blood 

 from the wound across the wagon way. These charms for 

 transferring disease seem originally to have been associated 



1 This closely resembles a Cornish charm for a tetter. 



" Tetter, tetter, thou hast nine brothers, 

 God bless the flesh and preserve the bone ; 

 Perish thou, tetter, and be thou gone. 

 Tetter, tetter, thou hast eight brothers." 



Thus the verses are continued until tetter having " no brother " is ordered 

 to be gone. R. Hunt, Popular Romances of the West of England, p. 414. 

 D 



