Greek an incantation is $παοιδ , $πωιδ , ‘singing over’ something or
someone, and the corresponding verb is $παεδω. Italic and Celtic share
the root kan-: Latin cano, canto, cantus, carmen < can-men, all of magical
incantations as well as of singing in general; Umbrian arˇkani kanetu‘cantum
canito’ (Tab. Iguv. IV. 28); Irish canaid ‘sings’, applied often to uttering
incantations. In Old Norse the ordinary word for ‘song’,lióð, can also mean
a spell. Odin in Hávamál 146–63 catalogues eighteen magical lióð that he
knows.^39
Incantations are often metrical and/or marked by stylistic features such as
repetition, symmetrical phrasing, assonance, and refrains.^40 Here is a Vedic
example taken at random:
asaú me smarata ̄d íti, priyó me smarata ̄d íti:
déva ̄h
̇
, prá hin
̇
uta smarám: asaú ma ́ ̄m ánu s ́ocatu.
yátha ̄ máma smára ̄d asaú, na ̄mús ́
̇ya ̄hám
̇kada ̄ caná, ́
déva ̄h
̇
, prá hin
̇
uta smarám: asaú ma ́ ̄m ánu s ́ocatu.
ún ma ̄dayata Maruta, úd Antariks
̇a ma ̄daya,
Ágna, ún ma ̄daya tuám: asaú ma ̄m ánu s ́ ́ocatu.
Let him yearn for me, yes, my dear yearn for me, yes:
gods, send yearning: let him burn for me.
That he yearn for me, not I for him ever at all,
gods, send yearning: let him burn for me.
Send him wild, Maruts, Air, send him wild,
Agni, send him wild: let him burn for me. (AV 6. 130. 2–4)This is completely metrical. As an example of a non-metrical but struc-
tured incantation, full of anaphoric repetition, here is an Avestan mantra
against demons:
pa ̄ta.no ̄ t
̃bisˇ
̇yan
̇tat
̃pairi Mazdåsca A ̄rmaitisˇca spən
̇ta[sca].
nase dae ̄vı ̄ druxsˇ,
nase dae ̄vo.ciθre,
nase dae ̄vo.frakarsˇte,
nase dae ̄vo.frada ̄ite;
apa druxsˇ nase,
apa druxsˇ dva ̄ra,
apa druxsˇ vı ̄nase.(^39) A commoner word for spell is galdr, from the verb galan, which is used of birds’ singing.
Cognate words are attested in Old High German and Old English for bewitching by means of
spells. It has been inferred that among the Germans a special twittering or screeching voice was
used for uttering incantations: de Vries (1956), i. 304 f.
(^40) Cf. de Vries (1956), i. 302 f., 305–7; Gonda (1959), 220 f.; Schmitt (1967), 206–10; Watkins
(1995), 197–240.
- Hymns and Spells 327