In Christian and Mediaeval Times 333 



peace, the dispenser of the fruitfulness of the fields, and all 

 household good-fortune, prophesied by means of figures 

 formed by melted wax poured upon water. 



A story is told of a mother who went to the high-priest 

 of Potrimpos to learn the whereabouts of her absent son, 

 and was told that he had been shipwrecked, as the wax 

 poured upon the water took the form of a wrecked ship 

 and of a swimming man. 



It is said that the disease known as " ignis sacer," sacred 

 fire, or pestilential erysipelas, was cured by means of wax 

 dissolved in water. 



Very naturally the magic art connected with wax im- 

 ages found its way to many countries, and even as far West 

 as Scotland we learn of its currency among the people. 



It seems that the Scottish king. Duff, having shown 

 signs of wasting away, his counsellors suspected magic. A 

 search was instituted and an old woman was finally dis- 

 covered who was accused of having bound a waxen image 

 of the king to the spit and turned it about before the fire. 



Questioned upon the rack, the reputed sorceress confessed 

 that she had intended the death of the king, which would 

 have followed in a few days. As a punishment the sor- 

 ceress was burned with her wax image, whereupon the king 

 recovered. 



The wax of young bees was considered particularly pow- 

 erful in magic, and we are told of a sorceress who possessed 

 an image of such virgin wax in which all the members were 

 distorted excepting one rib — she believing that according 

 to Genesis ii. 21, 22, "And the Lord caused a deep sleep 

 to fall upon Adam, and he slept ; and he took one of his 

 ribs, and closed up the flesh thereof: and the rib, which 

 the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, 

 and brought her unto the man," she too could from this 

 rib create more images potent for harm. 



