The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

378
The Highland Monthly.
on any account to open it up or see what was written
thereon. It was then sewn up in a part of one's under-
garments, and worn till it crumbled away. So long as the
paper lasted the person enjoyed immunity from toothache
If the sufferer had the curiosity to read the formula con-
trary to the direction of the learned " Charmer," then the
Toisgeal lost its virtue and the toothache might at any
moment return !
As already stated, the formula is generally met with in
English. Here is a Gaelic version from the Island of
Barra :
—
Shuidh Peadar air Cloich Mharbail. Thainig Criosda
ga ionnsaidh 's dh'fhoighnich e dheth " de 'tha 'cur ort a
Pheadair ? " Labhair Peadar " Mo Thighearna 's mo Dhia,
tha 'n Deideadh." Fhreagair losa 's thuirt e, " Eirich suas
a Pheadair 's bithidh tu slan ; 's cha tusa sin a mhain ach
duine sam bith a labhras na briathraibh so na m' ainmsa
cha'n fhairich e ciod e 'n Deideadh."
The following is a copy of the English version of the
eolas copied in South Uist. It may be taken as a
rough translation of the above, or vice versa :
Peter sat upon a marble stone weeping. Christ came
by and asked, " What ails thee.'' Peter answered and said,
" My Lord and my God, my tooth, toothache ;" ^ and the
Lord said unto hini, " Rise up, Peter—not for you alone,
but all who will carry these lines in my name shall never
have the toothache. In the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Ghost."
A Latin verson of the above, from the Maclagan MS.,
was published by Mr Macbain in the Highland Monthly
(Vol. III., 292). As it is substantially the same as the
above I annex it here :
—
" Petrus sedit ex marmorum lapis Dominus Noster
venit et Dixit petrus quid te gravit, petrus respondit
dominus Mens Coput et Dentes meos vexant me Dominus
Noster Dicat surge petras salva tu non solum tu sed etiam
omnia qui teneant haec mea dicta per virtutem De haec
verbis Dominus Noster et in ejus Nomine Dice tuus pestis
non moleste te Detri Minius Pratrus."
^ z.e., My tooth is aching.
—
!