The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Gaelic Incantations. 115
—one of the old Irish hymns preserved in the Liber
HymnortiDi, a collection made in the I ith or 12th century
of hymns composed in former times. The hymn in ques-
tion is attributed to Saint Patrick himself— " Patraicc doronc
tnmmiiiiDisa"—and we are told that it was composed in the
time of Loegaire Mec Neil, who persecuted the Saint and his
followers. According to the Four Masters, Loegaire was
killed by the Elements of God—Duite D'e—in the year 458.
In the hymn we have the Saint binding himself to God,
and invoking heavenly powers for protection against inter
alia " Incantations of false prophets" (fritinchetla saihfdthe),
and against " Spells of women and smiths and druids
(fribrichta ban 7 goband y druad). [For hymn in full, vide
" Scottish Celtic Review," p. 49].
Charms and incantations are known by different names,
and although many of them seem to be now regarded as
synonymous, there was doubtless originally a difference
of meaning. We have the Rosad, a malific charm,
which rendered its victim powerless. Thus the hunter
who was unlucky in his sport believed that a witch or other
evil disposed person put a Rosad on himself or his gun.
The opposite of Rosad is Sian—the latter being the spell
that protected one from evil agencies and ordinary dangers.
Geas was a form of enchantment Daoine fo gheasabh
are men spellbound and enchanted ; and most Inverness
men are acquainted with the popular belief that the Feinne
are enchanted, reclining on their elbows in Craigacho. The
vford gisreagan, or geiseagan, which is commonly employed
to signify enchantments, and the belief in witchcraft, is
and in
Moore's " Folklore of the Isle of Man" we have, on page
89, an account of Caillagh-ny-GJuieshag, or the " Old
woman of the spells."
Then we have nbag, nbhaidJi, obag, or obaidli, meaning a
doubtless from geas. This word occurs in Manx ;
" charm" or " incantation." The word occurs in Manx as
obbee, and Mr Moore translates /t';'-^/V^i?6' as " men charmers,'*
and ben-obbee as " women charmers."
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