And away home with her, and her balls of thread. And if she didn't spin her own wool for ever after, that's nothing to do with you and me. (See Mr. E. Clodd in Folklore Journal, vii. 138-43.) NOTES ON SOME AMULETS OF THE THREE MAGI KINGS. THERE are issued at the present time, at the great Cathedral at Cologne, two kinds of protective amulets whose origin may be traced back to medieval times. Of these, one is formed by metallic medals, of the type commonly used in connection with holy persons or places, the other has the less usual shape of printed slips of linen. The slips, a little more than 6 inches by 3 inches, are produced in two forms, German and French, since pilgrims from far-off parts of Europe still visit the holy shrine. Each slip bears, upon its left, a design of the "Adoration of the Magi," above a view of Cologne wherein the Cathedral stands prominent, and upon its right an inscription, which, in both the forms, commences with an invocation of the "Holy Three Kings." After the invocation follows, on the German Zettel, the statement that "The Three Kings have been honoured and invoked since ancient times as types of faith and as protective patrons against the dangers of travelling, headache, fever, epilepsy, and the snares of enemies, as well as to prevent sudden death," and concludes with the remark that "This little picture has touched the relics of the Three Holy Kings in the great Cathedral at Cologne." The French slip is somewhat more limited in its claims, saying, after the invocation, that "This ticket has touched the relics of the Holy Magi Kings at Cologne, whose protection is invoked against fever, epilepsy, sudden death, and all the accidents which may happen to travellers." Besides being employed for the general purposes indicated by the inscriptions, the slips are occasionally carried by cavalrymen, "I've come again for the thread," says she. "Aisy, aisy, woman," says the Foawr; "if thou don't tell me my name thou won't get the thread, that was the bargain." And says he: "Now, what's my name?" it. "Is it Mollyrea?" says she; to let on that she didn't know "No, it is not," says he. "Are you one of the Mollyruiy ones?" says she. "I'm not one of that clan," says he. "Are they calling you Mollyvridey?" says she. "They are not," says he. "I'll warrant your name is Mollychreest?" says she. "You are wrong," says he. "Are you going by the name of Mollyvoirrey?" says she. "'Deed I'm not," says he. "Maybe your name is Mollyvarten?" says she. "And maybe it's not, at all," says he. "They're saying," says she, "that there was only seven families living on the Island at one time, and their names all began with "Molly," "and so," says she, "if you're not a Mollycharaine, you're none of the rael oul' Manx ones." "I'm not," says he. is your last." "Now, be careful, woman, next guess At that she pretended to be frightened, and says she slowly, pointing her finger at him: "S'lesh hene yn ollan, as lesh my hene y snaie, Son shenn- -MollyndroAT cha vow eh dy braa." (The wool is himself's, the thread is my own, Well, the Foawr he was done, and he was in a red rage, and he cries: "Bad luck to you! found out my name unless you are (fortune-telling witch). You never would have a mummig yn aishnee" "Bad luck to yourself, my boy," says she, "for trying to steal a dacent woman's wool." "Go to the Jouyl (Devil), yourself and your fortune-telling," And away home with her, and her balls of thread. And if she didn't spin her own wool for ever after, that's nothing to do with you and me. (See Mr. E. Clodd in Folklore Journal, vii. 138-43.) NOTES ON SOME AMULETS OF THE THREE MAGI KINGS. THERE are issued at the present time, at the great Cathedral at Cologne, two kinds of protective amulets whose origin may be traced back to medieval times. Of these, one is formed by metallic medals, of the type commonly used in connection with holy persons or places, the other has the less usual shape of printed slips of linen. The slips, a little more than 6 inches by 3 inches, are produced in two forms, German and French, since pilgrims from far-off parts of Europe still visit the holy shrine. Each slip bears, upon its left, a design of the "Adoration of the Magi," above a view of Cologne wherein the Cathedral stands prominent, and upon its right an inscription, which, in both the forms, commences with an invocation of the "Holy Three Kings." After the invocation follows, on the German Zettel, the statement that "The Three Kings have been honoured and invoked since ancient times as types of faith and as protective patrons against the dangers of travelling, headache, fever, epilepsy, and the snares of enemies, as well as to prevent sudden death," and concludes with the remark that "This little picture has touched the relics of the Three Holy Kings in the great Cathedral at Cologne." The French slip is somewhat more limited in its claims, saying, after the invocation, that "This ticket has touched the relics of the Holy Magi Kings at Cologne, whose protection is invoked against fever, epilepsy, sudden death, and all the accidents which may happen to travellers." Besides being employed for the general purposes indicated by the inscriptions, the slips are occasionally carried by cavalrymen, In Collectanea Antiqua1 C. R. Smith figures a printed slip of paper, 3 inches by 11 inches, found in 1748 upon a man convicted of murder, in England, which shows the form in which the slips were issued at that time. Like the modern slips, it bore, but more crudely executed, an "Adoration" above a contemporary view of Cologne, to the right of which was an invocation in Latin (similar to that which now appears in German or French) of the "Holy Three Kings, Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar," followed by an inscription in French: "Ces billets ont touché aux trois testes des Saints Roys, à Cologne: ilts sont pour les voyageurs, contre les malheurs des chemins, maux de teste, mal caduque, fièures, sorcellerie, toute sorte de malefice, et mort subite." Observe how the inscription as it appeared in the eighteenth century has since been modified, owing to the decline of certain beliefs implied in the earlier form. Medals of the Three Kings were probably issued at a considerably earlier date than the printed slips. The older ones are usually more or less rectangular, frequently of silver, with an "Adoration" on one face and an invocation on the other. The medals of the present day, of several designs, are generally circular, and of silver, brass, aluminium, or pewter, with an "Adoration" on one face, and a representation of the Cathedral or the Shrine, or an invocation, on the opposite. They are "touched" in the same manner, and for the same purpose, as the slips, and are worn with the same intentions. The relics of the Magi, brought to Constantinople by the Empress Helena and taken thence to Milan after the First Crusade, were in the twelfth century conveyed by Frederick Barbarossa from Milan to Cologne, as objects of enormous value and sanctity. The royalty early attributed to the Magi, in consequence of the references in Psalms lxviii., lxxii., and Isaiah lx., to gifts and offerings presented by kings, became in the following century a matter of faith, and they were known as the Magi Kings, the Holy Three Kings, and the Three Kings of Cologne. Their miraculously-guided journey caused them to be chosen as the patron saints of travellers, whom they were desired to protect from the dangers with which journeys were beset during the Dark Ages, from the bites and stings of serpents and other venomous reptiles, and from the diseases to which travellers were especially exposed. Hence also the custom arose of giving to inns a name dedicating them to, or recalling the Three Kings. And as great magicians, their intercession was sought for protection against all forms of sorcery and witchcraft, against the evil eye, and against epilepsy, the "falling sickness," which often manifested itself as a demoniacal possession. Such beliefs in their virtues were spread over Europe by the pilgrims who flocked to the shrine at Cologne.1 The mere names of the Magi became invested with protective and curative powers, and are consequently to be found on numbers of mediaeval charm-rings, on brooches, on drinking-horns and cups of the same period (probably for protection against poisons, or to impart qualities to the liquids within, as in the well-known Arab bowls in use to-day,2) and even on garters.3 In his Pathway to Health, 1664, Peter Levens gives, as a cure for epilepsy, a charm to be hung from the neck, to be written in Latin with the blood of the patient's little finger, to the effect that "Gaspar bore myrrh, Melchior frankincense, Balthazar gold. He who bears with him the names of the Three Kings is freed, through the Lord, from the falling sickness." 4 Varied but slightly, these same words appear on a ring found at Dunwich, Suffolk.5 1In Folk-Lore, Dec. 1906, Pl. V. and p. 469, there is described a medal of the Three Kings, from Spain. A medal, executed in the Byzantine style, of the 9th or 10th century, displaying the head of Christ on the obverse and the Adoration of the Magi on the reverse, which is figured in the illustrated 4to edition of Dean Farrar's Life of Christ, p. 14, shows that the use of such amulets had begun even before the removal of the relics from Constantinople. 2 See Lane's Modern Egyptians. 3C. R. Smith, in Coll. Ant. i. p. 120, figures one found in London. 4 Quoted by G. F. Black, in "Scottish Charms and Amulets," in Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. vol. xxvii., as taken from N. and Q. Ist series, vol. ii. p. 435. In "Scottish Charms and Amulets" there are given a considerable number of notes and references to matter concerning the Three Kings and superstitious observances connected with them. "Quoted in "Scottish Charms and Amulets as taken from N. and Q. |