Northern mythology

170 NORTH GERMAN CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS,
For tetters.
De Hecliel un de Flechel,
The hatchel and the ringworm,
de gingenallbeidacwer enStecheP. they both went over a stile.
De Ileehel de gewunn,
The hatchel won,
un de Flechel verswunn.
and the ringworm disappear'd.
I. N. G. u. In the name, etc.
For the tinea or scald head (Barmgrund).
in silence^ wash the head with it lukewarm, saying,
So standen drei Madchen wohl
vor dem Brunn,
de ene de wusch, de ander de
wrung'.
Darin ist verdi'unken en Katt un
en Hunt,
damit verdiTw ik dy den Barmgrunt.
Fetch water
Or, more intelligibly. To eradicate this eruption, let
a person wash himself in a puddle, in which it is usual to
drown dogs and cats, and repeat the formula :
" In this
water, in which many a cat and dog has been drowned, do
I
mitigate the ' barmgrund^/ ''
For the erysipelas (Helldink).
Ik segg : Helldink, Helldink,
du schast ni st'aken,
du schast ni briiken.
Helldink, Helldink,
du schast ni kellen,
du schast ni schwellen.
Dat schast du ny doen,
Dat schast du ny doen.
Or,
Peter unPaul gingen sewertMoer.
Wat begegen iier daer?
Ilelldmk, Helldink—
" Helldink, wo wuUt du bin?"
" Na'n Dorp."
So stood three maidens before
the well,
the one, she wash'd, the second,
she wrung.
Therein were di'own'd a cat and
a dog,
therewith I drive away thee, the
barmurund.
I say :
Helldink, Helldink,
thou shalt not prick,
thou shalt not break.
Helldink, Helldink,
thou shalt not torment,
thou shalt not swell.
That shalt thou never do.
That shalt^iou never do.
Peter and Paul went over a moor.
"What met them there ?
Helldink, Helldink.
" Helldink, whither wilt thou?"
" To the village."
1 A.-Sax. stigel.
2 Grimm, D. M. p. cxlv. 1st edit.