Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 23, 1912.djvu/82

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Here this particular charm ends, and another begins, which is evidently given either as a reinforcement of the preceding one or, as would seem more probable from the wording, as a reply to be made either by the patient himself, or, as is usual, on behalf of the patient by the medicine-man himself:—

Here again follows a new charm, which runs:—

Now comes what seems to me by far the most important and striking lines of the entire scene:—

"Six smiths sat, and they wrought spears of slaughter.

'Out, spear!' not 'In, spear!'

If there be herein a piece of iron which is the work of the hag, it shall melt.

[Turning to the patient] If thou wert shot in the skin.

Or if thou wert shot in the flesh.

Or wert shot in the blood,Or wert shot in a limb,

Never let thy life be injured. If it were a shot of the gods [Aesir],

Or if it were a shot of the elves,

Or if it were a shot of the hag.Now will I help thee.

This is thy remedy against the shot of the gods,