Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/377

Rh twisted a long cord. Then he pulled the cord, and the rod turned quickly round and round, and twisted the cord round itself from the other end. By steadily pulling at the cord, the revolving became more rapid, and the friction on the rod so strong that fire came, and then the old man was content. He believed that the witchery was thus rendered powerless, and that good luck in his fishing was now ensured. His useful plank stool is still at the farm. The old man also believed that it was very unlucky to be seen by anyone when he came home with the salmon. He therefore rose at 4 o'clock in the morning to go fishing; he never passed through the farmyard, but made himself a way round below the farm buildings, so as not to meet anyone, and brought the fish round into a side room.

14. Folk believed that certain sicknesses of animals were brought on in one way or another by something utrygt ("uncanny") and there were diverse ways of healing them. This applied also to cows or any other animals that did not thrive on the farm. Thus, one could get a dog to thrive by taking a piece of bread and placing it under the arm so that it should be saturated with perspiration. On eating it, the dog would thrive.

15. When a calf was useless, and could hardly walk, they took it to a crossway, and there they cut out a clump of earth, with a knife, from under each of its feet. These clumps were placed on four hedge stakes. From thenceforward the beast soon got better.

16. If a cow were idle and lay about a great deal, folk thought that it was dvergslagen ("dwarf-struck"). A singular kind of big, old key was used against this sickness. These keys are still to be found here and there at the farms, and are said to be smithied by dwarfs. One of these keys was hung up over the cow's stall, and thenceforward it was healed.

Old superstitions and the customs in connection with them are gradually disappearing in these more enlightened times;