Celtic curses (II). Written and physical curses.

We continue with the Celtic curses, in this case with those that require a physical support. For spoken curses, you can refer to the first part: Celtic curses (I).

Irish sagas

Of course, among the texts we have, where gods, druids, and other beings with magical powers appear, we obtain expressions and vocabulary related to magic and curses.

In the medieval text Forbuis Droma Damhghaire (known as The Siege of Knocklong) we find expressions related to binding magic, with 'bindings'. See for example:

<< (...) is fasdar nos fastann

is nascd nos naccan (...)>> 

(Forbuis Droma Damhghaire, p. 85)

<< faster than fast, I bind what I bind >>

In the mythological-historical cycle of Cath Maige Tuired (the Battle of Moytura), we obtain other expressions:

<< Ba ferr a nguide oldás a n-eguidhi >>

(Cath Maige Tuired, p.75)

<<Better his prayers than his curses>>

Cursing Tablets

Many consider that the obsession with the power of the written word is something purely Mediterranean, and therefore the Celts would have copied this method from the Greeks and Romans. This is not unreasonable, especially when we examine the case of Celtic cursing tablets or defixiones. As seen in the article about the roman tabellae defixionum, these lead tablets would have the name of the recipient of the curse and the effect it was supposed to produce written on them, after which they would be struck or nails would be driven into them and buried to incapacitate or rot the victim. In the Celtic world, we can mainly distinguish two characteristics of cursing tablets: they mostly request help from the underworld gods, and they also use water as a communication system with these gods, throwing the tablets into wells, stagnant waters, or turbulent waters.

Taking into account that the Celts made some of their offerings and requests to the deities by throwing coins, amulets, belongings, or brief inscriptions into rivers and lakes where it was believed that spiritual beings inhabited, it seems logical to think that in waters of different characteristics, the same function could be fulfilled for other purposes and deities.

Among these deities, Ogmios and Moltinus (an infernal version of Hermes with goat horns) stand out. There are also local deities and lesser spirits such as the lady Niskas, mentioned in the rolled tablets buried in Amelie-les-bains.

These tablets are written in Greek or Latin, but using transliterated Celtic words, or non-Roman deities, which has helped philologists and archaeologists to reconstruct Celtic dialects. However, their structure is practically a copy of Roman curses.

<<in sinde se bnanom bricto(m i- / -n) eainom anuana sanander ( na brictom uidlaias uidlu / tigontias so adsagsona seue(rim) tertionicnim lidssatim liciatim / eianom uoduiuoderce lunget ..utonid ponc nitixsintor si(es) / duscelinatia ineianon anuan(a) esi andernados brictom bano(na) / flatucias paulla dona politi(us) iaia duxtir ediagias poti(ta) m- / -atir paullias seuera du(xtir) ualentos dona paullius / adiega matir aiias potita dona prim(ius) / abesias etic eiotinios co etic / rufina casta dona nonus coetic diligentir soc / ulationicnom aucitionim aterem potiti ulatucia mat / banonias ne incitas biontutu ue seuerim licinaue tertionicnim / eiabi tiopritom biietutu semit retet seuera tertionicna / ne incitas biontutus … du anatia nepi anda.. / incors onda…donicon / incarata a senit conectos / onda bocca nene. rionti onda boca ne / .on barnaunom ponc nit- issintor sies eianepian / digs ne lisantim ne licia- tim ne rodatim biont- / utu semnanom sagitiont- ias seuerim lissatim licia- / tim anandognam acolututanit andognam / da bocca / diom… neaia … cicena / nitianncobueðliðat iasuolsonponne / antumnos nepon nesliciata neosuode / neiauodercos nepon su biiontutu semn- / anom adsaxs nadoc suet petidsiont sies / peti sagitiontias seuerim tertio lissatim / ..s anandogna … …ictontias.>> 

(Gala registration of Larzac. RIG II.2, L-98)

<<Send the enchantment of these women against the names below (the names are listed below). This is a witch's spell that bewitches witches. Oh, Adsagsona, look twice at Severa Tertionica, her magical binding and her magical writing. Send this female enchantment against the names below (indicate a dozen female names). This is a witch's conjuration against some conjuring witches. Let it return to whoever wanted to bewitch him, with this curse, bewitch this group, with a spell against their names, leave these women powerless before him, let their defixio not affect any judge they have bewitched; make Severa Tertionica able to erase this curse, and let no witch or any writing or any binding affect the spell made by her, the one who writes, the one who binds, the foreigner.>>

This specific example is curious for being a counter-spell against the enchantments of another group. It can also be noted the clear mention of the power of writing and binding. Moreover, we see the repeated use of bnanom bricto, parallel to bricht mberar, as a feminine enchantment. We also have eiotinios, that is, "the condemned."

The help of Adsagsona, a Lusitanian Celtic deity, is invoked, equated with Proserpina for her infernal and fertile aspects at the same time. In other cases, there is a direct mention of Hecate, Demeter, and Persephone herself. As for Severa Terctionica, there are doubts about whether it is an epithet of this goddess or of another deity of fate, or even a possible witch hired to perform the counter-spell in question.

Especially regarding the tablets for avenging theft, there is no doubt about the Roman influence, all the more so when a large number have been discovered in Bath, England, where some Roman baths are preserved. The language is similar to that of Roman tablets, as if they had been translated almost literally from Celtic to Latin or from Latin to Celtic. They serve primarily to establish linguistic comparisons: see catacim, a Celtic word still under dispute, because although it has been attempted to relate it to the Latin catena (chain), many other Celtic words could be related: cath means anger or battle, caithid means to throw, etc., and these are expressions that would fit perfectly in a curse.

In fact, in the Gallic tablet RIG L-103 appears <<eiont cati cato ata>> (which has commonly been translated as: They allocate what is the mooring of a mooring.)

In them, revenge is sought for a theft, offering the god a benefit in exchange for the recovery of the stolen object, or for the death of the wrongdoer. It is no coincidence that this type of tablet is almost always found in spas: they are the perfect place to steal belongings left by people who enter the waters.

From Tabula Sulis 14 (RIG L-108), we extract other valuable words, such as luciumio (I curse). The noun lugio-(n) is therefore another way to refer to the curse.

We have some cases where it is debated whether these are truly 'written' Celtic words, or literal transcriptions of how the Celtic language would sound.

Curses with figures and nails

We have recent vestiges of a combination of spoken spell and practical ritual, similar to the tablets, the spells with figures. We know of the existence of this type of curses from the medieval Irish legal text Uraicecht na Ríar, 'First Stipulations', from the 8th century, where such practices are condemned. Interestingly, these cursing rituals seem to focus on sexual spells, and on the other hand, on causing impotence and infertility in both men and women. One of the best-preserved texts is poem IX from manuscript H.3.17, focused on this type of sexual content. In it, the texts appear written on folded leaves pierced by a large hole in the center, likely caused by a nail or stick. The figures, made of materials such as clay or straw, have not been preserved. It is similar to Mediterranean and continental magic, for example, in the use of the first person and 'magical voices,' meaningless words amid the spell. Interestingly, mentioning the Christian God for the spell to work does not seem to be a heresy, but rather a simple exchange with earlier gods.

<< Eolas do lemad ḟir

Fonriug do luth.

fonriug do lath,

fonriug do nert,

fonriug do thracht,

fonriug ben druth dam

tuli in-ath.

focer

tar cros de dar da les in.

Fidula fadula

ida il

bibili belabili

autert tíua

gront in celi dei noinglenda

tilalup tilalup

tilalup

et reliqua>>

<< Instructions

:I bind your movement,

I bind your warmth,

I bind your strength,

I bind your vigor,

I bind myself

(a lustful woman).

Floods in the valley;

the cross of God

is madeupon the two

thighs of the man

.Fidula fadula

ida il

bibili belabili

autert tíua

gront to the heavens of God or of the valley,

tilalup tilalup

tilalup

etcetera >>

Piseog (with objects)

In the previous article, we saw this type of curse as "the evil eye," in that it involved phrases or bad thoughts. However, these can also include an added ritual act. For example, stealing and destroying a personal object of the person you want to curse. It was a common belief that the sheaves of the harvest from the first of May had great power, for good or for evil, and in this way, someone's entire year could be cursed by destroying one of their sheaves.

Or especially, burying objects: eggs can be buried so that someone's fortune and prosperity stop and rot, animals or parts of dead animals can be buried in the garden or land of the enemy so that they "get sick," etc.

Likewise, we find examples where a bit of earth belonging to a man is taken and scattered to the wind, so he loses power over it. Or to steal the mirror in which a young woman has looked and hide it, thus ensuring that she does not get pregnant until she finds it.

Curses with stones.

In Celtic mythology, there are various characters related to stones with magical powers. We could mention the stone of the blind druid Mug Ruith (or Mogh Roith), which when thrown into water would turn into a poisonous eel. This same character, in battle with Colpa, exhales his druidic breath (draidhechta) over stones and sand so that they attack like fireballs.

<< Ar theacht chun

deireadh na reitrice

dó,

dos fuc i láimh

Cennmair ocus ro

raidh fris.

"Intan ticfa Colptha

san ath cugat

teilc-si in cloch isin

ath ocus dom

breitir", ar se,

"as derb leam-sa

con dinge[b]a

gnimha gaili

Colptha dit."

Do roacht iar sin

Colptha co Raithin

ind imairic re h-ath,

ocus cein ro bui

Colptha oc tiachtuin

on longport conice

sin,

do chuir Mogh Ruith

anal draidhechta

n-a adhaigh fo

thuaidh,

con derna sin cor

bhat foithe fergacha

feoghghoirte clocha

ocus gaineam in

talman,

o tha in longport

cusan ath. >>

(Forbuis Droma Damhghaire, ch. 58. Revue Celtique, 43, 1926 (Ed. M.L. Sjoestedt )

<<When it came to an end,

(Mogh Roith) placed

the stone in Ceann Mór's hand

and said to him:

"When Colpa comes to you

by the ford,

throw the stone

and believe me,

for I am sure

that it will divert from you

the valorous feats of Colpa."

After this, Colpa

headed to the ford

of Ráithín an Iomardaigh.

And while he was on his way

from the camp, Mogh Roith

sent a magical breath

northward against him,

so that the stones and

sand of the land

would turn into furious,

devastating fireballs

all the way from the camp

to the ford.>>

There were also beliefs surrounding certain stones, such as the bluestones (like those from Stonehenge), which were thought to give magical and healing powers when wet with water. One of these traditions transitioned from the pagan world to the Christian one and continues to be part of Irish folklore and other isolated areas to this day. These are the Bullaun, the 'bowl' stones, named for their characteristic shape. Initially interpreted as natural wombs and later as baptismal fonts, these rocks are characterized by having a naturally concave and rounded hollow where dew or rainwater accumulates. The accumulated water was considered sacred and healing. However, pouring that water out or placing an object with bad intentions inside would turn it into a curse spell. As of today, it can still be seen that people fill these holes with other stones, some of which have drawings or words representing their requests, as well as the accumulated water being used for unorthodox therapeutic purposes. As a detail, tradition dictates that when cursing, the stone must be turned counterclockwise while saying the name of the person to be cursed.

Curses with strings.

The word 'string' in current Irish is 'sugán', and often the curse made with it is also called by the same name. Basically, to curse while tying knots that symbolically bind the other person (something reminiscent of Roman witches) or to braid or chain them together, placing personal objects of the victim and cursed objects in between. This traditional method of braiding usually required two people, so the suspicion of accomplices was common. Additionally, it closely resembles the witch's ladder that we saw in another article.On the other hand, this type of spell is pure sympathetic magic and is widespread across the Eurasian continent, with close examples such as love spells with strings in Rome (the seven knots), or 'tying' storms, as Finnish magicians did. This is another example of the extent of magical thinking.

Pietro V. Carracedo Ahumada - pietrocarracedo@gmail.com

Bibliography:

-Stuart McKie. The Social Significance of Curse Tablets in the North-Western Provinces of the Roman Empire. The Open University, 2016.

-Mees, B, T, Celtic curses. Boydell Press, 2009

-Waters, T. Irish Cursing and the Art of Magic, 1750–2018. Past & Present, Volume 247, Issue 1, May 2020, Pages 113–149.

Related articles

> Celtic curses (I). Sung and spoken curses.

> Celtic magic (II). Natural magic and divination.

> Tabellae defixionum. Roman curse tablets.