Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 8, 1897.djvu/29

Rh me si ha da voltare, spesso e tanto deve voltare forte, che per me deve pigliare la morte." Then she must lie down without speaking, or else she will herself have much suffering. To detach a husband from his mistress, the wife can go barefooted with unbound hair to a crossroad, where picking up a pebble and putting it under her left armpit she says: ^"Mi calo a terra e pietra piglio, tra M e N un grande scompiglio, e si vogliono acquietare, quando questa pietra qui sotto si viene a pigliare." She does the same at a second cross-road, putting the pebble under the right armpit; then at a third placing the pebble between the chin and breast. Returning to her house she throws the pebbles into the cesspool, so that they cannot be got at, saying: "M allora con N possa tu parlare, quando queste tre pietre qui dentro viene a pigliare." To attract a lover, the witch provides a magnet wrapped with a knotted cord; it must be worn. Much recommended are cakes containing, according to the case, menstrual blood or sperm. A padlock also serves to submit a person to one's will. In opening it, say: "M di lontano ti vedo, da vicino ti saluto, ti chiudo e non ti sciolgo, se non farai tutta la mia voglia." Then lock the padlock, put a knotted cord round it, and keep it in a safe place. It is possible to overcome the protection of holy medals or other blessed objects, especially if something belonging to the person can be obtained—a bit of his skin, nails, or clothing; besides this, the co-operation of four or five witches is necessary. They sing together, one saying "Tu gli l'hai fatta, io gli la levo," another replying "Tu gli la fai, e non gli la nego." The witches also undertake to break spells. Suspending a sieve on scissors under the bed of a man made impotent, the witch also places there her shoes crossed; she provides herself with a rosary without medals or other blessed objects, and a packet of unwashed herbs, then tearing the packet and scattering its contents on the ground, she says: "Come io