The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

152 I'he Highland Monthly.
In the Highlands, a herb called gradJi cls fiiath (love
and hate) was believed, when properly applied, to provoke
love or hate, according to the wish of the person using
the charm. For the following incantation to excite love,
I am indebted to Mr Macbain :
Translated
—
—
Suil bhlath Chriosd air Peadar,
Suil chaomh na h-Oigh air Eoin ;
Gu'n leanadh, gu'n leonadh, gu'n lotadh,
Gu'n iadhadh gu teann seachd altanach,
Le seachd snaim cruaidh-shnaim
Mu chridhe na h-Eala
'Rinn mise 'lot 's a leon
Gus an coinnich lot ri lot,
Leon ri leon, 's a cridhe 'breabadh le aoibhneas
Ri faicinn gnuis a ruin :
An ainm an Athar, &c.
The soft eye of Christ upon Peter,
The mild eye of the Virgin on John ;
To follow, to wound, and to pierce
May seven moss grasses with seven hard
Knots wind round the heart of the Swan
That gave me my wound and piercing,
Until wound meets wound and gash to gash,
And her heart jumps with joy
At seeing the face of her love :
In the name of the Father, &c.
A herb—evidently the altanach, a kind of mountain or
moss grass—was manipulated during the saying of the
above.
Our Irish cousins also have their Love Charms, or, as
they call them, Ortha na Seirce. To Professor O'Growney,
of Maynooth, I am indebted for the following from the
west of Connaught :
—
Ortha a chuir Muire in I'm,
Ortha seirce 's si'or-ghradh ;
Nar stadaidh do cholann, acht d' aire bheith orm
Go leanfaidh do ghradh mo ghnaoi
Mar leanas an bho an laogh
O'n la so amach go h-uair mo bhais.
;