Celtic Folklore

Ancient Charms in Alba & Eire

Whether it is superstition or fact, charms have been documented for hundreds of years. Particularly prominent in the legends, these fascinating and often extraordinary methods of obtaining one's wilful ideas add a certain mystique to the Celtic stories. This article goes over three of these charms. The Fith-Fath, the Evil Eye and the Thumb of Knowledge. The latter two are relatively well known with the first I feel not quite so common.

The spell or charm appears to be the product of concentrated will power. Ideally the Celtic magician actually tried to assume the very nature of the person or object that he was trying to influence. It is believed that there is a unity in Nature that allowed this kind of transformation to take place. The charm was usually narrated in verse, taking the exact tone or vibration that the essence of the force required was existing on.

The first enchantment mentioned was called Fith-Fath, it has a few uses but one of the most popular was employed to give invisibility to the caster. This is apparently still practised in the Western Isles of Scotland, fath or faeth being a poem or incantation which may be best defined in the phrase "words of magic". The expression itself has its origins in the term fath, meaning the poetic art, which brings us to a more materialistic or earthly manifestation of magical poetry. Another interpretation says that fith-fath are interchangeable terms and applied to the occult power that makes things invisible or transforms one object into another.

There is an excellent example in the Ossianic cycle of legends of this. It is the story of Fionn's sweetheart, the mother of Ossian, for whom Fionn had forsaken a woman of the Sidhe. The latter, infuriated by his disloyalty, placed a fith-fath spell on her mortal rival and transformed her into a hind. Dr. Alexander Carmichael translates the charm as follows:

"A magic cloud I put on thee

from dog to cat,

from dog to cat,

from cow to horse,

from man to woman,

from young man to maiden,

and from little child, till I again return."

By speculation one could say that this verse is most potent in its essence as it has within it constant reference from one state to another, from one stage of life to another. Between the two states is where the Celtic Otherworld exists. Timeless. Where anything is possible and very magical. It also means that the person on whom the charm is cast will not be set free of the spell by any of the above things.

Invisibility obviously has many uses and the fith-fath was favoured by hunters as when they left the forest with their prey they could render themselves invisible and thus be unmolested by anyone. This charm was given to the Tuatha De Danaan by the sea god Manannan Mac Lir whose lordship of the sea most definitely gave him power over shifting fogs and hence illusions. Gille Decair the trickster is the culprit here! The fith-fath was also attributed to Angus Og, the ever young God who dwelt invisible to mortals within the Brugh- na-Boyne.

The satire is a very damaging form of verbiage practised by many bards. Indeed it is part of their training to incorporate satire into their teachings and repertoire of abilities. According to various Irish authorities, this ability enabled the bard to disfigure his opponent physically by words alone, of this there is no doubt.

For instance, a satire composed by Cairpre caused blotches to appear on the face of Bres (the King of the Tuatha De Danaan) for not receiving the hospitality that was due to him on a visit to the royal court. Another of his lampoons caused the fomor to become powerless. Queen Maeve of Ulster ensured that if Ferdiad did not enter into combat with his best friend Cuchulain, then her bards would transform him with satires to such a degree that he would perish with shame. It should also be remembered that bards are of the druid caste and hence are masters of magic themselves.

The last snippet of information involves the pronunciation of fith- fath which is fee-fa, which one could associate with a fairy tale reference, that of the typical giant's "fee-fi-fo-fum", this incantation would enable the giant to have power over his adversary.

Another common channel for a charm was the burrach or spancel. This object consisted of a cord or rope made of horsehair, with a loop at one end and a knob of hard wood at the other for fastening it. The adept or fairy was credited with having nine of these spancels and even the ordinary spancel which had several uses was always associated with the uncanny. The spancel was commonly used by livestock men to keep cows' legs in position whilst milking them. After use it was hung up in the byre and always given special regard. It was believed by the people in possession of the spancel that if anyone outside of the family acquired it then that person would have the produce of the cattle in their power.

The fairies would also be accused of taking the pith out of the milk (that is, the goodness) by laying the burrach on the ground near the livestock, on the grass if dew was on the ground. The dew has long been attributed with Otherworld qualities since it forms at twilight, a time in between day and night.

The nine fettered spancel, if applied properly, is said to be capable of taking the will away from the person concerned, rendering he or she so ineffectual as to enable any fool or coward to defeat him or her in one to one combat, or any other dispute for that matter. A verse accompanying such a spell might go as follows:

"To lay thee under spells and crosses

Under pain of being struck

by the nine cow fetters

of the wildly roaming Traveller

deluding fairy woman

So that some sorry little wight,

More feeble and misguided than thyself,

Take thy head, thy ear,

And thy life's career away from thee".

Next is a fairly well known item within folklore. It is known as the Evil Eye, or in the Highlands "e'il e'e" ("droch shuil" in Gaelic). Attributed to, or rather, possessed by, a rare few. It was said to have been gained by a peculiar envy or malignity on behalf of its owner, though it was perfectly possible for the ordinary person to have the eye and not know anything about it.

A single malefic glance is felt by many people in life, for the soul is sensitive like a fine tuned harp, very sensitive to many influences, particularly to those who are hostile to them. I do not mean necessarily if someone is known to have opposing beliefs to us. I mean if somebody's mere presence affects our aura. For example, some people seem to radiate a warmth about them whereas a mere look from some people can dampen our spirits.

Again we find an example in the Celtic legends regarding this charm. The main one being of the Fomorian God, Balor of the baleful eye himself, the gaze of which is said to wither all before its range of vision. It is said to have required fifty warriors to lift up the lid of the eye in order to unleash its wrath.

This is how he came by this power. One day a young Balor was walking by the workplace of the druids when his curiosity got the better of him and he decided to take a look through a window at the goings on within. Just at that point when he lowered his head through, the druid lifted the lid of the cauldron they were working incantations over. Some vapours leaked out and crept underneath the lid of the eye and such was the venom of the spell that it penetrated the very eye itself and was from that day onwards imbued with the baleful force.

The last one in this particular article is known as the Thumb of Knowledge. When a practitioner of magic desired to see into the future, he would press his wisdom tooth hard with his thumb. The most famous legends illustrating this old practise is Fionn mac Cumhal of the Fianna of Erin. In his initiatory phases to becoming a great warrior and magician he once jammed his thumb in the door of a fairy knoll and then swiftly stuck his thumb in his mouth.

The knoll is symbolic of Otherworld knowledge and Fionn was obviously seeking enlightenment, and through painful learning acquired wisdom enough to have foresight into future events.

The other version is of course when Fionn put his thumb onto the scalding skin of the salmon of knowledge and got badly burnt and then thrust his thumb into his mouth.

I find the Scottish/Irish folklore in all forms fascinating and fortunately there is alot more where these stories originated from.

[(c) Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust]

[Author S. Soyka DALRIADA MAGAZINE 1993]

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