Page:Cornish feasts and folk-lore.djvu/156

 144 Charms, etc. outlines. Under this singular figure is the word ' Tetragrammaton ' (in capitals) ; on the reverse in large letters — ' Jehovah. ' 'Jah, Eloim.' ' Shadday. ' ' Adonay.' ' Have mercy on a poor woman.' " A pellar of great repute in the neighbourhood tells me that this is inscribed with two charms, that Nalgah is the figure only. The Abracadabra is also supplied, the letters arranged in the usual way. Another potent spell is the rude draft of the planetary signs for the Sun, Jupiter, and Venus, followed by a cross, pentagram, and a figure formed by a perpendicular line and a divergent one at each side of it united at the bottom. Under them is written, ' Who- soever beareth these tokens will be fortunate, and need fear no evil.' The charms are folded in a paper on which is usually written, 'By the help of the Lord these will do thee good,' and inclosed in a little bag to be worn on the breast." People in good health visited these pellars every spring to get their charms renewed, and bed-ridden people who kept theirs under their " pillow-beres " were then visited by the pellar for the same purpose. " Of amulets mention must be made of certain small crystal balls called 'kinning stones,' held in high esteem for cure of ailments of the eye. I examined one of these ' kinning stones ' recently, which had been lent to a person with a bad eye, who on recovering from his ailment had returned it to the owner. It proved to be a translucent, blueish-white globular crystal, about one-and-a-quarter inch in diameter ; in texture, horny rather than vitreous ; apparently not made of glass, but perhaps of rock crystal ; pierced by a hole containing a boot lace for suspension ; having striae running through the substance of the crystal per- pendicular to the hole. It had been for many generations in possession of the family of the owner, who valued it very highly, " but was willing to lend it to anyone to do good." This kind of amulet is worn around the neck, the bad eye being struck with the crystal every morning. There are other 'kinning stones'