FOR CONVULSIVE WEEPING
When the child is subject to convulsive weeping or spasms, and loses its
sleep, the mother takes a straw from the child's sleeping-place and puts into
her mouth. Then, while she is fumigated with dried cow-dung, into, which
the hair of the father and mother have been mingled, she chants:--
"Bala, bálá pçubuven,
Čik te bálá pçubuven,
Čik te bálá pçubuven,
Pçábuvel náshvályipen!""Hair, hair, burn!
Dirt and hair burn
Dirt and hair burn
Illness be burned!"In Southern Hungary convulsive weeping in children is cured as follows:
In the evening, when the fire burns before the tent, the mother takes her
child in her arms and carries it three times around the fire, putting on it a
pipkin full of water, into which she puts three coals. With this water she
washes the head of her child, and pours some of it on a black dog. Then she
goes to the next stream or brook, and lets fall into it a red twist, saying:--
"Lává Niváshi ádá bolditori te láhá m're čaveskro rovipen! Káná
sástavestes ánáv me tute pçábáyá te yándrá."
"Nivashi take this twist, and with it the weeping of my child. When it is
well I will bring thee apples and eggs."
FOR A BUMP ON THE HEAD
When a child "bumps" its head the swelling is pressed with the blade of a
knife, and the following spell is muttered thrice, seven, or nine times,
according to the gravity of the injury:--
"Ač tu, ač in, ač kovles,
The may sik tu mudarés!
Andre pcuv tu jiá,
Dikav tut me ñikáná!
Shuri, shuri áná,
De pal pçuv!""Be thou, be thou, be thou weak (i.e., soft)
And very soon perish!