Cattle Charms
:
STORIES OF SATAN, GHOSTS, ETC.
:
Welsh Folk-lore
Mr. Hamer in his Parochial Account of Llanidloes published in The
Montgomeryshire Collections, vol x., p. 249, states that he has in his
possession two charms that were actually used for the protection of live
stock of two small farms. One of them opens thus:--
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen . . . and in the name of Lord Jesus Christ my redeemer, that I
will give relief to --- creatures his cows, and his calves, and his
horses, and his sheep, and his pigs, and all creatures that alive be
in his possession, from all witchcraft and from all other assaults of
Satan. Amen.
Mr. Hamer further states that:--
At the bottom of the sheet, on the left, is the magical word,
Abracadabra, written in the usual triangular form; in the centre, a
number of planetary symbols, and on the right, a circular figure
filled in with lines and symbols, and beneath them the words, 'By
Jah, Joh, Jab.' It was the custom to rub these charms over the
cattle, etc. a number of times, while some incantation was being
mumbled. The paper was then carefully folded up, and put in some
safe place where the animals were housed, as a guard against future
visitations.
In other cases the charm was worn by the cattle, as is shown by the
following tale:--