Charms
Charms are usually considered as ‘low’ magic, with ritual based forms being said to be ‘high’ magic. However where high magic was the preserve of the adept low magic was available to everybody and there was a charm against, or to encourage, almost everything. There were weather charms, healing charms, protection charms and charms that were designed to cause harm to others.Charms, in their written or verbal form, have been so common throughout the history of England that people now no longer even recognize them. A child can still recite a charm against rainy days and never is it linked to the magical working that charms originally were part of.
What is a charm?
A charm is a spell. It’s that simple. However, unlike the wide range of styles and structure that ‘high’ magic spell take the charm has a very specific style and structure and it is this simple structure that makes the charm available to the ordinary person.A charm has a bipartite structure. That is to say it has two parts. In the first part of the charm the power of the spell is built up, focused and contained. This is usually done by either addressing the charm to, or in the name of, some supernatural deity or by naming, and thus taking the power of, some natural phenomena.
The second part of the charm consists of the focused discharge of the power that has been built up in the first part. This usually consists of naming or describing the event or outcome the person wishes to come about.
A good example of this structure can be seen in a charm recorded in Somerset in 1908 that was reputed to summon the persons beloved.
“Water, Water, running free, May my love run swift to me.”Here we can see the first line naming the natural phenomena, water, and reinforcing its nature and power by describing its natural action. The second line, the ‘desideratum’, is stated, in this case the desire that the persons love run like fast flowing water to him or her.
In the logic of charms by naming the natural phenomena and describing it performing the action of running the second line has much more power and effect that had it been uttered alone.
It is interesting to note that the phenomena is named twice, this one assumes is to make the point that the person using the charm is invoking the power of the phenomena rather than using it in a descriptive way. We can see this in action in what is probably the most commonly used charm today, a charm against the weather.
“Rain, Rain, go away, Come again some other day.”Again we see the two part structure with the phenomena being named twice to invoke its power, ‘Rain, Rain’ and then the power released into the desired action, ‘Go away. Come again some other day’.
In both of these examples we notice another part of the structure of charms. The words used in the desideratum to actually work the magic, typically the words towards the end of the sentence, are of either a declarative or imperative nature. Declarative words are used to state facts, in the case of charms the declarative form simply states what the outcome should be. We can see this in the traditional Irish blessing, yes another type of charm but in this case invoking the power of a deity, for travelers
“May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, And the rains fall soft upon your fields. And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”Here the power is built in the first 4 lines which describe the good things that are wished for and released by describing the start of affairs that is desired, for God to hold the person being blesses in the palm of his hand.
Another, simpler, example recorded in Exmoor used to heal broken bones describes the desired situation,
‘Sinew to sinew and bone to bone’.Imperative forms are used when the charm involves giving instruction or commands, usually to the offending object rather than a deity or supernatural power. An example recorded in Somerset in 1957 designed to reduce swellings ends
“In frost, Out fire”or the previously mentioned ‘rain, rain go away’ charm where the rain is instructed in what to do, ‘go away’.
It is important to remember however that simply giving instructions does not make something a charm. The classic ‘charm’ used by Shakespeare in ‘Macbeth’ ends
“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Cool it with a baboon's blood, Then the charm is firm and good. “Is not a charm but a set of instructions for traditional ‘high’ magic because they lack the basic bipartite form.
Charms ancient and modern.
In the past charms were much in much more common use. Sometimes they were the short and simple charms we would recognize as suchFor example the charm for burns or scalds found in Devonshire folklore
“There were three Angels who came from the North, One bringing Fire, the other brought Frost, The other he was the Holy Ghost. In Frost, out Fire! “This follows both the bipartite structure and the correct form of words. However often charms were much longer and complex. An Anglo-Saxon journey charm starts
and ends some 250 words later
“Ic me on žisse gyrde beluce and on godes helde bebeode wiš žane sara stice wiš žane sara slege, wiš žane grymma gryre,”
This charm is complex in that it consists of a number of smaller, simpler, sub-charms that individually follow the rules for charms rather than the whole thing having the simple bipartite structure.
“žęt ic on žęs ęlmihtgian friš wunian mote belocun wiš žam lažan, se me lyfes eht, on engla blęd gestaželod, and inna halre hand heofna rices, ža hwile že ic on žis life wunian mote. Amen.”
We can see this if we look at the modern English translation. The charm starts,
“I circle myself with this rod trust to God's grace,Where we see the invocation of the deity as well as calling on the supernatural power of a ‘rod’, followed by the desired outcome, in this case protection against all kinds on nasty things.
Against the sore stitch, against the sore bite,
Against the grim dread,
Against the great horror that is hateful to all,
And all evil that enters this land.”
This structure is repeated throughout the body on this composite charm until it ends,
“I pray now to the God of victory, for God's mercy,again in the simple bipartite charm form.
For a good passage, a peaceful and light
Wind from these shores. Of storms I have heard
That wake swirling waters. Always secure
Against all foes. May I meet with friends,
So I may dwell in the Almighty's peace,
Protected from the loathed one seeking my life,
Established in the majesty of angels,
And in the holy hand of heaven's ruler,
For the span that I stay in this life.
Amen.”
Charms seem to have lost their popularity in recent years as part of the general move away from ‘magic’ and the supernatural towards a more scientific understanding of the world. However as mentioned some charms, the ‘rain, rain, go away’ charm, are still in use, even if they aren’t recognized as such. Another used throughout the land, and equally not seen as a charm, is ‘The lord’s prayer’. This also has the traditional bipartite structure, the first part building the power by addressing the deity,
“Our Father, who art in heaven,And then that power is released by requesting the deity undertake certain actions.
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.”
“Give us this day our daily bread.Note that the prayer also takes the other aspect seen in charms in that the form of words used in the desideratum are declarative in nature, they describe the nature of the situation desired.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.”
Many modern self improvement techniques use what seem to be ‘modern’ charms. These charms are known today as affirmations and usually take the form of a positive statement, either of belief or action.
An affirmation designed to help the person lose weight might be “I am slim” or “I can lose weight”.
At first sight these do not seem to fulfill the bipartite structure required in a charm however if we accept the change in modern society away from natural magic or supernatural powers and towards self empowerment we can see that they do indeed fulfill all the requirements for a charm.
They start with naming the power that will effect the change, the person him or her self and then follow that with a statement of actions required or the desired outcome. They have both part of the bipartite structure the naming power raising “I” and the desideratum “am slim”. The form of words, declarative or imperative also fits the require structure of a charm.
The power being raised is the power of the individual and the outcome is always expressed as a positive. In designing affirmations the person is told that he or she should always phrase them as a positive
“Will lose weight”rather than a negative
“Will stop eating too much”.The intent is always the expression of outcome or action rather than the actual sense of the sentence. This fits well with the importance seen in traditional charms of the outcome or desire.
Charms it would seem haven’t gone away, some such as the lord’s prayer or the “rain, rain” charm have lost their association with magic while others, such as the affirmations, have simply changed in nature to reflect the more individualistic and ‘scientific’ society we now live in. Rather than call on natural or super natural powers they rely on raising the power of self but still the aim is to use this power to achieve the desired outcome.