Merseburg Echoes:

Scottish GAELIC language items

This is the Merseburg Echoes entry for Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) language Merseburg Spell II-type items. Merseburg Echoes is an ongoing project that compiles and makes accessible as many Merseburg Spell II-type items from the historical record as possible.

This entry was created in 2025 and this project is ongoing. This is entry is not a holistic representation of the historical record and it will be expanded.

Quick attribution:

  • Mimisbrunnr.info. 2025-ongoing. “Scottish Gaelic Language Items”. Merseburg Echoes, Mimisbrunnr.info. URL: https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/scottish-gaelic

Contributors to these entries:

Please note that all URLs were last accessed August 2025.

Highlands, Scotland, 1888

  • Location: Highlands, Scotland

  • Year: 1888

  • Informant:

    Unknown. Published by Alexander McDonald.

  • Item:

    Gàidhlig

    Chaidh Crisod air muin each donn,
    'S bhrist each donn a chois;
    Chuir Criosda smuais ri smuais,
    Cnaimh ri cnaimh,'
    s feoil ri feoil,
    'S shlanaich cois each donn.

    English (translated by Alexander McDonald)

    Christ rode a brown horse,
    And the brown horse broke its leg:
    Christ put marrow to marrow,
    Bone to bone,
    flesh to flesh.
    And the brown horse’s leg was healed.

  • Source:
    MacDonald, Alexander. 1888. “Medical Spells and Charms of the Highlands.” The Celtic Magazine, vol 13, p. 34-40 & 39.

  • Observations:

    None at this time.

Highlands, Scotland, 1890-1891

  • Location: Highlands, Scotland

  • Year: 1890-1891

  • Informant:

    Unknown. Published by Alexander Macbain (d. 1907).

  • Item:

    Gàidhlig

    Chaidh Criosd a mach
    Sa’ mhaduinn mhoich,
    ‘S fhuair e casan nan each
    Air am bristeadh mu seach.
    Chur e cnaimh ri chnaimh,
    Agus feith ri feith,
    Agus feoil ri feoil,
    Agus craicionn ri craicionn,
    ‘S mar leighis esan sin
    Gu’n leigish mise seio

    English (summary & translation by Macbain)

    “This means that Christ early in the morning found the horses’ legs broken, and he put ‘bone to bone, vein to vein, flesh to flesh, skin to skin, and as he healed that so may I heal this’.”

  • Source:
    Macbain, Alexander. 1890-1891. “Gaelic Incantations” in Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness 17, p. 222-266, 223-224.

  • Observations:

    Danielle Cudmore: Macbain notes that the charm would be spoken while “tying a worsted thread on the injured limb” (224). On the incantations in Macbain vis-à-vis Carmina Gadelica, see the note above to the first item from MacKenzie.

Uist, Scotland, 1892a

  • Location: Uist, Scotland

  • Year: 1892 (Reprinted 1895)

  • Informant:

    Unknown. Published by William MacKenzie.

  • Item:

    Gàidhlig

    Dh’ eirich Criosda moch
    Maduinn bhriagha mach;
    Chunnaic e cnamhan ’each
    Air am bristeadh ma seach;
    Chuir e cnaimh ri cnaimh,
    Chuir e smuais ri smuais,
    Chuir e feoil ri feoil,
    Agus feith ri feith;
    Chuir e craicionn ri craicionn:
    Mar a shlanaich Criosda sin
    Gu ’n slanaich mise so.

    English (translated by William MacKenzie)

    Christ arose early and went forth
    One fine morning.
    He beheld his horses’ bones
    Broken cross-wise.
    He put bone to bone;
    He put marrow to marrow;
    He put flesh to flesh;
    He put sinew to sinew;
    And put skin to skin.
    As Christ healed these,
    May I heal this.

  • Source:
    MacKenzie, William. 1895 [1892]. Gaelic Incantations, Charms, and Blessings of the Hebrides, p. 70-71. Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Company. Available online at archive.org: https://archive.org/details/gaelicincantati00mackgoog/page/n86/mode/2up

  • Observations:

    Danielle Cudmore: MacKenzie’s note on this charm (and the following ones) “Eolais for sprains are numerous, and are known as Eolas art t-sniomh, or Eolas air sgiuchadh feithe. They were applied in the case of man, and also in the case of the lower animals. The performer took a worsted thread in his or her mouth, muttered the Incantation, and tied the thread round the injured limb, where it was kept until worn out. In Norse mythology, we have an account of Woden’s adventure with his steed, which slides and wrenches its joint, till successive Galdersongs, or Charms, restore it. It was the same idea with the Highland Charms, Christ, and sometimes St Columba or St Bridget, being mentioned as the author of the cure” (1895 [1892]: 70). It is worth noting here again we see the use of a string in the performance of the charm.

    On the various charms (not specifically this one) recorded by MacKenzie and Macbain (following), vis à vis Carmichael’s Carmina Gadelica, Iain MacAonghais writes “The charms [in these two works] are drawn from more than one source—Carmichael himself contributed indirectly to each paper, though neither paper is mentioned in Carmina—but there is no question here of reworking or collation of texts” (2006: 487).

Uist, Scotland, 1892b

  • Location: Uist, Scotland

  • Year: 1892 (Reprinted 1895)

  • Informant:

    Unknown. Published by William MacKenzie.

  • Item:

    Gàidhlig

    Dh’eirich Calum-Cille moch,
    Fhuair e cnamhan a chuid each
    Cas mu seach
    Chuir e cnaimh ri cnaimh,
    Feoil ri feoil.
    Feithean ri feithean,
    Seiche ri seiche,
    Smuais ri smuais;
    A’ Chriosd mar leighis Thu sid
    Gu ’n leighis Thu so.

    English

    Calum-Cille rose early
    He found the leg bones of his horse
    (twisted) crosswise
    He put bone to bone,
    Flesh to flesh,
    Sinews to sinews,
    Hide to hide,
    Marrow to marrow.
    O Christ as You healed that,
    May You heal this.

  • Source:
    MacKenzie, William. 1895 [1892]. Gaelic Incantations, Charms, and Blessings of the Hebrides, p. 72. Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Company. Available online at archive.org: https://archive.org/details/gaelicincantati00mackgoog/page/n86/mode/2up

  • Observations:

    Danielle Cudmore: On the role of Calum-Cille (Saint Columba), MacKenzie writes, “It is noteworthy that the healing of broken bones by St Columba is mentioned by Adamnan in his Life of the Saint. The holy virgin Maugina, daughter of Daimen, who lived in Clochur, we are there told, when returning from Mass, stumbled and broke her thigh quite through. Columba ordered a disciple named Lugaid to visit her. As Lugaid was setting out on his journey, the Saint gave him a little box, made of pine, saying—“Let the blessed gift which is contained in this box he dipped in a vessel of water when thou comest to visit Maugina, and let the water thus blessed be poured on her thigh : then at once, by the invocation of God’s name, her thigh-bone shall be joined together and made strong, and the holy virgin shall recover perfect health.” Lugaid carried out his master’s directions, and we are told that in an instant Maugina was completely healed by the closing up of the bone.—(See Vita Sancti Columbce, Lib. II., cap. v.)” (1985:72).  Compare to the mention of Calum Cille in the “Charm for a Bursting Vein” in Carmina Gadelica vol 2.

Loch broom, Scotland, 1892

  • Location: Loch Broom, Scotland

  • Year: 1892 (Reprinted 1895)

  • Informant:

    Unknown. Published by William MacKenzie.

  • Item:

    Gàidhlig

    Chaidh Criosda mach’
    S a’ mhaduinn mhoich,’
    S fhuair e casan nan each,
    Air am bristeadh mu seach.
    Chuir e cnaimh ri cnaimh,
    Agus feith ri feith,
    Agus feoil ri feoil,
    Agus craicionn ri craicionn;
    ’S mar leighis Esan sin,
    Gu ’n leighis mise so.

    English (translated by William MacKenzie)

    Christ went forth
    In the early morn
    And found the horses’ legs
    Broken across,
    He put bone to bone,
    Sinew to sinew,
    Flesh to flesh,
    And skin to skin;
    And as He healed that,
    May I heal this.

  • Source:
    MacKenzie, William. 1895 [1892]. Gaelic Incantations, Charms, and Blessings of the Hebrides, p. 71. Northern Counties Newspaper and Printing and Publishing Company. Available online at archive.org: https://archive.org/details/gaelicincantati00mackgoog/page/n86/mode/2up

  • Observations:

    Danielle Cudmore: See observations on previous item (“Uist, Scotland, 1892”).

Scotland, 1900a

  • Location: Scotland (Highland & Islands)

  • Year: 1900

  • Informant:

    Unknown. Published (and possibly reworked) by Alexander Carmichael (d. 1912).

  • Item:

    Gàidhlig
    EOLAS AN T-SNIAMH

    CHAR Bride mach
    Maduinn mhoch,
    Le caraid each;
    Bhris each a chas,
    Le uinich och,
    Bha sid mu seach,
    Chuir i cnamh ri cnamh,
    Chuir i feoil ri feoil,
    Chuir i feithe ri feithe,
    Chuir i cuisle ri cuisle;
    Mar a leighis ise sin
    Gun leighis mise seo.

    English (translated by Alexander Carmichael)
    CHARM OF THE SPRAIN

    BRIDE went out
    In the morning early,
    With a pair of horses;
    One broke his leg,
    With much ado,
    That was apart,
    She put bone to bone,
    She put flesh to flesh,
    She put sinew to sinew,
    She put vein to vein;
    As she healed that
    May I heal this.

  • Source:
    Carmichael, Alexander. 1900. Carmina Gadelica, vol 2, p. 18-19. Oliver and Boyd. Available online at Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/carmina-gadelica-vol-2/page/18/mode/2up

  • Observations:

    Danielle Cudmore: Bride refers to Saint Brigid of Kildare, a saint associated with, among other things, healing. Her role seems to parallel that of Virgin Mary in other versions of the formula. The monumental work of Carmichael has been contentious. Scholars debate the degree to which he massaged or possibly fabricated material before publication; Carmicheal himself described collating various versions of a poem or incantation (MacAonghuis 2006: 486). Iain MacAonghuis (John MacInnes), who provides a good summary in his “New Introduction to the Carmina Gadelica”, writes “…it is now clear that Carmina Gadelica is not a monumental exercise in literary fabrication nor, on the other hand, is it a transcript of ancient poems and spells reproduced exactly in the form in which they survived in oral tradition. There are elements of fabrication undoubtedly: perhaps few texts in Carmina are totally free of some editorial repair-work and some…may have a high degree. But throughout the collection, the core material is the treasure trove of oral literature that Carmichael discovered in Scotland” (2006: 491). The University of Edinburgh’s library houses all of Carmichael’s field notebooks, though they are not digitized; comparison with these will surely prove illuminating.

    Bibliography/Further Reading

  • MacAonghuis, Iain. 2006. “New Introduction to the Carmina Gadelica.” In, Dùthchas nan Gàidheal: Selected Essays of John MacInnes.” Ed. Michael Newton, p. 477-491. Birlinn.

  • The Carmichael Watson Collection (University of Edinburgh): https://library.ed.ac.uk/heritage-collections/collections-and-search/research-resources/gaelic/carmichael-watson

  • See in particular the publications, which include discussions of Carmichael’s methodology:

    https://library.ed.ac.uk/heritage-collections/collections-and-search/research-resources/gaelic/carmichael-watson/publications

Scotland, 1900b

  • Location: Scotland (Highland & Islands)

  • Year: 1900

  • Informant:

    Unknown. Published (and possibly reworked) by Alexander Carmichael (d. 1912).

  • Item:

    Gàidhlig
    EOLAS AN T-SNIAMH

    CHAIDH Criosd a mach
    Maduinn moch,
    Fhuair e cas nan each
    ’Nan spruilleach bog;
    Chuir e smior ri smior,
    Chuir e smuais ri smuais,
    Chuir e cnaimh ri cnaimh,
    Chuir e streabhon ri streabhon,
    Chuir e feith ri feith,
    Chuir e fuil ri fuil,
    Chuir e creais ri creais,
    Chuir e feoil ri feoil,
    Chuir e saill ri saill,
    Chuir e craicionn ri craicionn,
    Chuir e flonn ri flonn,
    Chuir e blath ri blath,
    Chuir e fuar ri fuar;
    Mar a leighis Righ nam buadh sin
    Is dual gun leighis e seo,
    Ma ’s e thoil fein a dheanamh.
          A uchd Ti nan dul,
          Agus Tiur na Trianaid

    English (translated by Alexander Carmichael)
    CHARM OF THE SPRAIN

    CHRIST went out
    In the morning early,
    He found the legs of the horses
    In fragments soft;
    He put marrow to marrow,
    He put pith to pith,
    He put bone to bone,
    He put membrane to membrane,
    He put tendon to tendon,
    He put blood to blood,
    He put tallow to tallow,
    He put flesh to flesh,
    He put fat to fat,
    He put skin to skin,
    He put hair to hair,
    He put warm to warm,
    He put cool to cool,
    As the King of power healed that
    It is in His nature to heal this,
    If it be His own will to do it.
          Through the bosom of the Being of life,
          And of the Three of the Trinity

  • Source:
    Carmichael, Alexander. 1900. Carmina Gadelica, vol 2, p. 20-21. Oliver and Boyd. Available online at Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/carmina-gadelica-vol-2/page/20/mode/2up

  • Observations:

    Danielle Cudmore: See observations on the previous item. Here, the “bone to bone”  formula extends quite a bit; here, perhaps similar the Cath Maige Tuired, the healing is not just of a sprain but of fragmented, and possibly severed, bone.

    Note that three other charms in this section of CG vol 2 contain the healing of a horse (or in one case, an ass), but do not contain the “bone to bone” formula. Two of them are titled “Charm for a Bursting Vein” (Eolas Sgocha Feith), and one is another sprain charm (Eolas an t-Sniamh). In all three, Christ is the healer. The first “bursting vein” charm also names Bride (Saint Brigid) and Calum-cille (Saint Columba). The second calls for “Rosaries of Mary”.

Beinn na Faoghla, Scotland, 1968

  1. Location: Beinn na Faoghla (Benbecula), Outer Hebrides, Scotland

  2. Year: 1968

  3. Informant:

    Patrick MacCormick recorded by Angus John MacDonald

  4. Item:

    Eòlas an t-snìomh.

    Summary from Tobar an Dualchais website:

    If someone injured an ankle, a thread, such as a fishing line, was put on the affected part. The charm used was passed down from a man to a woman and vice versa. No money was needed, and a pin would suffice. The following Gaelic invocation was recited:

    “Chaidh Crìosda a-mach air latha fliuch
    Chunnaic e cnàmhan nan each air am bristeadh mu seach
    Chuir e gach cnàimh ri cnàimh
    Agus chuir e gach alt ri alt
    Agus chuir e gach craiceann ri craiceann
    Agus ma shlànaich Crìosda na h-uilt a bha sin
    Gun slànaich e thusa an-diugh.”

    English translation of the formula (Danielle Cudmore, 2025):

    Christ went out on a wet day
    He saw the bones of the horses (were) broken crosswise
    He put each bone to bone
    And he put each joint to joint
    And he put each skin to skin
    And as Christ healed those joints
    May he heal you today.

  5. Source:
    https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/128804?l=en including a recording!; a transcription of the full conversation (in Gàidhlig)  is here https://www.hiddenheritages.ai/gd/sct/2812

  6. Observations:

    Danielle Cudmore: A note on the item on Tobar an Dualchais “the contributor learned this from his brother, who used it for healing.” The title of the item Eòlas an t-Snìomh is translated as “sprain charm”; interestingly snìomh means not only twisting/spraining (as of a joint), but twisting as in spinning and twining (creating perhaps an interesting connection to MS I?). It seems that threads were also specifically used to cure injuries caused by or to ward off the evil eye.