Chapter I: Front Matter

GYPSY SORCERY
AND
FORTUNE TELLING

ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS INCANTATIONS,
SPECIMENS OF MEDICAL MAGIC,
ANECDOTES AND TALES

BY

CHARLES GODFREY LELAND
PRESIDENT OF THE GIPSY-LORE SOCIETY, &c., &c.

COPIOUSLY ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

MDCCCXCI

DEDICATION.

THIS WORK
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO MY COLLEAGUES OF THE
CONGRÈS DES TRADITIONS POPULAIRES,
HELD AT PARIS, JULY, 1889;
AND ESPECIALLY
TO THE FRENCH MEMBERS OF THAT BODY,
IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR GENEROUS HOSPITALITY,
AND UNFAILING KINDNESS AND COURTESY, BY
CHARLES G. LELAND.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. THE ORIGIN OF WITCHCRAFT, SHAMANISM, AND SORCERY.--
VINDICTIVE AND MISCHIEVOUS MAGIC 1
II. CHARMS AND CONJURATIONS TO CURE THE DISORDERS OF GROWN
PEOPLE.--HUNGARIAN GYPSY MAGIC 12
III. GYPSY CONJURATIONS AND EXORCISMS--THE CURE OF CHILDREN--
HUNGARIAN GYPSY SPELLS--A CURIOUS OLD ITALIAN "SECRET"--
THE MAGIC VIRTUE OF GARLIC--A FLORENTINE INCANTATION
LEARNED FROM A WITCH--LILITH, THE CHILD-STEALER, AND
QUEEN OF THE WITCHES 41
IV. SOUTH SLAVONIAN AND OTHER GYPSY WITCH-LORE.--THE WORDS
FOR A WITCH--VILAS AND THE SPIRITS OF EARTH AND AIR--
WITCHES, EGG-SHELLS, AND EGG-LORE--EGG PROVERBS--OVA
DE CRUCIBUS 65
V. CHARMS OR CONJURATIONS TO CURE OR PROTECT ANIMALS 79
VI. OF PREGNANCY AND CHARMS, OR FOLK-LORE CONNECTED WITH
IT--BOARS' TEETH AND CHARMS FOR PREVENTING THE FLOW
OF BLOOD 100
VII. THE RECOVERY OF STOLEN PROPERTY--LOVE-CHARMS--SHOES AND
LOVE-POTIONS, OR PHILTRES 108
VIII. ROUMANIAN AND TRANSYLVANIAN SORCERIES AND SUPERSTITIONS,
CONNECTED WITH THOSE OF THE GYPSIES 122
IX. THE RENDEZVOUS OR MEETINGS OF WITCHES, SORCERERS, AND
VILAS.--A CONTINUATION OF SOUTH SLAVONIAN GYPSY-LORE 142
X. OF THE HAUNTS, HOMES, AND HABITS OF WITCHES IN THE
SOUTH SLAVIC LANDS.--BOGEYS AND HUMBUGS 152
XI. GYPSY WITCHCRAFT.--THE MAGICAL POWER WHICH IS INNATE
IN ALL MEN AND WOMEN--HOW IT MAY BE CULTIVATED AND
DEVELOPED--THE PRINCIPLES OF FORTUNE-TELLING 162
XII. FORTUNE-TELLING (continued).--ROMANCE BASED ON CHANCE,
OR HOPE, AS REGARDS THE FUTURE--FOLK- AND SORCERY-LORE
--AUTHENTIC INSTANCES OF GYPSY PREDICTION 186
XIII. PROVERBS REFERRING TO WITCHES, GYPSIES, AND FAIRIES 194
XIV. A GYPSY MAGIC SPELL.--HOKKANI BARO--LELLIN DUDIKABIN,
OR THE GREAT SECRET--CHILDREN'S RHYMES AND INCANTATIONS
--TEN LITTLE INDIAN BOYS AND TEN LITTLE ACORN GIRLS OF
MARCELLUS BURDIGALENSIS 209
XV. GYPSY AMULETS 230
XVI. GYPSIES, TOADS, AND TOAD-LORE 255