Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/567

Rh however, her power may appear in a son, and revert again to the female line after his death, instead of transmitting itself to his male descendants. Only three or four years ago an old man died who had seen blood drawn from a witch because she laid a spell on a team of horses and rendered them immovable. "As soon as my mate struck her with his fork, and the blood came," said the witness, "the horses and waggon were free to go on." Fragments of iron are lucky, and are of great use in counteracting the blasts and glances of witches. The evil-eye is prevalent in certain families, and cases are known in which naturally benevolent people are afflicted with the dreadful gift of "over-looking".

Traces of animal sacrifice may still be found in Lincolnshire. The heart of a small animal, or of a bird, is necessary for the efficient performance of several counter-charms, especially in torturing a witch by the reversal of her spells, and warding off evil from houses or other buildings. Sometimes—but rarely it is to be hoped—the heart is still torn from the breast of a living creature; but this savage and loathsome custom seems to have died out of general knowledge, and it is deemed sufficient if the victim be specially slaughtered with the intention of obtaining the object in view.

Several pin and rag-wells exist in Lincolnshire, whose waters are esteemed as possessing healing virtues, particularly with regard to ailments affecting the eyes. I have been informed that people come from "as far away as Sheffield" to bottle the water of "Eye George", or "High George", a spring on Manton Common; but whether they leave any gift behind them to propitiate the powers controlling the precious fluid is uncertain.

Professor Rhys's mention of the foot-mark in the ashes reminds me of a love-spell current in the Wapentake of Manley in North Lincolnshire. Properly speaking, it should be put in practice on St. Mark's E'en, that eerie spring-tide festival when those who are skilled may watch the church-porch and learn who will die in the ensuing twelve-month; but there is little doubt that the charm is also used at Hallow-E'en, and at other suitable seasons of the year. The spell consists in riddling ashes on the hearthstone, or beans on the floor of the barn, with proper ceremonies and at the proper time, with the result that the girl who works her incantation correctly finds the footprint of the man she is to marry clearly marked on the sifted mass the following morning. It is to be supposed that the spirit of the lover is responsible for the mark, as, according to another folk-belief, any girl who watches her supper on St. Mark's E'en will see the spirit of the man she will wed come into the room at midnight to partake of the food provided. "The room must be one with the door and window in