Turn back the pages of Ireland's history and it's people's folkways, and step into a world of rituals, charms and incantations, mischievous fairies, banshees, and leprechauns.
Over 100 years ago, Lady Wilde, mother of famed author Oscar Wilde and an excellent writer herself, collected these hundreds of ancient cures, spells, homespun proverbs, visionary omens and prophecies. Handsome, original illustrations give a further glimpse into this little-known ancient domain - a magical, mystical world where early Irish doctors often prescribed tying up a few spiders in a bag and wearing them around your neck to ward off fever, where people believed it bad luck to leave on a trip on Wednesday, Friday or Saturday where young maidens washed their faces in May Day dew to preserve their yourful complexions.
Complete instructions show a few of the uses for a dead hand, hot to deliver an incantation against the "Fairy stroke" pr mix a malicious charm to cause hatred between lovers, and whole host of ways to use herbs for healing, telling the future and protecting against evil spirits.
Here are the omens, prophesies, and provers of the Irish, in full flower.
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Wikipedia in English
