“considering that by such trade and entercourse, all things heretofore

uknowne, might have come to light.” —Pliny the Elder



To cure a child of rickets, split a living



ash tree down its length and pass



the child through



(naked, headfirst, three times).



Seal the two halves of the tree back up



and bind them with loam and black



thread. If the tree heals, so will the child.



(The child must also be washed



for three mornings in the dew



of the chosen tree.)







Two men



(no, women)



must pass the child through.



The first must say, “The Lord receives,”



and the second say, “The Lord gives.”







This is how you ensure a happy marriage:



This is how you keep the engine running:







A jackdaw or swallow that flies down



the chimney must be



killed. If it is allowed



to leave the house by a window or door,



a member of the family will







This is how, when your mother tells



you she’s going in for biopsy, to make



the growth benign:







Burn a fire and in the morning examine



the ashes for footprints, the image of a ring,



the likeness of a cat, a bed, a horse, a







This is how you keep from thinking of



the one thought you’re thinking:







Say your own name backwards three



(no four) times and turn around (keep



your eyes shut).







The unborn child must be called pot lid



or tea kettle until you hear its voice.







Carry a live bat around the house three



times, then nail it upside down outside



the window. This will ensure







If your mother calls you at 6 A.M. while



she eats her breakfast (do not eat after



7), this is how you can calm your voice:







This is how you say Good luck and mean







An egg laid on Sunday can be placed



on the roof to ward of fire and lightning.







If you put a stillborn child in an open



grave, the man who is buried there will



have a ticket straight to heaven.







Never sleep with your feet toward the door.







Do not sneeze while making a bed.







Step on a beetle, and it will rain. Bury it



alive in the earth for good weather. Put it



in your mouth and your loved ones will







When you see a dead bird lying in the road



you must spit on it.







If a rooster crows in the night, you must



go and feel his feet.







When a woman is in labor, all the locks



in the house must be undone, windows



and doors must be left ajar. This will



not prevent death but will quicken



the escape of the spirit if







If the ash tree remedy fails, bring the child



to a third



(no, seventh)



generation blacksmith.



The child must first be bathed



in the water trough, then laid on the anvil.



Each of the smith’s tool’s must be passed



over the body, and each time one must



inquire what the tool is used for (no one



must answer). Then the blacksmith must



raise his hammer and bring it down (gently)



three times (four) on the child’s body.



If a fee is given



or even asked for, the cure will not







If the phone rings, this is how you answer:



This is how you say, How did it go?





