Devon charm to counter the power of a 'black whitch'

Horseshoe nailed to a door in Chagford, Devon. If you want to use my photos please attribute this blog

"TAKE a cast horse shoe, nail it over the front door, points upwards. While nailing it up chant in monotone the following :

So as the fire do melt the wax
And wind blows smoke away,
So in the presence of the Lord
The wicked shall decay,
The wicked shall decay. Amen."

 

Hewett 1900

Devon charm to staunch blood

Blood cells.

"As Christ was born in Bethlehem and baptized in the river Jordan, He said to the water, "Be still.'' So shall thy blood cease to flow. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen."

Hewett 1900

Devon charm for curing a bruise.

Bruise - By Bejinhan (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

"Holy chicha ! Holy chicha !
This bruise will get well by-and-bye.
Up sun high ! Down moon low !
This bruise will be quite well very soon !
In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen."

Hewett 1900

Devon charm to cure colic

Common Toad (Bufo bufo) - Some rights reserved by jasja dekker  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasja_dekker/2706427022/sizes/l/

"Mix equal quantities of elixir of toads and powdered Turkey rhubarb.

Dose: Half a teaspoonful fasting for three successive mornings."

Hewett 1900

Four Devon charms to cure toothache

Aching human tooth! - Some rights reserved by zenilorac  http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenilorac/639735618/sizes/z/

"(1) Carry a dead person's tooth in the left waistcoat pocket.

(2) Bite a tooth from the jaw of a disinterred skull.

(3) "As Peter sat weeping on a stone our Saviour passed by and said, 'Peter, why weepest thou ?' Peter said unto Him, ' I have got the toothache.' Our Saviour replied, 'Arise and be sound.'"

And whosoever keeps this in memory or in writing will never suffer from toothache.

(4)-Mix

Two quarts of rat's broth.

One ounce of camphor.

One ounce essence of cloves.

Dose: Take one teaspoonful three times a day."

Hewett 1900

Devon rhyme to make bring cream to butter

I have a butter churn like this (a little later in date) that I bought in Devon - By Gnangarra (own work, digital photograph)[see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons

"Come, butter, come,
Come, butter, come,
Peter's waiting at the gate,
Waiting for a buttered cake.
Come, butter, come."

Hewett 1900

Devon Charm to heal burns

The eastern fire of the rising sun on the frosty ground near Chagford. If you want to use my images please attribute this blog.

"THE witch repeats the following prayer while passing her hand three times over the burn :
 

Three wise men came from the east,
One brought fire, two carried frost.
Out fire ! In frost !
In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

Hewett 1900

Devon charm to remove warts

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from nl wikipedia
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. With consent of the photographer Ron Offermans

"Take an eel and cut off the head. Rub the warts with the blood of the head. Then bury the head in the ground. When the head is rotten the warts fall off."

Hewett 1900

How to rid a building of House-Flies in Devon.

Fleabane - Derek Harper [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

"Gather and dry as much of the herb Fleabane as you can find. Each morning during the months of June, July and August, burn a handful of the herb in the rooms. The smoke will drive the flies from the house."

Hewett 1900

Toad based Devon charm for curing skin disease.

Left: Bufo bufo (Common Toad) and Right: Bufo calamita / Bufo viridis (Natterjack Toad) - The Natterjack toad is a very rare toad found in Devon. - By derivative work: B kimmel (talk) Guruin_parotoideak.jpg (Guruin_parotoideak.jpg) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

"Place the poison found in a. toad's head in a leathern bag one inch square : enclose this in a white silk bag, tie it round the neck, allowing the bag to lie on the pit of the stomach. On the third day the patient will be sick. Remove and bury the bag. As it rots so will the patient get well."

Hewett 1900

A Devon charm for luck with games of chance.

Hangman's rope - http://www.flickr.com/photos/msabbath/2192938523/sizes/z/ Some rights reserved by Sabbath Photography

"Suspend by a silken cord around the neck, a section of the rope with which a person has been hanged."

Hewett 1900

Charming, striking and blessing in Devon

The Love Potion - Evelyn de Morgan (1855–1919)

"The mode of applying charms and medicaments has been handed down to us from the remotest ages. The witch doctor cured through the imagination. "Conceit will kill and conceit will cure," said a celebrated Harley Street physician to a medical student who one day applied to him for advice. It certainly is the case with regard to talismans. Playing on a patient's will and feelings, has stronger power in curing disease than we are inclined to credit. To the powerful influence of strong-minded, unscrupulous persons over those of weaker constitution may be attributed the success of the nostrums prescribed. Added to the physical presence of the charm, the hypnotic persuasion of the operator compels the patient to believe that a cure has been effected through the charm.

Pinches of powdered plants, scraps of inscribed vellum, dried limbs of loathsome reptiles, juices of poisonous herbs, blood, excrements, and gruesome compositions all blend together to make up the witch's charms. Who among the weak in mind, the uneducated, and the frivolous could resist falling a victim to the seductive attraction of a talisman, whose virtues would secure health, wealth and happiness? Much of a witch's success depended on the unremitting persuasive force she exerted on her patients to stimulate them to believe implicitly in her. This once attained, her influence became unlimited. The degree of strength exerted affected the progress of convalescence. For mercenary reasons the witch took care that a cure was not too quickly brought about.

I have interviewed many a believer in the efficacy of charms, and from them obtained curious examples of miscellaneous articles claiming miraculous powers to heal. Besides the sale of charms the white witch cures diseases by "striking" and blessing."

Hewett 1900

Drawing blood from a witch to negate the Evil Eye

   Witches' Sabbath, 1821-1823. Francisco de Goya (1746–1828)

"The surest method of escaping the influence of the evil eye, is to draw blood from the person of the witch. Shakespeare, in Henry III, says:
 

Devil or devil's dam, I'll conjure thee :
Blood will I draw. Thou art a witch.

A country man told me recently that he had "raped old mother Tapp's arm with a great rusty nail two or three times," till he made the blood flow freely. "She can't hurt me again arter that," said he."

Hewett 1900

White, Black and Grey Witches

"Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath" 1855, by Théodore Chassériau

"WEST Country people generally, and Devonians in particular, are exceedingly superstitious, in spite of all that has been done for them in the way of higher education, and the enlightening influence of the press. Dwellers in the hilly parts of Devon, on Dartmoor and Exmoor, and in the villages bordering upon them, are as deeply imbued with faith in witches, as their forefathers were in the days when Alfred was king.

According to tradition there are three kinds of witches.

The Black Witch, who is of an intensely malignant nature, and responsible for all the ills that flesh is heir to.

The White Witch, of an opposite nature, is always willing, for certain pecuniary considerations, to dispense charms and philtres, to cancel the evil of the other.

The Grey Witch is the worst of all, for she possesses the double power of either "overlooking" or "releasing." 

In cases of sickness, distress, or adversity, persons at the present time (A.D. 1898) make long expensive journeys to consult the white witch, and to gain relief by her (or his) aid."

Hewett 1900

Map - Dartmoor
Map - Exmoor

Unlucky days in Devon

Planting frame (Japanese onions) - if you wish to use my pictures please attribute this blog.

"Certain days in each month are supposed to be unfortunate, upon which no new enterprise should be undertaken. If one makes a bargain, plants or sows in the garden, or begins a journey on either of these days, misfortune will quickly follow.

Days of evil strife and hate ;
Cruel wrath and fell debate,
Planets strike and stars annoy,
Aspects, aught of good destroy,
Shun their calends,
Heed their power.
Nought begun in evil hour
E'er went well. Spirits o'er
Those days preside,
Who sport and gibe,
With human fate ;
Omens of hate,
Wrath and debate.

EVIL DAYS -

January      3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 11th.
February   13th, 17th,19th.
March       13th 15th, i6th.
April          5th, 14th.
May           8th, 14th.
June           6th.
July            16th, 19th
August       8th, 16th.
September 1st, 15th, 16th
October     16th.
November 15th, 16th.
December  6th, 7th, 11th."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 71 & 72

Right ear - By Klaus D. Peter, Wiehl, Germany (Own work) [CC-BY-2.0-de (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/de/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons

"If one's right ear gets very hot it shows that one's friends are speaking in laudatory terms of one. On the other hand, if one's left ear burns, then the friends are "picking holes in one's jacket."

Let left or right burn at night, 

then all things are well, 

both in and out of sight."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 70

Italian Playing Cards

"When unfortunate at cards you should rise from your chair, twist it round on one of its legs four times. This action is supposed to change the luck for the better."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 67, 68 & 69 (robins and wrens)

Wren - (Troglodytes troglodytes) - By Sonja Kübelbeck (own picture --Kuebi 16:31, 5 May 2007 (UTC)) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -  

"To take eggs from robins' or wrens' nests. Should this be done, cows feeding in the neighbourhood will yield discoloured milk, for 

 Robin Redbreast and Jenny Wren

Are God Almighty's cock and hen.

Whoso the wren robs of its nest,

Health loses in a day ;

The spoiler of the swallow's house,

Will ail and pine for aye.

And he who with his ruthless hands

Shall tear the robin's cot,

In his coffin shall have a guilty mark

A deep red gory spot.

For a robin to fly into a room and utter its weep! weep ! weep !"

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 & 66 ; and lucky in Devon 32 (all at sea)

The Lundy Ferry, nr. Ilfracombe North Devon

It is unlucky -

"To lose a mop or a broom at sea. 

To whistle on board ship, as it raises storms, and enrages the devil, who in retaliation brews tempestuous weather and causes shipwrecks.

Save a sailor from the sea,

And he'll become your enemy.

Fishermen are exceptionally superstitious and believe that ill-luck attends certain practices : for instance, they would never think of turning a craft against the sun, or of mentioning rabbits, hares, or pigs, while aboard, nor will they lend anything from one boat to another.

If the first herring brought aboard for the season is found to be a "melt," then a disastrous time in the fishing world is to be expected. If on the other hand the first brought in is a "roe," then hundreds of mease (600) will be caught and full purses the result.

Fishermen consider it most unlucky to throw a cat overboard, or to drown one at sea. 

(Children bring good luck to a ship.)"

Hewett 1900 

 

Unlucky in Devon - 60

Nose gripping... - http://www.flickr.com/photos/43004363@N00/2699994401/sizes/z/ Some rights reserved by supafly

"It is said if one's nose itches, that one will be kissed, cursed, vexed, or shake hands with a fool. To elude the three former ills one generally invites the nearest person at hand to give a friendly grip. This appears to be rather rough on the friend."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 59

Spiders web - Derek Harper [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"Who kills a spider,

Bad luck betides her."

Hewett 1900

Proverb on Boar and Deer related to Devon

Wild Boar Hunt - by Peter Paul Rubens ca. 1618-1620

"If thou be hurt with the horn of hart,

It brings thee to thy bier,

But tusk of boar will leeches heal,

Thereof have lesser fear."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 57 & 58 (corvids)

Rook (Corvus frugilegus) - By Ken Billington (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -

"To see a raven hovering over a house is ominous of evil.

For rooks to desert their rookery without any apparent reason. This forebodes ill-luck to the owners of the property. The heir will be kidnapped, or lost, and until the rooks return to their quarters, will not be brought back."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 56

It is unlucky -

"To sit down at table as one of thirteen."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 55

It is unlucky -

"To transplant parsley."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 54

Primroses - Glyn Baker [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 It is unlucky -

"To bring into a poultry-farmer's house a small bunch of primroses when these flowers first come into bloom in the early spring. The number of chicken reared that season, are supposed to agree with the number of primroses brought in. (I once saw a little girl severely punished for this offence in South Devon.)"

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 52 & 53 (journey)

Lot's Wife -  By Hamo Thornycroft (1850-1925) (Own work, Yair Haklai, 2009-08-21) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky to

"To put the left foot first in starting to walk, as it indicates too much caution and brings disappointment.

To look back after starting on a journey. (Remember Lot's wife.)"

Hewett 1900

[Hewett does tend to repeat herself!  53 is very similar to 'Unlucky in Devon 28']

 

Unlucky in Devon - 50 & 51 (mirrors)

By Car_mirror_at_night.jpg: Mark Sebastian from San Jose (Car_mirror_at_night.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky - 

"For a bride to take a last peep at the mirror before starting for church.

To look into a mirror at dusk, or night-time, unless the room is well lighted, is not pleasant : for there is a dread of something uncanny peeping over the shoulder ; such an apparition would portend death."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 49

It is unlucky -

"For a bird to flutter against the window-panes."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 48

Candle - By Liam Quin (Quin, Liam: “Pictures of old books” (2003)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -

"To see a coffin-ring in a candle : it shews that some member of the household, or a very near relation, will very shortly die."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon 47

"Bobby-pin" - By Photograph created by Larry D. Moore (Nv8200p on en.wikipedia) using a Kodak EasyShare Z740 camera. (© 2006 Larry D. Moore) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -

"To see a pin and let it lie, you'll need that and hundreds more before you die."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 44, 45 & 46 (astronomical events)

Hell-Bopp comet 1995 - By Miketsukunibito [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

"The advent of a comet is supposed to forebode disaster and national calamity.

An eclipse of the sun shews God's displeasure.

An eclipse of the moon, that the Devil was abroad working mischief."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 43

Hans Thomas: Die Katze (Abendfrieden), (1901)

It is unlucky -

"To see a new moon through a glass window, or door, or over the left shoulder."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 42

It is unlucky -

"To change houses, or enter into service, on Friday."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 41

Cock Crowing - By Steev Selby from Wollongong, Australia  [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -

"For a cock to crow at midnight, or a dog to howl between sun-set and sun-rise."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 40

It is unlucky -

"To put an umbrella on a table."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 39

"Your worst Nightmare" - Some rights reserved by nerissa's ring http://www.flickr.com/photos/21524179@N08/5146716046/sizes/z/

It is unlucky

"To burn bones, as it will bring pains and aches to the person who does so."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 35, 36, 37 & 38 (baptism and confirmation)

Roman Catholic Baptism

 It is unlucky -

"To reveal a child's Christian name before it is presented at the font for baptism.

To receive the left hand of the bishop on the head, at confirmation. It conveys a ban instead of a blessing.

For a child to refrain from crying when presented at the font for baptism. It is thought the more it yells and screams, the quicker the evil spirits will quit it.

For an unmarried person to be sponsor at a baptism : for "First to the font, never to the altar.""

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 34

Magpie (Pica pica) - By David Merrett (originally posted to Flickr as Magpie (Pica Pica)) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 It is unlucky -

"To see one magpie in a field, or flying across the road. Four magpies seen at one time presage death."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 33

Common snail (Helix aspersa) - By macrophile on Flickr [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 It is unlucky -

"For a miner to meet a snail when entering a mine, as it betokens calamity, or probably the exhaustion of the lode on which he is then at work."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 32

It is unlucky -

"To decorate a house with peacock's feathers."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 31

It is unlucky -

"To be born with a blue vein across the nose."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 30

Not really an evil underground spirit - but looks like he could be... - By Arthur Rackham (1867–1939), via Wikimedia Commons.

It is unlucky -

"To whistle while underground, because it will awaken the evil spirits which inhabit the caves of the earth."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 29

Eating a fish - By self-made [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky

"To eat any kind of fish from the head downwards, as it is against the grain."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 28

Hobbiton as it was in 2006 in New Zealand - For some reason this piece of Lore reminded me of Bilbo leaving his home on his eleventy-first birthday... By Rob Chandler (Original Hobbit Hole, Hobbiton New Zealand) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -

"To return, or to look back when leaving the house to start on a journey, or even when going for a short walk. If compelled to return one should sit down and rest for a few minutes before making a fresh start."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 26 & 27 (friday)

Laundry - http://www.flickr.com/photos/comedynose/3598741334/sizes/z/ Some rights reserved by comedy_nose

It is unlucky -

"To begin new undertakings on a Friday.
 

To wash clothes on Good Friday. This must be studiously avoided to prevent any member of the family dying before the year is out."

Hewett 1900