creatures, inhabiting alike the sea and the desolate
fens, "where the elk-sedge waxed in the water." If some were akin to
the Formori of the baleful fogs in Irish mythic history and the
Mallt-y-nos, those she-demons of marshy lands immortalised by the
Welsh bards, creatures huge and uncouth "with grey and glaring eyes,"
there were others who exceeded in beauty anything human. When Caedmon
wrote of the beauty of Sarah, he described her as "sheen as an elf."
With the passing of the centuries we have well-nigh forgotten the
black elves, though they are still realities to the Highlander and too
real for him to speak of them. But have we not the descendants of the
sheen bright elves in the works of Shakespeare, Milton and Shelley?
One feels very sure that our Saxon ancestors would have understood
that glittering elf Ariel as few of us are capable of understanding
him. He is the old English bright elf. Did not Prospero subdue him
with magic, as our ancestors used magic songs in administering herbs
"to quell the elf"? Here is one such song from the _Leech Book of
Bald_, and at the end a conjuration to bury the elf in the earth.

"I have wreathed round the wounds
The best of healing wreaths
That the baneful sores may
Neither burn nor burst,
Nor find their way further,
Nor turn foul and fallow.
Nor thump and throle on,
Nor be wicked wounds,
Nor dig deeply down;
But he himself may hold
In a way to health.
Let it ache thee no more
Than ear in Earth acheth.

"Sing also this many times, 'May earth bear on thee with all her might
and main.'"--_Leech Book of Bald_, III. 63.

This was for one "in the water elf disease," and we read that a person
so afflicted would have livid nails and tearful eyes, and would look
downwards. Amongst the herbs to be administered when the charm was
sung over him were a yew-berry, lupin, helenium, marsh mallow, dock
elder, wormwood and strawberry leaves.

Goblins and nightmare were regarded as at least akin to elves, and we
find the same herbs were to be used against them, betony being of
peculiar efficacy against "monstrous nocturnal visions and against
frightful visions and dreams."[14] The malicious elves did not confine
their attacks to human beings; references to elf-shot cattle are
numerous. I quote the following from the chapter "against elf
disease."

"For that ilk [_i. e._ for one who is elf-shot].

"Go on Thursday evening w