Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review Volumes 32 and 33.djvu/564

 254 Mystic power of Nine. Numbers play a conspicuous part in these early manuscripts on herbs, and particularly the number nine. In the alliterative lay of the nine healing herbs this is very conspicuous. Woden, we are told, smote the serpent into nine magic twigs, the serpent was broken into nine parts from which the wind blew the nine flying venoms. In the herbal prescriptions the mystic number nine appears continually. There are numerous instances of the patient being directed to take the herb potion for nine days.

"Sowbread. For sore of spleen take juice of this wort for nine days. Thou wilt wonder at the benefit." (Herb. Ap.)

"Knot grass. In case that a man spew blood take juice of this wort and boil it without smoke in very good and strong wine; let (the sick man) drink it then fasting for nine days, within the period of which thou wilt perceive a wondrous thing." (Herb. Ap.) In the prescription given by the leech Oxa it is ordered, "let the man drink for nine days." Or the patient is directed to take nine portions of the different ingredients.

"Hop trefoil. For sore of inwards take leaves of this wort, its twigs are as swine bristles, pound then the leaves and nine peppercorns and nine grains of coriander seed." (Herb. Ap.)

"Against blains, take nine eggs and boil them hard and take the yolks and throw the white away and grease the yolks in a pan and wring out the liquor through a cloth, and take as many drops of wine as there are of the eggs and as many drops of unhallowed oil and as many drops of honey and from a root of fennel as many drops, then take, etc." (Herb. Ap., Fly leaf leechdoms.) See also Herb. Ap. 117; Leech Book I. 33, 64, 67, 83, and II. 7, 65.

Ceremonies in picking and administering herbs. These are numerous, and are a curious mixture of heathen rites (mostly Sun-worship) and Christian rites. In some there