Toothache Charms
: STORIES OF SATAN, GHOSTS, ETC.By repeating the following doggerel lines the worst case of toothache
could be cured--
Peter sat on a marble stone,
Jesus came to him all alone.
What's up, Peter? The toothache, my lord;
Rise up Peter, and be cured of this pain,
And all those who carry these few lines for my sake.
This charm appeared in the Wrexham Advertiser as one that was used in
for May, 1826, page 151. The Welsh heading to the charm informs us that
it was obtained from an Irish priest in County Cork, Ireland. The words
are:--
Fel yr oedd Pedr yn eistedd ar faen Mynor,
Crist a ddaeth atto, ac efe yn unig.
Pedr, beth a ddarfu i ti? Y Ddanodd, fy Arglwydd Dduw.
Cyfod, Pedr, a rhydd fyddi;
A bydd pob dyn a dynes iach oddiwrth y ddanodd
Y rhai a gredant i'r geiriau hyn,
Yr wyf fi yn gwneuthur yn enw Duw.
The first two lines of the English and Welsh are the same but the third
and succeeding lines in Welsh are as follows:--
Peter, what is the matter?
The toothache, my Lord God.
Rise Peter, and thou shalt be cured;
And every man and woman who believes these words
Shall be cured of the toothache,
Which I perform in the name of God.
Another version of this charm was given me by Mrs. Reynolds, Pembroke
House, Oswestry--
As Jesus walked through the gates of Jerusalem,
He saw Peter weeping. Jesus said unto him, why weepest thou?
I have got the toothache. Jesus touched his tooth,
And Jesus said, have faith and believe,
Thy tooth shall ache no more.
I return you humble and hearty thanks
For the blessing which you have bestowed on me.
A young man told me that his brother once suffered greatly from
toothache, and a woman gave him a charm like the above, written on paper.
He rubbed the charm along the tooth, and he kept it in his pocket until
it crumbled away, and as long as he preserved it he never was troubled
with the toothache.
More
-
The Llanfrothen Legend
I am indebted to the Rev. R. Jones, Rector of Llanycil, Bala, for the following legend. I may state that Mr. Jones is a native of Llanfrothen, Merionethshire, a parish in close proximity to the scene of the story. Mr. Jones's informant was his mo... The Magician's Glass
This glass, into which a person looked when he wished to solve the future, or to ascertain whom he or she was to marry, was used by Welsh, as well as other magicians. The glass gave back the features of the person sought after, and reflected the ... The Magpie
The magpie was considered a bird of ill-omen. No one liked to see a magpie when starting on a journey, but in certain parts of Montgomeryshire, such as the parish of Llanwnog, if the magpie flew from left to right it foretold good luck; in other pa... The Magpie Teaching A Wood Pigeon How To Make A Nest
The wood pigeon makes an untidy nest, consisting of a few bits of twigs placed one on the other without much care. There is a fable in the Iolo MSS., p. 159, in Welsh, and the translation appears on page 567 in English, as follows:-- The magp... The Myddvai Legend
A widow, who had an only son, was obliged, in consequence of the large flocks she possessed, to send, under the care of her son, a portion of her cattle to graze on the Black Mountain near a small lake called Llyn-y-Van-Bach. One day the son pe... The Nanhwynan Version
Once on a time, when a midwife from Nanhwynan had newly got to the Hafodydd Brithion to pursue her calling, a gentleman came to the door on a fine grey steed and bade her come with him at once. Such was the authority with which he spoke, that the p... The Owl
This bird's dismal and persistent screeching near an abode also foretold the death of an inmate of that house. ... The Owl
The hooting of an owl about a house was considered a sign of ill luck, if not of death. This superstition has found a place in rhyme, thus:-- Os y ddylluan ddaw i'r fro, Lle byddo rhywun afiach Dod yno i ddweyd y mae'n ddinad, ... The Pentrevoelas Legend
I am indebted to the Rev. Owen Jones, Vicar of Pentrevoelas, a mountain parish in West Denbighshire, for the following tale, which was written in Welsh by a native of those parts, and appeared in competition for a prize on the Folk-Lore of that pa... The Powis Castle Ghost Revealing A Hidden Box To A Woman
The following is the narrative:--It had been for some time reported in the neighbourhood that a poor unmarried woman, who was a member of the Methodist Society, and had become serious under their ministry, had seen and conversed with the apparitio... The Pwka Or Pwca
Another imaginary being, closely allied to the Fairy family, was the Pwka. He seems to have possessed many of the mischievous qualities of Shakespeare's Puck, whom, also, he resembled in name, and it is said that the Pwka, in common with the Brow... The Raven
The raven has ever enjoyed a notoriously bad name as a bird of ill-omen. He was one of those birds which the Jews were to have in abomination (Lev., xi., 5-13). But other nations besides the Jews dreaded the raven. The raven himself is ... The Sea Gull
It is believed that when sea gulls leave the sea for the mountains it is a sign of stormy weather. A few years ago I was walking from Corwen to Gwyddelwern, and I overtook an aged man, and we entered into conversation. Noticing the sea gulls h... The Snake Serpent
The snake was supposed to be able to understand what men said. A tale was told me by an aged man at Penrhos, Montgomeryshire, of an event which took place in the last century. His father, he said, saw a number of snakes, or nethers, as he called... The Snowdon Version
The following tale is taken from Y Gordofigion, p. 98:-- Aeth trigolion ardaloedd cylchynol y Wyddfa un tro i hela pryf llwyd. Methasant a chael golwg ar yr un y diwrnod cyntaf; ond cynllwynasant am un erbyn trannoeth, trwy osod sach a'i cheg yn... The Son Of Llech Y Derwydd And The Fairies
The son of Llech y Derwydd was the only son of his parents and heir to the farm. He was very dear to his father and mother, yea, he was as the very light of their eyes. The son and the head servant man were bosom friends, they were like two brot... The Spirit Of Llyn-nad-y-forwyn
It is said that a young man was about to marry a young girl, and on the evening before the wedding they were rambling along the water's side together, but the man was false, and loved another better than the woman whom he was about to wed. They w... The Squirrel
Hunting this sprightly little animal became at Christmas the sport of our rustic population. A number of lads gathered together, and proceeded to the woods to hunt the squirrel. They followed it with stones and sticks from tree to tree, shouting... The Swallow
The joy with which the first swallow is welcomed is almost if not quite equal to the welcome given to the cuckoo. One swallow does not make a summer is an old saw. There is a superstition connected with the swallow that is common in Wales, whi... The Swan
The eggs of the swan are hatched by thunder and lightning. This bird sings its own death song. ... The Swift
This bird's motions are looked upon as weather signs. Its feeding regions are high up in the air when the weather is settled for fair, and low down when rain is approaching. Its screaming is supposed to indicate a change of weather from fair to... The Torrent Spectre
This spectre was supposed to be an old man, or malignant spirit, who directed, and ruled over, the mountain torrents. He delighted in devastating the lands. His appearance was horrible to behold, and it was believed that in the midst of the rush... The Washing Test
Another well-known and often practised form of divination was for a young woman to take an article to wash, such as a stocking, to the water-spout or pistyll, and with her she carried two pieces of wood wherewith to strike the article which was be... The Witches' Revenge On Huw Llwyd
Several months after the occurrence recorded above of Huw Llwyd, when he had just started from his home one Sunday morning to go to his Church to officiate there, for he was the parson of Llan Festiniog, he observed that the Bettws-y-Coed ladies w... The Wood Pigeon
The thrice repeated notes of five sounds, with an abrupt note at the end, of which the cooing of the wood pigeon consists, have been construed into words, and these words differ in different places, according to the state of the country, and the p... The Wren
The Wren's life is sacred, excepting at one time of the year, for should anyone take this wee birdie's life away, upon him some mishap will fall. The wren is classed with the Robin:-- The robin and the wren Are God's cock and hen. Th... The Ystrad Legend
In a meadow belonging to Ystrad, bounded by the river which falls from Cwellyn Lake, they say the Fairies used to assemble, and dance on fair moon-light-nights. One evening a young man, who was the heir and occupier of this farm, hid himself in a... Thirteen At A Table
Should thirteen sit at a table it was believed that the first to leave would be buried within the year. ... Time Of Bee Swarming
The month in which bees swarm is considered of the greatest importance, and undoubtedly it is so, for the sooner they swarm, the longer their summer, and therefore the greater the quantity of honey which they will accumulate. A late swarm cannot ... Tit Major Or Sawyer
The Rev. E. V. Owen, Vicar of Llwydiarth, Montgomeryshire, told me that the Tit's notes are a sign of rain, at least, that it is so considered in his parish. The people call the bird Sawyer, and they say its notes resemble in sound the filing of ... Tolaethdeath Rapping Or Knocking
The death rappings are said to be heard in carpenters' workshops, and that they resembled the noise made by a carpenter when engaged in coffin-making. A respectable miner's wife told me that a female friend told her, she had often heard this nois... Toothache Charms
By repeating the following doggerel lines the worst case of toothache could be cured-- Peter sat on a marble stone, Jesus came to him all alone. What's up, Peter? The toothache, my lord; Rise up Peter, and be cured of this pai... Troi Crysau Or Clothes Drying Test
Young maidens washed linen after the household had retired, and placed the articles by the fire to dry, and then watched to see who should come at midnight to turn the clothes. In this case, again, the evil one is said to have entered the kitchen... Ty Felin Ghost Llanynys
An exciseman, overtaken by night, went to a house called Ty Felin, in the parish of Llanynys, and asked for lodgings. Unfortunately the house was a very small one, containing only two bedrooms, and one of these was haunted, consequently no one da... Tymawr Ghost Bryneglwys
This Ghost plagued the servants, pinched and tormented them, and they could not get rest day nor night; such was the character of this Ghost as told me by Mr. Richard Jones, Ty'n-y-wern. But, said I, what was the cause of his acts, was it the Gho... Water In Basin Divination
Should young persons wish to know whether their husbands were to be bachelors, or their wives spinsters, the following test was to be resorted to:-- Three persons were necessary to carry out the test. These three young ladies were to join in t... Whooping Cough Charm
Children suffering from whooping cough were taken to a seventh son, or lacking a seventh son of sons only, to a fifth son of sons only, who made a cake, and gave it to the sufferers to be eaten by them, and they would recover. The visit was to be... Witches And Conjurors
From and before the days of King Saul, to the present moment, witches have held dreaded sway over the affairs of man. Cruel laws have been promulgated against them, they have been murdered by credulous and infuriated mobs, they have lost their li... Witches Punished
A neighbour, who does not wish to have his name recorded, states that he can vouch for the incidents in the following tale. A farmer who lost much stock by death, and suspected it was the work of an old hag who lived in his neighbourhood, consult... Witches Transforming Themselves Into Cats
One of the forms that witches were supposed to change themselves into was that of a cat. In this metamorphosed state they were the more able to accomplish their designs. The following tale, illustrative of this belief, was told me by the Rev. R.... Woodpecker
The woodpecker's screech was a sign of rain. This bird is called by two names in Welsh which imply that it foretold storms; as, Ysgrech y coed, the wood screech, and Caseg y drycin, the storm mare. These names have found a place in Welsh couple... Y Fuwch Frech The Freckled Cow
In ages long gone by, my informant knew not how long ago, a wonderful cow had her pasture land on the hill close to the farm, called Cefn Bannog, after the mountain ridge so named. It would seem that the cow was carefully looked after, as indicat... Y Fuwch Gyfeiliorn The Stray Cow
The history of the Fairy Stray Cow appears in Y Brython, vol. iii., pp. 183-4. The writer of the story states that he obtained his materials from a Paper by the late Dr. Pugh, Penhelyg, Aberdovey. The article alluded to by Gwilym Droed-ddu, the ... Ymenyn Y Tylwyth Teg Or Fairy Butter
I cannot do better than quote Pennant on this matter. His words are:-- Petroleum, rock oil, or what the Welsh call it, Ymenin tylwyth teg, or Fairies' butter, has been found in the lime stone strata in our mineral country. It is a ... Yr Ellyll Dan Or Goblin Fire
The Rev. T. H. Evans, in his History of the Parish of Llanwddyn, states that in that parish Will of the Wisp is called Yr Ellyll Dan. This is indeed the common name for the Ignis fatuus in most, if not in all parts of Wales, but in some places wh... Ysbryd Ystrad Fawr
Yr oedd Ysbryd yn Ystrad Fawr, ger Llangwm, yn arfer ymddangos ar brydiau ar lun twrci, a'i gynffon o'i amgylch fel olwyn troell. Bryd arall, byddai yn y coed, nes y byddai y rhai hyny yn ymddangos fel pe buasent oll ar dan; bryd arall, byddai fe... _ Goose Flying Over A House
This unusual occurrence prognosticated a death in that house. ...