Minstrelsy of the Scottish border - National Library of Scotland

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THE SCOTTISH BORDER. 303
NOTES
THE COUT OF KEELDAR.
'Tisformed of an earth-fastJlint.—V. 291. v. 2.
An earth-fast stone, or an insulated stone, inclosed in a bed
of earth, is supposed to possess peculiar properties. It is fre-
quently applied to sprains and bruises, and used to dissipate
swellings ; but its blow is reckoned luicommonly severe.
Ofadderstone the hilt.—V. 291. v. 3.
The adderstone, among the Scottish peasantry, is held in almost
as high veneration, as, among the Gauls, the ovum auguiniim,
described by Pliny. Natural History, 1. xxix. c. 3. The
name is applied to celts, and other round perforated stones.
The vulgar suppose them to be perforated by the stings of
adders.
With the leaves of the rowan tree.—P. 291. v. 4.
The rowan tree, or mountain ash, is still used by the pea-
santry, to avert the effects of charms and witchcraft. An inferior
degree of the same influence is supposed to reside in ma-
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