a prayer. Many of the
mystic sentences are wholly incomprehensible, in others we find
heathen names such as Lilumenne, in others a string of words which may
be a corrupt form of some very ancient language. Thus a lay to be sung
in case a man or beast drinks an insect runs thus:--"Gonomil, orgomil,
marbumil, marbsai, tofeth," etc.[32]

If some of the charms have a malignant sound, others were probably as
soothing in those days as those gems are still which have survived in
our inimitable nursery rhymes.

For instance, the following has for us no meaning, but even in the
translation it has something of the curious effect of the words in the
original. A woman who cannot rear her child is instructed to
say--"Everywhere I carried for me the famous kindred doughty one with
this famous meat doughty one, so I will have it for me and go home."

In the _Lacnunga_ there is a counting-out charm which is a mixture of
an ancient heathen charm combined with a Christian rite at the end.

"Nine were Noddes sisters, then the nine came to be eight,
and the eight seven, and the seven six, and the six five,
and the five four, and the four three, and the three two,
and the two one, and the one none. This may be medicine for
thee from scrofula and from worm and from every mischief.
Sing also the Benedicite nine times."--_Lacnunga_, 95.[33]

One of the most remarkable narrative charms is that for warts copied
below from the _Lacnunga_. It is to be sung first into the left ear,
then into the right ear, then above the man's poll, then "let one who
is a maiden go to him and hang it upon his neck, do so for three days,
it will soon be well with him."

"Here came entering
A spider wight.
He had his hands upon his hams.
He quoth that thou his hackney wert.
Lay thee against his neck.
They began to sail off the land.
As soon as they off the land came, then began they to cool.
Then came in a wild beast's sister.
Then she ended
And oaths she swore that never could this harm the sick, nor him
who could get at this charm, nor him who had skill to sing this
charm. Amen. Fiat."--_Lacnunga_, 56.

Of the world-wide custom of charming disease from the patient and
transferring it to some inanimate object we find numerous examples.
This custom is not only of very ancient origin, but persisted until
recent times even in this country. As commonly practised in
out-of-the-