Charms of the Scottish Highlands

After their combat, when Cuchulain and Ferdia rested from their wounds, (people of the medical art) came to watch over them, to keep them, and to care for them through the night. Their bumps and cuts and gashes were so horrible, and their wounds so many, that nothing could be done for them, except to put magical amulets on them, and to recite charms and incantations in order to heal the openings and stop the flow of blood.

I save those who are sick unto death from flatulence, from spear-thong, from sudden tumour, from wounds caused by iron, from ul( ?) which fire burns, from egg( ?) which dog eats; be it the blood( ?) that wanes, three nuts that crack ( ?), three sinews that weave ( ?), I strike its disease, I vanquish bloods, weeping of bloods. Let it not be a chronic tumour. May what it goes upon be healed. I put my trust in the remedy which Diancecht left with his people in order that whatever it goes upon may be healed .’ - This is always put in your palm full of water when washing, and you put it in your mouth, and you put the two fingers next to your little finger into your mouth, apart from each other.

Note:
Diancecht is the Medicine-God of the mythical people of Ireland, Thuatha De Danann. He heals those wounded in combat and revives the dead by dunking them in the "Fountain of Health" after having sung incantations that, unfortunately, have not reached us.

This charm, which seems very classic, is designed for helping the surgeon in his or her work. It is also found in Germanic literature in the "Merseburger Zaubersprüche," a manuscript dated from the 10th century. The Kalevala has also given us examples of this charm.

Calum Cille rose early,
He found his horse’s bones
Leg crosswise ;
He set bone to bone,
Flesh to flesh
Sinews to sinews,
hide to hide,
marrow to marrow ;
Christ, as you healed that,
May you heal this.

Note:
The Germanic version speaks of Odin. Here is the second of the two German charms:

Phol and Wodan rode in the wood,
There to Balder's foal, the foot was set right.
There Sunthgunt uttered it , [and] Sunna, her sister.
There Fija uttered it, [and] Volla, her sister.
There Wodan uttered it, as [only] he understood it:
So bones set right as blood set right as limb set right:
Leg to leg, blood to blood, limb to limbs,
as if glued were.

Eye will see you,
Tongue will speak of you ;
Heart will think of you -
The Three are protecting you -
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
[name of sufferer inserted here]
His will be done. Amen.

This second charm is a typical Gaelic one, using strands of wool. It physically braids colored wool strands and mystically braids white and black magic around the patient. The strands are red, white, and black (or blue), and are wound around the part affected by the sickness, and the charm, beginning like the first one, is said three times.

An eye will see you,
Tongue will speak of you,
Heart will think of you,
The Man of Heaven blesses you.
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Four caused your hurt -
Man and wife,
Young man and maiden.
Who is to frustrate that ?
The three persons of the most Holy Trinity,
The Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
I call thee Virgin Mary and St Brigid to witness
that if your hurt was caused by man,
Through ill-will,
Or the evil eye,
Or a wicked heart,
That you [name] may be whole,
While I entwine this about you.
In nomine Patris, ...

This charm comes from another source, and it has been recorded by Carmichael in his book on Scottish charms.

Why came the one stye without the two styes here? Why came the two styes without the three styes here? Why came the three styes without the four styes here? Why came the four styes without the five styes here? Why came the five styes without the six styes here? Why came the six styes without the seven styes here? Why came the seven styes without the eight styes here? Why came the eight styes without the nine styes here? Why came the nine or one at all here? Repeat Pater Noster nine times.