Mumps Spell June 20, 2017
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
Location: Ireland (Wilde 1888, 199), late nineteenth century
Aim: To cure the mumps
Ingredients: a piece of rope, an alarm clock, nine black stones, a torch, a holy well.
Method: (i) go out with your torch before dawn and find nine black stones
(ii) once the sun is up tie the rope into a noose and put it around the neck of the sufferer
(iii) Instruct them to be silent and then drag them to the holy well.
(iv) At the well throw in three stones in the name God, three names in the name of Mary, and three in the name of Christ [and the Holy Spirit?]
(v) Repeat (i-iv) every morning for three days.
Dangers: Given the frequency of neck pain in mumps sufferers go easy on the noose…
Antiquity: Christian era Irish spell: note though that the use of holy wells in Ireland almost certainly predates Christianity.
Help: Can anyone find any parallels to this mumps ritual, drbeachcombing AT yahoo DOT com
For references and explanation of the project and tag index: Beach’s Book of Shadows.
