IRISH STORIES AND CHARMS.
By the Honourable J. Abercromby.
IN the course of the summer I took down in Irish a few stories, one of which is given below, and also three charms. They were dictated to me by an old man of the name of Clifford, a native of Cahirciveen, county Kerry. In his younger days he was a great story-teller, and possessed a large stock-in-trade. Now, through want of practice, not having repeated any for the last eighteen years, they are passing out of his memory, and he finds it somewhat difficult to recall them. The charms he learnt from an old Irish manuscript. Long ago he knew a great many; but now, with the exception of the three below, they are entirely effaced from his memory. The first is interesting from being almost identical with the Lancashire one, including the Orkney amplification, given by Mr. Black in his new book on Folk-Medicine, p. 77. The translations are very literal.
Charm for the Teeth.
St. Peter sat on a marble stone at the gate of Jerusalem. As Jesus passed by, he said to him, "Peter, what is the matter with thee? " Peter answered and said to him, "Lord, I have the toothache." "I heal thee, Peter, and every one else that will carry these words about him. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Charm for Whooping-Cough.
The charm which Mary sent to her son, which Christ received in his hand. Peter said, Paul said, John said that it was good. Columcille applied it to his heart, his side, and his chest, driving away the severe whooping-cough. In the name, &c.
