Northern mythology

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166 NORTH GERMAN CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS.
When a person has tooth-ache, let him go and complain
to a tree^ by preference to a peartree. This is to be done
by taking hold of the tree, going thrice round it, and
saying :
Birnbaum, ich klage dir,
drei Wiirmer die stechen mir
der einer ist grau,
der andre ist blaue,
der dritte ist roth,
ich wollte wiinschen sie waren
alle di-ei todt.
I. N. G. u. s. w.
Peartree, I complain to thee,
three worms sting me ;
the one is grey,
the second is blue,
the third is red,
I would wish they were all three
dead.
In the name, etc.
For the ringworm or tetter {Paretz) . Go to a yellow
willow, stroke the tetter thrice with one of its branches^
and say
Die Zeter und die Weide, The tetter and the willow,
die wollten beide streiten, they would both contend,
die Weide, die gewann,
the willow, it won,
die Zeter, die verschwand the tetter it vanish'd.
I. N. G. u
In the name, etc.
Or [Swinemiinde)
Die Flechte und die Weide
gingen beid' im Streite,
die Weide, die verging,
die Flechte, die yerschwindt^
Or,
Der Mond und die Flecht
die liegen beid' im Recht,
die Flechte und der Mond
fingen beide an zu gehn,
der Mond, der gewann,
die Flechte, die verschwand
The ringworm and the willow
both enter'd into strife,
the willow it decay'd,
the tetter disappear'd.
The moon and the ringwonn,
they were both at strife,
the ringworm and the moon
began both to go,
the moon he 2 won,
the ringworm (hsaj)pcar'd.
For a fire (MS. from Swinemunde).
Es gingen drei Ileihgen wohl There went three holy men over
iiber das Land,
the land.
>
verschwand
2 See vol. i. p. 5, note -.