Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/139

 TRANSACTIONS OF THE FOLK-LORE SOCIETY. Vol. XL] JUNE, 1900. [No. II.

TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF A CHARM AGAINST THE CHILD-STEALING WITCH.*

BY M. CASTER, PH.D.

{Read at Meeting of March i^th, 1899.)

The collection of Rumanian popular charms, made by Marian, begins with the following : —

Against the Cataract : George got up early and got ready ; left the house, left the table, went on the road, on the pathway, strong and beautiful, pink and cheerful ; but when he was in the middle of the road, of the road of the pathway, he was met by the Windmaids and by the '• Beautiful," who smote him in the face and hurled him to the ground, made his countenance black, covered him with dust, put the Cataract into his eyes, and left him without sight. George began to cry, and with a loud voice to lament. The loud voice went up to Heaven and the tears dropped down to the earth, yet no one saw him, no one heard him, save the Holy Virgin (the Mother of God) from the gate of Heaven ; only she saw him, only she heard him, and she called him by his name, and she asked him thus : " George, why do you cry ? Why do you lament ? Why do you raise your voice, a voice that reaches Heaven, whilst the tears are dropping down upon the earth ? " "How should I not cry? And how should I not lament

'^ V. 31. Caster, Li Leratura popuLira romana Bucure^ti 1883, pp. 394-416.; B. P. Hasdeit, cuvente den Batrani II. Bucurejti 1879, pp. 263-291.; y^. N. Wesselofsky, Razyskaniya vii oblasti russkihii luhovnyhu stihovii VI. Ls. Phrobg 1883, pp. 40-53 ; and S. Fl. Mariani, Descanhece poporane romane, cernaufi 1886, pp. 1-5. 77-80.

VOL. XI. K