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Scottish
Charms and Amulets
Amber Beads Used As Charms |
Among the Romans amber was worn as an amulet by
children against secret poison, and as a counter-charm against sorcery.
Pliny records the opinion of
Callistratus, that the substance was also of service at all periods of
life against insanity and stranguaries, either taken inwardly in powder or
worn round the neck. A particular kind of amber, called by Callistratus
chrys-electrum, worn round the neck, cured fevers, and diseases of the
mouth, throat, and jaws. When powdered and mixed with honey and oil of
roses it was a specific for deafness, and mixed with Attie honey it was
good for dimness of sight. In Scotland necklaces of amber beads are said
to have been particularly prized among the fishing population of the East
Coast on account of the talismanic virtues of the substance. Leslie says
that the women on the East Coast in his time used amber hung round their
necks to decorate themselves, and also hung it on their infants to protect
them from evil: "necnon et infantes suos adversus nescio quæ mala munire
solent." According to an old rhyme, amber beads possessed the power of
driving away witches. Four small amber beads, presented to the Museum in
1849, were stated by the donor to have been formerly regarded by the
Macdonalds of Glencoe as a charm for the cure of blindness. In the
North-East of Scotland an amber bead was commonly used to remove a chaff
from the eye of man and beast; and a necklace of the same material was
worn as a cure for disease of the eyes. On Tweedside an amber bead was
also used for the cure of sore eyes and sprained limbs.
To Dr R. de Bras Trotter of Perth, I am indebted for the following account
of an amber bead in his possession, which was formerly used as a charm.
The bead is 7/8ths inch in diameter and ½ inch thick, and has a silver
ring through the perforation:-
"I got the bead when a boy (about 1845) from Mrs Shaw,
near Auchencairn, Rerwick, Galloway. It originally belonged to her father,
a man of the name of Carnochan, a celebrated smuggler of the end of last
century. The history of it, which of course is entirely fabulous, was that
he took it from a "bing o’ eththers" which were busy making it, at the
fort of Knocktintal that he galloped with it in his hand, and the adders
in pursuit, across the sands of Auchencairn Bay at half tide, and swam his
horse through the tide to the island of Hestan, the adders being drowned
when they got among the broken water. He wore it on a ribbon round his
neck as a talisman for luck, and used it for curing "backgaun weans," "elfshot
kye," and "sick beass" generally, and for averting the effects of the evil
eye. It had to be dipped three times in water, which was given to the sick
child or animal to drink. I don’t remember if any words were said. Old
Carnochan lost it one Sunday when digging for worms in his garden, and his
luck left him, his cargoes were captured, his hiding-place betrayed, and
he died in poverty. One of his grand children many years after found it in
the garden, but the luck didn’t return with it. It was tried to cure Jean
Craig’s cat, but the cat died, and so it was thought of no more use." |
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Charms and Amulets
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