Charm Against Foot And Mouth Disease
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STORIES OF SATAN, GHOSTS, ETC.
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Welsh Folk-lore
The cattle on a certain farm in Llansilin parish suffered from the above
complaint, and old Mr. H--- consulted a conjuror, who gave him a written
charm which he was directed to place on the horns of the cattle, and he
was told this would act both as a preventive and a cure. This farmer's
cattle might be seen with the bit of paper, thus procured, tied to their
horns. My informant does not wish to be named, nor does she desire the<
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farmer's name to be given, but she vouches for the accuracy of her
information, and for my own use, she gave me all particulars respecting
the above. This took place only a few years ago, when the Foot and Mouth
Disease first visited Wales.
I obtained, through the kindness of the Rev. John Davies, vicar of
Bryneglwys, the following charm procured from Mr. R. Jones, Tynywern,
Bryneglwys, Denbighshire, who had it from his uncle, by whom it was used
at one time.
Yn enw y Tad, a'r Mab, a'r Ysbryd.
Bod I grist Iesu y gysegredig a oddefe ar y groes,
Pan godaist Sant Lasarys o'i fedd wedi farw,
Pan faddeuaist Bechodau I fair fagdalen, a thrygra
wrthyf fel bo gadwedig bob peth a henwyf fi ag a
croeswyf fi ++++ trwy nerth a rhinwedd dy eiriau
Bendigedig di fy Arglwydd Iesu Crist. Amen.
Iesu Crist ain harglwydd ni gwared ni rhag pop
rhiwogaeth o Brofedigaeth ar yabrydol o uwch deiar
nag o Is deiar, rhag y gythraelig o ddun nei ddynes
a chalon ddrwg a reibia dda ei berchenog ei
ddrwg rhinwedd ei ddrwg galon ysgymynedig
a wahanwyd or ffydd gatholig ++++ trwy nerth a
rhinwedd dy eiriau Bendigedig di fy Arglwydd Iesu Crist. Amen.
Iesu Crist ain harglwydd ni Gwared ni rhag y glwy
ar bar, ar Llid, ar genfigain ar adwyth . . .
ar Pleined Wibrenon ar gwenwyn
deiarol, trwy nerth a rhinwedd dy eiriau
Bedigedig di Fy Arglwydd Iesu Crist. Amen.
It was somewhat difficult to decipher the charms and four words towards
the end are quite illegible, and consequently they are omitted. The
following translation will show the nature of the charm:--
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
May Christ Jesus the sanctified one, who suffered death on the cross,
When thou didst raise Lazarus from his tomb after his death,
When Thou forgavest sins to Mary Magdalen, have
mercy on me, so that everything named by me and
crossed by me ++++ may be saved by the power and
virtue of thy blessed words my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Jesus Christ our Lord save us from every kind of
temptation whether spiritual above the earth or
under the earth, from the devilish man or woman
with evil heart who bewitcheth the goods of their
owner; his evil virtue, his evil excommunicated heart
cut off from the Catholic Faith ++++ by the power
and virtue of thy blessed words my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Jesus Christ our Lord save us from the disease and the
affliction, and the wrath, and the envy, and the
mischief, and the . . . and the planet of the sky
and the earthly poison, by the power and virtue
of Thy blessed words, my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The mark ++++ indicates that crosses were here made by the person who
used the charm, and probably the words of the charm were audibly uttered.