Healing Charms on England and Wales

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Healing Charms in Use in England and Wales 1700-1950

Author(s): Owen DaviesSource: Folklore, Vol. 107 (1996), pp. 19-32Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1260911

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Folklore107 (1996):19-32

RESEARCH PAPER

Healing Charms in Use in England and Wales 1700-1950OwenDavies

AbstractThe collection and analysisof Anglo-Saxonand earlymedievalhealingcharmshas longgeneratedan active interest n their contentand application.However,despite the quiteextensiveethnographicevidenceconcerning he contentof healingcharms n use fromtheeighteenthto the twentiethcenturies, here has been no attempt,so far, o makean extensivecollection of charmformulaefromthis period.Thispaperseeks to begin that task.It is hopedthat this inventory,not only serves to highlightan importantaspectof the EnglishandWelshtraditionof folkmedicine,but also serves to indicate the long historyof that tradition.Anexaminationof these charms alsoprovidesan illustrationof the importanceof the writtenword in the transmissionof popularknowledge.

IntroductionThe healing charms employed in England and Walesin the post-medieval period have never received theclose scholarly attention they deserve. While in Rus-sia, for example, there has been over a century of de-tailed historical and linguistic research on the livingtradition of charmers and healing charms (Conrad1989),modem Britishacademics have largely neglectedthis aspect of popular magic. Although nineteenth andearly twentieth century folklorists did take an interestin such charms, little was understood about them, and,with the exception of William Mackenzie's study ofGaelic healing charms (Mackenzie 1895), no attemptwas made by folklorists, historians or linguists to ana-lyse their origin, structure or regional distribution.However, there is, and has long been, an academic in-terest in the Anglo-Saxon and medieval charm tradi-tion (see, for example: Cockayne 1864-6; Grendon 1909;Storms 1948;Bonser 1963;Biihler 1964;Foley 1981;Jolly1985;Smallwood 1989;Hunt 1990), and it is hoped thatthis study will provide some sense of the continuity ofthat tradition.The cataloguing of charms collected from eighteenthand nineteenth century sources, both written and oral,serves to highlight a current of popular healing magicwhich stretches back to Saxon times, and provides aninsight into the importance of the written word in thetransmission and perpetuation of popular beliefs. Theobject of the present paper is to provide, for the firsttime, a substantial preliminary inventory of the popu-lar charm record in England and Wales from the eight-eenth to the twentieth centuries. The charms have beenclassified according to the nine ailments they are curesfor. A more complex classification based on the con-tent and structure of these charms could be developed,but the simpler classification serves the present pur-pose well enough.

Whether these charms were collected in their writtenform or taken down from oral sources often dependedon whether their healing efficacy lay in their being re-cited by charmers or their being used as written talis-mans. Examples of the latter type are the charms fortoothache and for ague and fever quoted here.An illustration of how one such talismanic charmwas obtained from its owner concerns toothache charmB6, below. In 1866 a young man suffering from tooth-ache, "finding that the pain resisted the charm," wentto have his bad tooth extracted by a "well-known"surgeon at Crewkerne, Somerset. In the course of con-versation with the surgeon, the young man showedhim the charm, which he had been wearing round hisneck, and its contents were subsequently passed on tothe SomersetCounty Herald (Letter 1866). In other in-stances such charms were obtained after they hadproved effective and were no longer needed. The ma-jority of the charms listed here were, however, collectedfrom the charmers themselves. Many of them werefound in charmers' receipt books or on carefully pre-served scraps of paper, and by these means had beenhanded down through several generations. However,as is apparent from the discussion of stanching charms(A, below), we must always be aware of the possibil-ity that such charms may derive from earlier sources.In some cases we can detect from irregularities in spell-ing and structure that manuscript versions of charmshad either been repeatedly copied (see C3 and C4, be-low), presumably over a long period of time, or hadbeen written down from an oral source.Before presenting the charm inventory, some pre-liminary observations will be in order.(i) There is quite extensive evidence for the wide-spread use of these charms during the eighteenth andnineteenth centuries, but perhaps the best proof is thatcharmers continued to be popular until well into the


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20 Owen Daviespresent century (Leather 1912, 70-7; Lang 1969;Brown 1970; Deane and Shaw 1975, 120-1). How-ever, in preparing this list, care has been taken toinclude only charm formulae for which there is evi-dence of their being in use at the time the sourcewas published.(ii) A significant proportion of the charms in theinventory derive from west country sources, par-ticularly from Devon. This could represent the com-parative vitality of the charming tradition in theregion during the nineteenth and twentieth centu-ries. Alternatively, it could be collection bias. Thefolklore reports in the Transactionsof the DevonshireAssociation for the Advancement of Science, Literatureand Art, in particular, generated a lively interest inthe recording of healing charms known and used inthe county. The dominance of charms from the westcountry should not therefore be taken as necessar-ily indicating either the strength of charming tradi-tion in the west country or its weakness nationwide.Although I have found no charm formulae for ring-worm or erysipelas from northern England, for ex-ample, there is evidence that there were charmersin the region who charmed for both ailments ("Mod-ern Witchcraft in Durham"). Early this century,Henry Penfold knew of erysipelas charmers still op-erating in eastern Cumbria, who rubbed the affectedarea with a stone "at the same time muttering someinvocation to the trinity, the exact words of whichare unknown to the patient" (Penfold 1907, 54). Toredress this possibly misleading imbalance in thecharm record, therefore, wherever possible I havetried to include as many pertinent examples ofcharm formulae recorded in areas other than thewest country.(iii) The paucity of the record in northern andeastern England also poses problems when attempt-ing to delineate distinctive regional variations. Ten-tative attempts to present some sense of regionalityhave been made, even if it is only to indicate wherea charm variation not recorded in the extensiveDevon material is known elsewhere.

(iv) The charms cited in the present inventory fallinto the first two of the three categories outlined byRichard Kieckhefer: prayers, which take the formof requests directed to God, Jesus, Mary or a saint;blessings, which take the form of wishes directedto the patient; adjurations, which take the form ofcommands directed to the sickness itself or to theagent responsible (Kieckhefer 1990, 69). Prayers andblessings are not inherently magical, of course, butthey can easily be integrated with magical concepts,and in the context of use cited here, can be legiti-mately termed "charms." Perhaps the most magi-cal aspect of such prayers and blessings was theperceived immediacy of their effect.'1

TheinventoryA. Charmsfor Stanching Blood1. From a manuscript account book of a nineteenthcentury Cornish charmer (Couch 1871, 148).2

Our Saviour was born of Bethleam of Judeah. Ashe passed by revoor ofJorden,the waters waid wereall in one. The Lord ris up his holy hand, and bidthe waters still to stan, and so shall the blood. Threetimes.2. From Shropshire (Burne 1883, 183).

Through the blood of Adam's sinWas taken the blood of Christ.By the same blood I do thee chargeThat the blood of [name]run no more at large.

3. From Cumbria, c. 1736-51 (Cowper 1899, 314).Tostop Bleeding in Man or Beast at any Distance,first you must have some Drops of ye Blood upona LinenRaggand wrap a LittleRomanVitriolluponthis Ragg put it under your oxter [armpit]and saythese words thrice into yrself "There was a ManBorn in Bethlem of JudeaWhose name was CalledChrist. Baptized in the River Jordan In the Watterof the flood and the Child also was meak and goodand as the watter stood So I desire thee the Bloodof Such a person or Beast to stand in their Bodie, inthe name of the father son and Holy Ghost Amen."Then Look into the Ragg and at that moment theBloodstopeththe Blew powder is Turned nto Bloodby sympathy.

4. From Shropshire. One of seven charms from asmall manuscript book belonging to a blacksmith-farrier at Clun. The handwriting is of the early nine-teenth century ("Charms").A C[harm]to stop blud.-Our Saviour Jesus Cristwas borne in Bethalem was Baptsed of Jon in theriver of Jordan.God commanded the water to stop& it stoped So in his name do I commandthe bloodto Stop that run from this orrafas vain or vaines asthe water Stoped in the River of Jordan wen ourSaviourJesus Cristwas baptized in the name of theFather.Stop blud in the name of the sun stop bloodin the name of the Holeygst not a drop moreof bludproceduth Amen Amen Amen-to be sed 3 timesbut if the case be bad 9 times and the Lords praierbefore & after holding your rithand on the placeand marck the place thus + with your midel finger.

5. From Cornwall (Hunt 1923, 413).Sanguismane in te,SicutChristus uit in se;Sanguismane in tuaven$,SicutChristus n sua pena;Sanguismane fixus,SicutChristusquando crucifixus.


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Healing Charms n Use in Englandand Wales 1700-1950 216. From Cornwall (Hunt 1923, 414; see also Courtney1890, 151).

Christ was born in Bethlehem,Baptized n the riverJordan;Therehe digg'd a well,And turn'd the water againstthe hill,So shall thyblood standstill.In the name,&c.7. From the Isle of Man (Moore 1891, 98).

Threegodly men came fromRome-Christ, Peter,andPaul. Christ was on the cross,his blood flowing, andMaryon her knees close by.One took the enchantedone in his righthand,and Christ drew a cross + overhim.Threeyoung women came over the water,one ofthemsaid,"up,"anotheronesaid,"stay," ndthethirdone said, "I will stop the blood of man or woman."Me to say it, and Christ to do it, in the name of theFather, nd the Son, and the Holy Ghost.8. From Wales (Roberts 1965, 207).Yn gynta gwna groes ar yr archollgan ddywedyd yfendithhonn:jnnominePatriset Filijetc.Kyngywiredacy ganedMabDyw ym Bethelemac y bedyddywydyn dyfwr Jordana chyngywired ac y safws y dyfwr,safditheywaed.JnnominePatrisetc.,a dyweidpumpPader,pymp Ave Mariaa thr[I er ynrydeddyr pumparcholl[ ] gan veddyleid am y ddioddei.9. From Devon. Obtained from an old lady ofCudlipton (TDA 32 [1900]:92).Theverse to stop nose-bleeding s the 6thverse of the16thchapterofEzekielwhichmust berepeatedby oneof the oppositesex from the patient.

Synopsisof (A)These charms for checking the flow of blood exhibitconsiderable variety, though the motif of Christ's bap-tism in the river Jordan is obviously the dominanttheme and appears in medieval manuscripts as earlyas the tenth century. The story of God stopping thewaters of the river Jordan during Christ's baptism isapocryphal. In Matthew 13 we are told of his baptismby John the Baptist, but there is no mention of Godstopping the Jordan's flow. However, in the apocry-phal ChroniconPaschale t is stated that, at Christ's bap-tism, "The Lord said unto John: 'Say unto Jordan,stand! The Lord hath come to us.' And at once thewaters stood."

Charm A9 was, however, taken straight from theOld Testament, and consisted of the repetition of theEzekiel16:6,"And passing by thee, I saw that thou wasttrodden under foot in thy own blood. And I said tothee when thou wast in thy blood: Live. I have said tothee: Live in thy blood." Tony Cleverdon, a Cornishcharmer, told R.S. Hawker that he repeated this charm"only twice with an outblow between each time"(Hawker 1870, 177). In Wales, the same passage was

recited nine times while the charmer dipped his or herfinger in blood and made the sign of the cross uponthe patient's forehead (Trevelyan 1909, 226).The key to the efficacy of the baptism charm is, ofcourse, the sympathy between the river Jordan's flowand the blood issuing from the patient's "orrafas vainor vaines." Incharm A3 the sympathetic effect is height-ened by the addition of some simple chemical "magic."The written instructions tell the reader to apply a little"Roman Vitrioll" to a rag and stuff it under an armpit;as the blood ceases to flow so the "Blew powder isTurned into Blood by sympathy." "Roman Vitrioll"presumably is blue vitriol, otherwise known as cop-per sulphate, which turns red on contact with acids-in this case the uric acid in the sweat secreted by glandsin the armpit.The Latin charm from Cornwall (A5) has also beenrecorded in use on the Isle of Man (Moore 1891, 98),and can also be found in Reginald Scot's DiscoverieofWitchcraft f 1584 (Scot 1972, 155). The folklorist RobertHunt, who collected it, observed that as the charm was"repeated by ignorant old men or women, it becomesa confused jargon of unmeaning words, but it im-presses the still more ignorant suffererwith awe" (Hunt1923, 414). A.W Moore remarked that the consequenceof translating this charm would be "that its efficacywould be lost for ever" (Moore 1891, 98). The Latincan be translated, but would have been meaninglessto those who were using it in the eighteenth and nine-teenth centuries. However, just as with gibberishcharms, it was precisely because of its incomprehensi-bility that it was deemed to have magical virtue. Ihavenot come across any other examples of A2 being usedin the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, though itmust be of some antiquity, since a version of it is againfound in Scot's Discoverie(1972, 155). Considering thepopularity of Scot's work amongst wise-men and wise-women during the eighteenth and nineteenth centu-ries (Davies 1995, 174), I think it quite likely that bothA2 and A5 may actually owe their presence in thepopular charm record to their inclusion in theDiscoverie.

Charm A7 seems to have been in use only in the Isleof Man during the nineteenth century. A similar ver-sion is given in Henderson (1879, 170). It may in factbe distantly related to the "Longinus formula" (basedon the account of the soldier Longinus piercing the sideof Jesus with a lance), a charm-type otherwise absentin the popular charm record. One medieval Englishversion (translated from the Latin) runs as follows:A soldierof old thrusta lance into the side of theSav-iour: mmediately hereflowed thenceblood and wa-ter,-the blood of Redemption,and the waterof Bap-tism. Inthe nameof the Father+ maythebloodcease.In thename of theSon + maytheblood remain.Inthename of the Holy Ghost + may no moreblood flowfrom the mouth, the vein, or the nose (HarlandandWilkinson1882,77).


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22 Owen DaviesAnother, extended, medieval version begins with thepassage, "Three good brothers strolled on a road,"which is similar to the opening line of the Manx charm(A7) (Boz6ky 1992, 87). Of early Anglo-Saxon origin,and known in much of western Europe, in England theLonginus formula has only survived in medieval manu-scripts.

B. Charmsfor the Toothache1. Nineteenth-century charm from Wales (National Li-brary of Wales MS. 6729B).

A vers to ease the ToothakePetter ying by the Gates ofJerusalem,ServinggreiffandJesuscameby and said why dostthou lye hearvexing greiff.Petteransweredand said my teethdoth akeSo thati can not takeno rest nor Sleep.Jesussaidthy healthi will give theeand to all thatcarrythese linesIn the name of the Fatherand, Son and Holy Ghost.

2. From Devon (TDA 31 [1900]:112).Peterstood by the gate of Jerusalemweeping, and theLord said unto Peter,"Why weepest thou Peter?"anhe said "LordI am sore trobledwith the tooth-achethatI know not what to do."The LordGodsaid "arisePeterandgo with God,andIwillhelpthee of the tooth-ache." GrantLord that she that is troubled thou mayhelp themin thename of the Fatheranof the Son an ofthe Holy Ghost.Amen.

3. From Cornwall (Hunt 1923, 414).Christpass'd by His brother'sdoor,Saw His brotherlying on the floor."Whataileththee,brother?Pain in the teeth?Thyteethshallpain thee no more.In the name,"&c.

4. From Dorset (Udal 1922, 219-20).As Petersat on a stone weeping, our Saviourcame tothe Mount of Olives and said, "How is it here,Peter?"Peteransweredandsaid,"MyLordandmyGod,griev-ously tormentedwith the painof the tooth."OurSav-ioursaidunto Peter,"Arise,Peter,andbe madewhole.Whosoeverbelieveth on me and keepeththese wordsin memoryor in writingshall never be troubled withthe painof the tooth. In the name of the Father, nd ofthe Son, and of the Holy Ghost.Amen.

5. From Shropshire (Burne 1883, 182).In thename of God,when Jusessaw theCrooson wichhe was to be crucified all is bones began to Shisver.Peter standing by said Jesus Christ cure all DesecesJesuesChrist curethy tooth ake.-Edward Latimer.

6. From Somerset. The charm was obtained from ablacksmith living near South Perrott (Letter 1866).

Peter and Paul sat on a marblestone.Jesuscame alone.Peter,saidhe, what makesyou quake?Lord and master, t is the toothache.Arise, Peter,and be healed.Synopsis of (B)The common charm for toothache appears to be that inwhich Jesus "passes by" St Peter,usually as he sits, liesor stands by the gates of Jerusalem (see B1 and B2) (seeKittredge 1929, 389-93). In B4, however, the encountertakes place on the Mount of Olives, and in a Devon ex-ample we find Jesus "walking into the Garden ofGethsemane," where he comes across Peter weeping(Whitcombe 1874, 16). Sometimes we find Peter sittingon a stone--or more specifically,as in B6 and in a Sussexversion of the formula (Latham 1878,40), a marble stone.The particular reference to marble is also found in theFrench version of the charm, and again in charm El be-low. Edina Boz6ky has also commented on the commonreference to marble in medieval Latin and vernacularincantations (Boz6ky 1992, 90). In B3 and B6 the charmnarrativehas been turned into a simpler rhyming verse,which presumably made it easier to remember.Charm B5 is markedly different from the others, andis, in fact, a rather impoverished version of the stand-ard charm for the ague, which has been converted toencompass the cure of toothache. Judging from the sen-tence "JesusChrist cure all Deseces," it may be that thedispenser of the charm altered it to cover a range ofailments as demand dictated. It is worth noting that"Jesus"is spelt differently each time in B5, probably asresult of repeated copying.A Latin version of the Jesus/Peter encounter was inuse in the early medieval period (Cockayne 1864-6, 64),and versions of it have also been recorded elsewhere inEurope, but usually with other religious figures stand-ing in for Jesus and Peter (Kittredge 1929, 389-93). In awidespread French rendering of the charm we find StAppoline sitting on a marble stone while "Notre Sei-gneur" passes by, whereupon a similar conversationensues as that between Jesus and Peter (Devlin 1987,48). A more distant relative of the same charm was alsoin use in nineteenth-century Russia (Conrad 1989, 430).There seems to have been a tradition of writing thecharm on the front leaf of the family Bible (Rawlence1914, 82; Davies 1937, 54) or, as in the case of the Sus-sex version above, on the fly-leaf of a Bookof CommonPrayer(Latham 1878, 40).C. Charms or theAgue andFever1. FromDevon. Found in an old account-book in a farm-house in Marystowe (TDA 31 [1899]:112).

OurSavourChristwhen he came in sight of the crosswhere he was to sufferhis body did shake.The Jeusasked him if he had the agoe. he answered and said"Allthesethatkeepthis inwoord orwritingshallnever


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Healing Charms n Use in Englandand Wales1700-1950 23be troubled with an agoe or fever."So Lordhelp theyservants hatputtheir rust n theethroughJesusChrist.Amen.

2. From Sussex. Found around the neck of a dead manat Hurstpierpoint (Henderson 1879, 169).WhenJesusChristcameupon the Cross or theredemp-tion of mankind,He shook, and His Rood trembled.The Cheaf Preastsaid unto him, Artthou afraid,or asthou an ague?He said unto them,I am not afraid,nei-therhave I an ague, and whosoever Believeth n thesewordsshall not be troubledwith anneyFeaverorague.So be it unto you.

3. From Shropshire. From a manuscript book belong-ing to a blacksmith-farrier ("Charms," 204).When our SaviourJesusChrist Saw the Crooswhereon he was to be Crusified his bodey shaked the Jusesaid unto him shure you have got the Ague Jesusanceredand said wosoever belevethin me andwereththese wordesshallnever have theaguenor feverAmenAmen Amen +to be wore in the Bosom of Shurt.

4. Found on the Revd Robert Forbes, vicar of Rougham,Norfolk, who died on 25 November 1709. The charmwas in a small blue silk bag which was tied with a smallribbon about the Minister's neck (Dawson 1932, 233-8).Eywnuydlab ase byw udgaa eywd gwr yu esa LbibbLtw udcab x lwr byw lwca Sazwryln sdb byac ysxdshrqd ysab byge sm spew LwacaastrLsnmgbsxdshrmgd yscw mgb sm spew eyg maqwewd esdabywaw eqdraaysii mwcwd tw bdociwrtel by sm spew snwm snwm acwwb Lwaca.3

5. From Lincolnshire (Gutch and Peacock 1908, 123).WhenJesuscamenear Pilate,He trembled ike a leaf,and the judge asked Him if He had the ague. He an-swered, He neitherhad the ague nor was He afraid;and whosoever bearsthesewords in mind shallneverfearague or anythingelse.

Synopsisof (C)These ague charms show a considerable degree of uni-formity, with perhaps the most interesting departurebeing in C5 where Jesus comes across Pontius Pilaterather than the Cross. The seeming gibberish of C4 is,in fact, the same charm as the others but written in asecret alphabetical code. This undoubtedly lent it agreater magical aura, even though the sympathetic con-tent of the apocryphal tale is lost. Warren R. Dawsonfound that some letters in the code had been miscopied,which suggests that the charm had been transcribedfor the vicar in its coded form (Dawson 1932).Versions of this crucifixion ague charm were avail-able in print in England during the seventeenth cen-tury and can be found in John Durant's ART and NA-TURE Joyn HAND in HAND Or, The Poor Mans Daily

Companion Durant 1697 cited in Wright 1912, 235), andin Joseph Blagrave's Astrological Practice of Physick(Blagrave 1689, 135). A version of this charm can alsobe found in the widely published popular nineteenth-century French chapbook Le medicindes pauvres.D. Charms or Scaldsand Burns1. Copied from the fly-leaf of a family Bible by an oldlady living in Shropshire. To be said three times overthe wound (Burne 1883, 183).

Therewas 3 Angels com fromthe west,Theone bro't fire andthe other bro'tfrost,Theotherbro'tthe Book of JESUSCHRIST.In the Name of (etc.).Amen.2. From Devon (TDA 18 [1886]:103).

Therewere two angels that came fromthe East-onebrought fire and the other ice; in ice, out fire, in thename of the Father,and of the Son, and of the HolyGhost.3. From Cornwall. Said nine times over a scald(Courtney 1890, 147).

Three adies (orvirgins)come fromthe east:One with fire and two with frost;Out with thee, fire,andin with thee, frost:In the name of the Father,Son, andHoly Ghost.4. From Shropshire. From a manuscript book belong-ing to a blacksmith-farrier ("Charms,"204).

Marymild has burnthur childby the sparklingof thefire out fire in frostin the name of the fatherson andHoleygostAmenAmenAmen--to be said 9 timesandthe Lordespraierbefore& after.5. From Cumbria (Cowper 1899, 314).

To cure Bums or Scaldsby Blowingthriceand SayingthesewordsaftereachBlowingCouthaColdundertheClaytrembleing s thereanyhere thatwould Learnofthe Dead to Curethe sores of Burning n the Name ofGod And in the nameof Godbe itAmenFirstsay thenBlow then say thenBlowand it is done.6. From Devon. The contributor writes, "The followingcharm, given me in her own writing by an old ladysome twenty years ago, was vouched infallible by her"(TDA 65 [1933]:126).

This charm s for burns and scalds,repeatto yourselfthe words fromthe 15thverseof the 17thchapterof stJohn, ustblow on theburntplaceandpass yourfingerround andround n thisway o this is all,butyou musthave faith.Synopsis of (D)The Fire/Frost formula seems to have been the pre-dominant charm in use throughout much of the coun-try. Owing to centuries of repetition, the number ofangels and the direction from whence they came vary


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24 Owen Daviesfrom example to example, though rarely do the angelscome from the south. Charm D1 has been tinkered withsomewhere down the line. Where there should be theadjuration "InFrost,out Fire" we find one of the Angelsbringing the "Book of JESUSCHRIST."Technically,thismakes the charm ineffective in that there is no sympa-theticmetaphorrelevantto the healing process.Of course,in practice this corrupted version would have beendeemed no less effective because of it.Charm D4 may represent a distinct Welsh borders re-gional variation on the Fire/ Frost formula, for we alsofind versions of it in a Herefordshire charmer's manu-scriptbook (Leather1912,73), and in a mid- to late-eight-eenth century receiptbook fromGloucestershire(Gloucs.Record Office MS. P 218 MI1).I have come across no otherexample of charmD5 fromEnglandor Wales,though a version of it was used in Ire-land."In the Irish version we find the sentence "Old clodbeneath the day,"which suggests that the use of the word"cold" n the Cumbrianversionmay possiblybe a misspell-ing of "clod."The word "Coutha"presumablyrelates o thedialectword "couth," ora cold (Taylor1901).In discussing toothache charms we saw how an aguecharmformula had been adapted to curetoothache. Simi-larly,in Durant's ART andNATURE,we find the Angel/Fire/ Frostcharmbeing converted into an ague charmbyreversing the command "in Frost,out Fire," thus, by or-dering "in Fire," countering the shivering chills associ-ated with agues and fevers.E. Charmsagainst Swelling,InflammationndAssociatedPains1. From Devon. Obtained from a charmer who used it incharming handkerchiefs,which were then tied round thelimbs of those suffering from a complaint called "thewhite swelling." It is to be repeated nine times, and eachtime the Lord's Prayer is to be said (Langdon 1894).

As Christwas walkinghe saw the VirginMarysittingon a cold,marblestone.He said untoher,"Whataileththee?"He said untoher,"If t is awhiteill-thing,oraredill-thing,orablack ll-thing,orasticking, racking, rick-ing,stabbingboneill-thing,or a sore ll-thing,or a swell-ing ill-thing,or a rotten ll-thing,or a cold,creeping ll-thing,or a smarting ll-thing, et it fall from thee to theearth, n my name,and the name of theFather, on,andHolyGhost.Amen.Sobe it."

2. From Devon. One of several charms in the possessionof one Blatchford, Sexton of Bridestowe (TDA 17[1885]:121).Our LordJesusChristcome from the mount's oot,sawAbrahamasleep on the cold ground.OurLordspokeand said, "Whatbest show her for?"Abrahamspokeandsaid,"It s good to know what Ibe herefor-takenwith anoutblow,aching,burning hat I knownot whatto do." OurLordJesusChristsaid,"Riseup, Abraham,fromthe cold,coldground.I will make theesafe soundin the name of the Father,and of the Son, and of theHoly Ghost.Amen."

3. From Devon. Copy of a charm found at Marystoweamong the papers of a former inhabitant of a neigh-bouring parish (TDA 31 [1899]:111).Our Saviour Christblessg for an Inflamation or anyother evil thing or any like evil. (bless.)TheQueenofparest s goneinto a farcountry o kill anddestroybothmen and women and children,and then her meet ourblessed LordSaviourJesusChrist.He said "Whereartthou going thou Queenof parest?""I am going into afar countryto kill and destroyboth men women andchildren.""ThouQueen of parestturnagain:thy evilshall never do no harm, n the name of the fatherandof the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

4. From Devon (TDA 27 [1895]:65).Our dearLord SaviourJesusChrist.hee sawe Josephlying on the cold ground thy sidelese year.Joseph-I are stricken sordbolt, sordbolt, sordbolt,strickenstabing, pricking,aching;I know not what todo.Ourdearsaviour-take up thy Bedand walk.Our dear Lord saw JesusChristand pailet sit at thegate of Jerusalemweeping. FaithI hope the LordwillBlessit to theewherever t is. In the nameof theFather,and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

5. From Devon. In using this charm the charmer mustpass the hand the same way as the sun goes, and thenpass it towards the ground (TDA 31 [1899]:112).As our Blessed VergenMarywas walking over alongleadingher youngest son by the hand he hang downhis hed. "Whydew you hang youre hed so low myson?" "Myhed doth ake and all my bones." "Ifearsome ill thing you have. Iwill bless you for ill things."(redill, wite ill, black or blew or all other)down to thegroundin the name of our LordJesusChrist.Ibless thee (youmust mention the name of the person)in the name of our LordJesusChrist,Amen-of theFather, he Son, and Holy Gost. Amen.

6. From a charmer who lived at Lew Down, Devon. Tobe repeated three times (Baring-Gould 1925, 144).TheVirginMaryset the Babeon her lap, andthereanInflammationcaughtand ablisterrose. She blew on it,and the Childalso;andthe Blister eft. Soshallit leave[name]Inthe Name of the Father,and of the Son, andof the Holy Ghost.

7. FromDevon. In using this, the charmerhung a branchof whitethorn on a wall, without allowing it to touchthe ground. Then she took nine small pieces of differ-ent-coloured cloths tied in a bunch, and some rawcream. The patient sat under the thorn, the bits of clothwere dipped into the cream and "dapped" upon theinflamed area. It must be done 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, or anyodd number of times (TDA 31 [1899]:113).Therewas three brotherscome from the North Westgoing to the South,to kill and to cure(namepersoninfull)forRingworm-Wild Titters-Burn-gout-Itching


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Healing Charms n Use in Englandand Wales1700-1950 25Gout-Smarting gout-Water-gout-chicken-pox-St.TanterousFire-Girdleing orwhatever tmaybe, in thename of the Father,Son, and Holy Ghost.Amen.

8. From Marystone, Devon. A charm for "burn-gout"(TDA 31 [1899]:113).6Threeor fourfairmaidenscamefromdiverslandscry-ing forburn-gout-acheing, smarting,and all kindsofburn-gout-they went to the burrowtoun-there theyhadbretherenthree-they wentto thesaltseas andtheynever morereturnedagain-he or she shallhave theirhealthagainin the nameof the Father, nd of the Son,and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Sobe it.

9. From Devon. To cure "barngun" (ringworm). It wasaccompanied by the following ritual, "Takethree locksof wool-one white, one grey,one black-dip them intoa basin of clotted cream, and when thoroughly satu-rated, take each lock and rub in succession each infectedspot on the skin. Hang the wool on sprigs of white thornagainst the wind to dry. Repeat this process five, seven,or nine times, as the cure may require" (Hewett 1900,78).

Therewerethreeangelscome fromthewest, to cure[ ]of the barngun, white barngun, red barngun, blackbarngun,aching,sticking,pricking,barngun,all sortsof barngun,barngun-bubee,ll will I prove 'e. I stickthee up on thees yer thorn, therethou shalt die, andnever comenear'nno more,in the name of the Father,Son, and Holy Ghost.-Amen.10. From Cornwall. A charm for a "tetter" (ringworm)(Hunt 1923, 414).

Tetter,etter, hou hastninebrothers.Godbless the flesh and preservethe bone;Perish,thou tetter,and be thou gone.In the name,&c.Tetter,etter, hou hast eightbrothers.Godbless the flesh and preservethe bone;Perish,thou tetter,and be thou gone.In the name,&c.The charm continues until tetter, having "no brother,"is imperatively ordered to be gone.11. From Cornwall. Charm for "wildfire" (shingles)(Courtney 1890, 150).

Christ,he walkethover the land,Carried he wildfire in his hand,He rebukedthe fire,andbid it stand;Stand,wildfire,stand (threetimes repeated):In the name of, etc.12. From (?) "A recet for the ceronsepels" (erysipelas?)(Henderson 1879, 149).

As our blessed Ladysat at herboweryDower,Withhir dearDaughteron her nee,Watingon the snocksnouls and the wilfierAnd the Ceronsepelcomingin at the town end,Bythe name of the LordI medisenthee.

Synopsis of (E)I have come across no definite examples of inflamma-tion charms from outside south-west England. I sus-pect, from its content, that charm E12, given to WilliamHenderson by the "Vicar of K-," may come fromDevon not the "northern counties" of Henderson's ti-tle. Henderson cites examples of Devon folklore sev-eral times. The "Vicarof K-" may be the same personas the "Rector of Kenn," near Exeter, whom he men-tions elsewhere (Henderson 1879, 194).Even within the limited geographical region ofDevon and Cornwall, we can detect distinct regionalvariations. The charm types represented in the first nineexamples from Devon, do not seem to have been in usein Cornwall, and conversely, I have found no examplesfrom Devon of the specific charms for "tetters" and"wildfire" in use in Cornwall. If we look more closelyat the content of those first nine charms and at E12, wefind an extraordinary diversity within a comparativelysmall area,but it is possible to divide them up into threeloose categories according to three detectable motifs.(i) Charms El, E2 and E4 all begin with Christ com-ing across another biblical figure, who is sitting/ lying /sleeping upon a cold surface. Even here we have anunusual level of diversity in that in each charm we finda different character;the Virgin Mary in El, Abrahamin E2, and Joseph in E3. The same motif is found intoothache charms.

(ii) Charms E5, E6 and E12 all have the central motifof the Virgin Mary with one of her children who fallsill. In E5, Mary is walking with her "youngest son,"and in E12 we find "our blessed Lady" nursing one ofher daughters.(iii) In charms E3, E7, E8 and E9 the central narra-tive theme concerns various mythical agents travellingfrom one place to another, who in E7, E8 and E9 curethe inflammation on their passage. In E3 the motif isreversed, and we find the "Queen of parest" bringingwith her death and destruction, but she is preventedfrom proceeding by the intervention of Christ.7Common to all three categories is the narration of adescriptive inventory of the various inflammatory ail-ments the charm could heal. In E7 the various com-plaints are named specifically; we find three types ofgout, ringworm, "Wild Titters" (ringworm), chicken-pox, "St Tanterous Fire" which is presumably St An-thony's fire, otherwise known as erysipelas, and"Girdleing."8In El, E3, E5 and E9 we find an enumera-tion of the possible colours of the inflammation andthe pains associated with it.CharmE10is a good example of a diminishing charmbased on inverted counting, an archaic and ubiquitoustype in which the charmer begins by enumerating anumber of persons or objects, of which there are usu-ally nine to begin with, then subtracting one each timeuntil none is left. This charm formula seems to havehad a long association with the cure of swelling. AnAnglo-Saxon charm for "swollen glands, and for


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26 OwenDaviesscrofula and for worm, and for every evil" begins, "Ninewere node's sisters; then the nine became eight, andthe eight became seven ..." (Bonser 1963, 252). MargaretCourtney gives an almost identical Cornish charm inwhich the tetter "hast nine sisters" instead of "ninebrothers" (Courtney 1890, 149);and in Brittany a charmfor tumours similarly begins, "The gland has ninedaughters, from nine they became eight ..." (Bonser1963, 253). A common charm for boils in parts of formerYugoslavia works on exactly the same principle andbegins, "The boil has nine eyes; it's not nine but eight;it's not eight but seven," and ends in the usual way,"it's not one, but none!" (Conrad 1983, 104).F.Charmsor theBiteofan Adder1. From Devon. Obtained from a charmer living at LewDown (Baring-Gould 1925, 144).LetGod arise and then the foe will turn to flightAnd fromfearwould scatterout of sight,The Firethatmelts the wax. Windblow this way,Then in the presenceof the Lordthis wicked shalldecay.In the Name of, etc. (Thricerepeated.)2. From Bridestow, Devon. "A charm against the stingof a 'Long-cripple"' (TDA 32 [1900]:91).

Our BlessedVirgenMarysot and soadherBlessedBabe sot and pleadTheirTingWormout of Eldernwooddid TingourBlessedSaviourby the foothis BladerBludand neverbrokeThine shall BreakN.B.Ting TingorRyeTingin the Nameof the FatherSon and Holy GostAmen, PrayGod expell the Ting.

3. From Devon. One of several charms belonging to thecharmer Blatchford, sexton of Bridestowe (TDA 17[1885]:120).As Gabrieland his manwent in the wood the verminstungGabriel'smanby thehand.Gabriel aidunto theserpent, "Why stingest thou my man?"The serpentsaid,"Iknow notthyman."Gabriel aid,"What hallIgive in exchange for the spear?"The serpent said,"Three ogs' lard,andthymanshallbe restored o theeagainin the nameof God the Father,God the Son,andGod the Holy Ghost.Amen."

4. From Cornwall (Couch 1871, 148).Bradgty,bradgty,bradgty,underthe ashingleaf.To berepeatedthree times, and strikeyour hand with thegrowing of the hare.Bradgty,bradgty,bradgty to berepeatedthreetimes beforeeight, eight beforeseven,and seven beforesix, and six beforefive, and five be-fore four,and four beforethree,and threebeforetwo,and two beforeone, and one beforeevery one, threetimes forthe bit [sic]of an adder.

5. Copied from a North Devon farmer's MS book con-taining prescriptions for many cattle ailments (TDA 61[1929]:127).Blessing for Sting.-Ader, Ader, Ader; Lay under aStone or Hole,he hath done this beastwrong 1 fold, 2fold, 3 fold, in the nameof the Father, f the Son,so letthis sting pass away from this wretchedvermentif theLordplease.Amen.

Synopsis f(F)As with inflammation charms, I have come across noexamples of charms for adder bites from outside thesouth-west of England, although one nineteenth cen-tury Sussex folklorist knew of a local charmer who hadinherited a charm for snake bite from her mother, buthad lost it (Latham 1878, 36). In the north of Englandthere is a long history of charming snake bites by touch-ing the affected area with an object from Ireland, usu-ally a stick or stone.9 It may be that this tradition ren-dered a verbal charm redundant.Charm F1 is based upon a passage from the Bible. Itconsists of the first and second verses of the Psalm 67:

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; et themalso that hateHimflee beforeHim.As smokeis drivenaway, so drive them away; as wax meltethbeforethefire, so let the wicked perishat the presenceof God.This was recited verbatim as a charm for snake bite byone old man living in Torrington (TDA 9 [1877]:97),butin F1 the two verses have been modified and turned intoone rhyming verse, to be repeated three times.Charms F2 and F3 are again based on apocryphalevents in which someone is stung by a snake living in awood; in F2the VirginMary's baby,and in F3 the archan-gel Gabriel'sman-servant. We have already seen the Vir-gin Mary with baby/son/daughter motif in charms D4,E5 and E6. It is worth noting the unusual element of bar-gaining between Gabrieland the serpent in F3.Therefer-ence to hog's lard presumably relates to the fact that itwas commonly used as the fattybase forherbalunguents.In charm F4we see the inverted counting formula be-ing used once more, and again, like E10, I have found itonly in Cornish sources. Another Cornishversion beginswith the rhyming couplet, "underneath this hazelinemote, There'sa Braggoty1oworm with a speckled throat,Nine double is he: Now from nine double to eight dou-ble ..."It was to repeated thrice (Hawker 1870, 177).CharmF5is the only example of its type Ihave found.G. Charms or Strains and Sprains1. From Shropshire. From a manuscript belonging to ablacksmith-farrier ("Charms," 203).

OurSauiourJesusCristroateon amarbelStoneSenowtoSenowJoint oJointBoneto BoneheRoat heswordesevereyone In the Name of the FatherSone and Holey


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HealingCharmsn Usein England nd Wales1700-1950 27GostAmenSwetJesusAmenSwetJesusAmen.Goinground theafflictedplaceeach timewithyourhandandthe Lordespraiereachtimeand marck t thus+ 3 timesor if verrybad 9 times.

2. From Cornwall (Couch 1871, 148).Christ rode over the bridge, Christ rode under thebridge;vein to vein; strainto strain,I hope God willtakeit backagaine.

3. From Devon. Obtained from a Dartmoor farmer'swife, who told how her mother had a book full ofcharms, from which she had copied several (TDA 27[1895]:65).BlessingforStrain.-As Christwas ridingover cross aBridge,his leg hee took and blessed it, and said thisswords:"Bone o Bone.Sinnes to Sinnes.Vainsto Vains."Hee blessed it, and it come hole again.In the name oftheFather, nd of theSon, and of theHolyGhost.Amen.

4. From Devon (Baring-Gould 1925, 144).As Christwas ridingover CrollyBridge,His horse slidandsprained tsleg.Healightedandspake hese words."Bone o bone,andsinew to sinew."And He blessed itand becamewell. And so shall [name] come well, inthe Name, etc. (Tobe repeatedthrice.)

Synopsis f(G)The "bone to bone, vein to vein, sinew to sinew" syn-tactic formula is one of the oldest found in Europeanand Slavic charms, and the Russian folklorist Toporovcollected versions from the Scandinavian, western andsouth-east European, and Sanskrit languages (Conrad1989, 437). In the earliest Germanic examples of thissprain charm, the pagan god Balder rides his horseacross a bridge: as in the charms above, it is his horsewhich suffers the sprain, upon which three goddessesunsuccessfully apply their healing arts; subsequentlythe god Woden appears and effects a cure (Grendon1909, 111). In the modern German version of the samecharm the pagan gods have been replaced by New Tes-tament figures, usually Jesus, St Peter or St John (Perez1988, 180).Charm G1 is very much the odd one out of this groupof charms since all the others I have come across arebased on the motif of Christriding a horse over abridge.The recurring "marble stone" symbol appears oncemore. A similar version can be found in the manuscriptbook of the charmer John E-, from neighbouring Her-efordshire (Leather 1912, 74).In G4 the bridge is specifically named as "CrollyBridge." This version was obtained from a charmer liv-ing at Lew Down, on the north-western edge of Dart-moor. A very similar version of the same charm wascollected from a Mrs Heggadon, who lived at Halwell,some ten miles north of Lew Down, in which the bridgeis called "Colley Bridge" (TDA 32 [1900]:91). Presum-

ably Crolly!/Colley bridge was actually the name of alocal bridge, and having Christ riding over a knownlocal landmark lent the charm an added potencythrough sympathetic association.

H. Charmsora Thorn n theFleshandAssociatedWounds1. From Norfolk (Glyde 1872, 39).

Jesusof a maid was born,He was prickedwith nails and thorn.Neitherblainsnor boils did fetchat the bone,No more shall this,by Christour Lord.Amen.Lordbless what I have said.Amen.So be it unto thee as I have said.2. From Yorkshire (Dyer 1878, 173).

Unto the VirginMaryour Saviourwas born,And on His head He wore a crown of thorn:If you believe this true,and mind it well,Thishurt will neverfesternorswell.3. From Sussex (Latham 1878, 36).

Our SaviourChristwas of a purevirginborn,And He was crownedwith a thorn;I hope it may not rage norswell;I trust in God it may do well.4. From Shropshire. From a manuscript belonging to ablacksmith-farrier ("Charms," 203)

ToDrawea thorn.-Then cameJesusforthwheringthecrownof thornsandthepurpelrobeandpilatsaidwrite[?unto]them behold the manAmenAmenAmen-tobe said 9 timesand the Lordespraierbefore andhafterhold your midil finger on the place and go round iteach time and marck it thus +.5. FromDevon. Found in an old account-book in a farm-house in Marystowe (TDA 31 [1899]:112).

WhenChristwas uppon middle earthhe was prickhisblood sprunginto heven. it shall Neitherrunkle,can-ker nor rust-neither shall thy blood (then name theperson'snameyou do it for andsay) in thename of thefatherandof the Son andof the holy ghost.6. From Southmolton, Devon (TDA 27 [1895]:65).Our Blessed Savour Came Down from heaven, wasprickedwith a thorne,his Blood went up to heavenagain, his flesh Neither Kankered, Rankled, norfustured,Neither shall thine N-, in the name of fa-ther,&c.,&c.Amen.

7. Charm used by Mrs Heggadon, Halwell, Devon (TDA32 [1900]:91).Christmet His disciples, and asked where they weregoing. They said they were going into the garden togatherthepreciousherb fortheprickof a thorn.Christsaid it should neitherwrink nor fester.In the Name,etc.


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HealingCharmsn Usein England nd Wales1700-1950 29Three is the number of God, and as such is consum-mate and blessed, the most holy of numbers. Not sur-prisingly, the number recurs again and again in the NewTestament; for example, the three Marys-VirginMother, Cleophas, and Magdalen; the three magi bear-ing three gifts; the three temptations of Christ; the threedenials of Christ by Peter; and the three days betweenChrist's crucifixion and resurrection. In the apocryphawe also find the Virgin Mary being tended by three vir-gins during the Passion.However, as a magical number, three predates west-ern Christianity, so we should not assume that the re-curring motif of three mythical agents in these charmsindicates abiblical origin. Triplicationsabound in Greekmythology, for example. In Celtic mythology three andmultiples of three, especially nine, were of profoundsignificance, and found their most obvious expressionin the triple aspect of the mother-goddess Brigid, orBrigantia (O hOgain 1991, 60). In Norse mythology, themighty world tree, Yggdrasill, was watered by threemaidens, the Norns, who dwelt near the spring of fateand ruled the destinies of men. The three goddesseswho unsuccessfully apply their healing arts to Balder'shorse in early Saxon versions of the Christ/ horse spraincharm may relate to the Norns. So, by simply changingthe names, or by making them anonymous, the triple-aspect, mythic-mediation figures in these charms couldeasily be adapted to both pagan and Christian beliefsystems.Nevertheless, it should not be assumed that thosewho used such charms were aware of either pagan orChristian symbolism, though three was obviously con-sidered a significant number. In the tradition of popu-lar charming, as opposed to the tradition of the charmsthemselves, the magical potency of three is far moreimportant than the origin of that potency. In otherwords, in the context of popular charming the use ofthree should not be imbued with any pagan or, per-haps, even Christian significance.In charms A4, D4, G1, and H4, all taken from anearly nineteenth-century manuscript book belonging toa blacksmith-farrier of Clun, Shropshire, we find nineas a significant number. In A4, and G1 the reader isinstructed to recite the charm three times for mild casesbut nine times if the wound be "verrybad." In the ritualaccompanying E7 it is specified that "nine small piecesof different-coloured cloth" be used; El was to be re-peated nine times; and in all the examples of invertedcounting charms the charmer counted down from nine.Nine, being the multiplication of three by itself, lentthe charm a threefold power of healing when required.This triplication of the power of three is found inAnglo-Saxon charms and medicine. For example, in theLacnunga, a magico-medical commonplace book, aherbal prescription for pock and scab in sheep advises,"Put a dose into the mouth with a spoon, always threea day; nine times if there be great need" (Bonsor 1963,253).

Biblical ndApocryphal ontentThe Christian content of these charms can be dividedinto three derivative groups: (i) those which are--orare based on-passages from the Old and New Testa-ments; (ii) those based on apocryphal versions of NewTestament history; (iii) those which may possibly havehad a pagan origin, the charmhaving been christianisedby supplanting pagan gods and goddesses with NewTestament figures.(i) Examples of the first group are seen in charmsA9, D6, F1, and H4, and in a Devon charm for "whitemouth" (thrush) which consists of Psalms 8:2 and 3(TDA 85 [1953]:218)."The content of these passages hasdirect relevance to the complaints the charms are meantto cure, so it is easy to see why, though impossible tosay when, they began to be utilised as healing charms.In D6 (for burns), and F1 (for adder-bites) there is nosuch obvious connection. Instead we find in John17:15and Psalms67:1-2 general appeals for protection against"evil" and "wickedness" respectively. It should also benoted that in A4, D4, El and G1 the Lord's Prayer hadto be recited as well as the charm. Mother Hampton, aGloucestershire charmer of burns, recited the Lord'sPrayer five times in rapid succession as well as thecharm itself (Letter 1851).(ii) The folklorists and antiquarians who collectedthese charms made little comment on the derivation oftheir content. Some realised that many of the narra-tives had no biblical basis, a few others guessed at pa-gan symbolism behind a Christian veneer, but nonesuspected any apocryphal origin. One of the reasonsfor their drawing this conclusion was the general lackof awareness concerning apocryphal history,12and thedifficulty in tracing the often debased narratives to aparticular apocryphal text. We have already seen oneclear identification of an apocryphal story in the Jor-dan formula for stanching blood, but the identificationof others is extremely difficult. The narrative in charmsF2 and F3, for adder-bites, may relate to a passage inthe apocryphal Infancy Gospels where Jesus cures hisbrother, James, of snake-bite. It is told in the Gospel ofThomas:

AndJosephsent his sonJames o bind fuel and carry tinto his house. And theyoung childJesusalso followedhim. And as Jameswas gatheringof faggots, a viperbit the hand of James.And as he was sore afflictedandready to perish,Jesus came near and breatheduponthe bite,and straightway he pain ceased,and the ser-pentburst,and forthwithJamescontinued whole.The fact that Jesus and James do not appear directlyin either F2 or F3 (though, presumably, Jesus is the"Blessed Babe" mentioned in F2) does not invalidatethis suggested derivation, for we have already seen thatthe same slot in a given motif may be filled by differentsets of biblical characters.In B3, E5 and E12 we find mention of Jesus's broth-ers and sisters and, although they arebriefly mentioned


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30 Owen Daviesin the Bible, their presence is much more obvious inthe apocrypha. In the apocryphal gospel theProtevangeliumof James,for example, we are told thatJesus's "brothers" and "sisters" are step-brothers andstep-sisters, the children of Joseph by a previous mar-riage. In fact, there has been some debate amongst theo-logians as to the correct interpretation of the New Tes-tament's use of "brother" and "sister" in relation toChrist. This is apparent in the Douay version of theBible, edited and annotated by Bishop Challoner (1691-1781), where the passage in Matthew 13:55-"Is not hismother called Mary,and his brethren James and Josephand Simon and Jude?"-is accompanied by a note ex-plaining that James, Joseph, Simon and Jude were infact the children of Mary's sister, Mary Cleophas, andthat "according to the usual style of the Scripture, theywere called brethren, that is, near relations to our Sav-iour." Jesus's "sisters" are mentioned in Matthew 13:56and Mark6:3,but are not named; in the apocrypha, how-ever, we are told that Jesus had two sisters, though theirnames differ according to the various sources. In theStory of Joseph,for example, they are called Assia andLudia, whilst Epiphaniuscalls them Mary and Salome.I suspect, therefore, that the presence of Jesus's broth-ers and sisters (usually in their infancy) in these charms,derives from apocryphal histories rather than from theNew Testament.

(iii) The third category, relating to charms of possi-bly pagan origin, should be seen in relation to the apoc-rypha, for, as Edgar Hennecke has observed, one of theprincipal motives for the generation of the apocryphacan be found in the process by which pre-Christian re-ligious beliefs were taken over to promote the Chris-tian proclamation of the gospel (Hennecke 1963, 63).As I have already noted, the earliest extant version ofthe horse-rider sprain charm predates western Christi-anity, and the simple three angels/ladies charm forscalds and burns resembles motifs identified in archaicprechristianformulae. The Devon inflammation charmsbased around three mythical agents, and E3which con-cerns the "Queen of parest," for example, bear somesimilarity to western versions of an early Jewish andByzantine charm in which three angels encounter ademon while walking on Mount Sinai. They ask wherehe is going, and he tells them he is off to inflict pain ona certain person (Kieckhefer 1990, 72).Healing AdjunctsIn the case of skin disorders and injuries, the healingaction of the charms was sometimes augmented by theapplication of various soothing agents which wouldimmediately assuage some of the pain. In charms E7and E9 cream was "dapped" upon the inflamed area.An old lady of Ashburton, Devon, charmed away ery-sipelas by "striking" the affect area with the milk of ared cow, and sometimes by additionally bathing theaffected areas in warm water and rubbing in "sevensorts of trade," i.e. soap liniment (TDA 15 [1883]:100).

In Robert Hunt's experience, charmers of scalds andburns often placed bramble- or dock-leaves, wettedwith spring-water, upon the sore patch. Blowing uponthe smarting area was also practised (see D5 and D6).The sign of the cross was sometimes made over theafflicted area. In charms A4 and G1, for example, thereader is instructed to "marck the place thus + withyour midel finger." In Cornwall the crossing of twosticks over the afflicted area was also practised. Whencharming for snake-bites, the Cornish charmer TonyCleverdon cut two pieces of hazelwood, fastened themtogether in the shape of a cross, and laid it softly uponthe wound whilst reciting the inverted-counting charm,"blowing out the words aloud like one of thecommandiments" (Hawker 1870, 177). Robert Huntrecalled being taken to an old woman near Gwinear, tohave a "seedy wart" charmed. The old lady took twocharred sticks from the hearth fire and carefully crossedthem over the wart whilst muttering "some words"(Hunt 1923, 412). Another ritual act which accompa-nied the saying of charms was "rounding," wherebythe hand, or more specifically the middle finger, wasdrawn round and round the wound, decreasing the cir-cumference of the circle each time (see D6, G1 and H4).AbbreviationTDATransactions f the DevonshireAssociation or the Ad-vancementof Science,Literature nd Art.

Notes'The author hopes to provide a more detailed discussionof charm transmission in a subsequent paper on charmersand charming.2For a rhyming version of this charm romDevon see TDA32 (1900):91.3Decodedand corrected he charm runsas follows:When Christ saw The cross Wherone he was [ ] To becrusified the Jews asked him "Art though hafraid orhast thow an Ague Jesus said I am not afraid nor havenot an ague whoesoever wars these words shall neverbe troubled with an ague Amen Amen sweet Jesus."s"Repeat these words three times over unto yourself, giv-ing a gentle blow each time from your mouth on the placeburned:Old clod beneath the clayBurn away, burn awayIn the name of God be thou healed. Amen" (Paulsen1970, 101).6An almost identical copy of this charm was in the pos-session of the charmer Blatchford, of Bridestow, Devon (TDA17 [1885]:121).7The "Queen of parest" may derive from the verb "pare"meaning to injure or to impair, and so could be interpretedas "Queen of harm or injury." Two possible alternatives,kindly suggested by Jacqueline Simpson, are that it is a cor-


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Healing Charms n Use in Englandand Wales 1700-1950 31ruption of "Paradise," or of "pharisees," a dialect term forfairies.

8"Girdleing"seems to be a vernacular term for shingles, aform of herpes which can spread round the body like a gir-dle. "Shingles" derives from the Latin "cingulum," a girdle.9Foran account of Irish object charms, see Webb 1969 andDavies 1995:242-3.o0"Braggoty"means spotted, and "Double" a ring.

1"O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in thewhole earth! For thy magnificence is elevated above heav-ens. Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hastperfected praise, because of thy enemies: that thou maystdestroy the enemy and the avenger."12The only widely available compilation of apocryphaltexts in the nineteenth century was William Hone's Apocry-phal New Testament.Most of the texts given by Hone wereactually taken from Jeremiah Jones's New and Full Method of

Settling the CanonicalAuthorityof theNew Testament London,1726). Hone's book is also misleading in that nearly half thevolume was made up of the writings of the Apostolic Fa-thers, which are not considered apocryphal (James 1924).13Foranother example of the survival of apocrypha inpopular culture see the discussion on Saviour's Letters inDavies 1995, 196-8.

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Healing Charms on England and Wales