634 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



believed in, or at least spoken of, though not practised. It is called 

 the spancel, and is thus described by C. 0.^ : — "This spancel, called 

 in Irish ' stheioul dhrum agus tharragh,' signifying the skin of the 

 back and of the belly, consists of a continuous band of skin taken from 

 round the length of the body, viz. from the side of one foot up the 

 outside of that leg and side, over the head and down the other side 

 to the sole of the other foot, up the inside of that leg and down the 

 inside of the other, until the stripe meets where it first set out ; it is 

 used as a love charm, and its power is believed to be irresistible, it 

 being only necessary in order to secure the affections of the victim, to 

 tie the spancel round him while asleep ; if he does not awake during 

 the operation all must turn out to the wish of the operator ; if he does 

 awake, he dies before the end of the year, so the poor desired one has 

 no escape." The same author mentions several instances of this, 

 which were said to have occurred shortly before he wrote (1841), one 

 of which, the discovery of three young women taking the spancel off 

 a corpse, is still remembered by some of the older inhabitants. There 

 are several holy wells in the district, but the most famous is the well 

 of St. Brendan, on Inishglora, the water of which is said to remain 

 sweet and pure if drawn by a man, but to turn bloody and become 

 full of worms if a woman has the temerity to take it. Many tales 

 are told of the misfortunes which have happened to women who 

 persisted in drawing water from this well after being warned. 

 There is now resident in Belmullet an old man who lived for some 

 years on Inishglora. This man solemnly declared to the Eev. P. 

 O'Reilly and the writer that he had three times cleared out the 

 well after women had taken water from it, and that on each occasion 

 it was "full of blood and corruption"; he also said that from the 

 time he began to clean out the well until the job was completed 

 no water flowed in, though it began to come as soon as the cleansing 

 was finished. He added that if a woman were left alone on the 

 island with only a male child of a month old, and she wanted to get 

 water, the vessel would have to be held by the child's hand to 

 prevent the water from becoming bloody. 



2. Charms and Leechcraft. — Disease is often ascribed to superna- 

 tural agencies, and for this reason is often treated by charms or 

 incantations. There are several local " wise " men and women who 

 treat disorders partly by means of charms, partly by herbal and 

 animal remedies. In some cases the idea underlying the treatment 



> " Erris and Tyrawley," p. 90. 



