Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/214

 200 Collectanea.

on which ofiferings could be placed for his Ka or " double." The offering is still made, and the bowl which I saw there containing the durra of the offering varied but little in shape from the bowls that were used in the days of Rameses II. But in these modern days the offering is made to the " Shekh " Isa, who is no other than Jesus. That is to say, the cult must have continued without break from the age of the occupant of the tomb down to our own time, the only variation being in the name of the person to whom it has been addressed. In pagan Nubia it was paid to the Ka of the dead Egyptian, in Christian Nubia to Christ, and when in the 12th century Nubian Christianity was extirpated by Mohammedanism, Christ was transformed into a Moslem saint.

A. H. Sayce.

The Cure of Elf-Shooting in the North-West of Ireland.

{Read at Meethig, 21st Afarch, 1906.)

The " Cure " of " Elf-shooting," which I here attempt to describe, was practised not long ago both in this part of County Leitrim, in Sligo and Cavan, and possibly elsewhere. It is just dying out. Still, amongst my fast friends are three Elf-doctors, though they are rather the worse for the wear, and have fallen, poor men, on evil days if not on evil tongues.

They fully look what they are. At a glance you would pick them out among a thousand as something "uncanny." They are very old, very "weathered" and wrinkled. One is lame; another is bent and bowed with years ; and all three would do without any making up for the husbands of Macbeth's witches. Still they are kindly, guileless old souls, and as full of information as are invariably the intelligent old. For their simplicity and sincerity I have the highest respect. They have not the slightest misgiving about the value and efficacy of the