The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Gaelic Incantations. 435
while another charm was to be appHed in the name of the
Virgin Mary, all-powerful to cure the true believer :
Ni mi 'n ubhaidh rinn Peadar do Phal
'Sa luighean air fas leum bruaich ;
Seachd Paidir 'n ainm Sagairt a's P^p
Ga chuir ris na phlasd mu 'n cuairt.
Ubhaidh eile as leath Moire nan Gras
'S urrainn creideach dheanamh slan ri uair,
— Vide Mackenzie's " Beauties of Gaelic Poetry," p. 268.
Our Norse neighbours in Orkney and Shetland also
had their charms for the cure of sprains. The thread used
was called the " wristing thread," and the incantation was
as follows :
—
Our Saviour rade,
His fore-foot slade,
— !
Our Saviour lighted down ;
Sinew to sinew— joint to joint,
Blood to blood, and bone to bone,
Mend thou in God's name
ST COLUMBA AS THE PATRON OF CATTLE.
At the commencement of this paper I mentioned that
in Uist the Eolais there used were attributed to St
Columba. The Saint's name is mentioned in one of the
versions of the Eolas for a Sprain above given. In the
Western Islands St Columba appeared to have been
regarded as the patron of cattle. When a man spoke to a
neighbour about the neighbour's cattle, he said
—
Gu'n gleidheadh Calum-Cille dhuibh iad.
(May St Columba protect them for you).
As a woman left her cattle on the hill-side to graze,
she waved her hand towards them, saying
" Buachailleachd Dhia 's Chalum-Chille oirbh."
(May the herding and guardianship of God and St
Columba be on you).
—
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