San Marino, Huntington Library HM 64

An astrological and medical compilation with many charms and incantations.

Date: s. xv^ex

Scribes:

Medieval owners: John Eccam or Ekam

Original location or linguistic profile:

Magic Category: charms, animal

charms, medical

charms, other

charms, protection

talismans

Specific magic texts: Charms numbered 1-5, consisting of crosses inscribed in circles (fols. 17v, 21v, 34, 51): against enemies; for victory; for a fire; against demons; for victory. These must be worn or put in specific places as talismans. Charms to staunch blood (fols. 23, 102v, 111v, 158, 162r-v), for the falling evil (fols. 110-111v), to cure dog bite (fol. 138r), to heal a wound (verse) (fol. 163), prose charms for wounds (fols. 144v-145, 162v-163), for toothache (fol. 149v) and a verse charm for sore teeth (fols. 145r-v), for childbirth (fols. 111v, 163r-v), against fevers (fol. 168), for headache (fols. 191r-v), for nosebleeds (fol. 192), verse charm for wrists or ankles (fol. 145), for worms (fol. 141v (crossed out)), against evil spirits (fol. 163). To protect sheep (fols. 137v-138). Against moles (fol. 170).

Charm motifs: Apple
Beronix
Coniuro te vermiculum
Five Wounds
Flum Jordan
Gate of Galilee
Jaspar Melchior Baltasar
Longinus Miles
oceanum age
ouere a don roode
Plate of lead
Rex Pax Nax
Sage leaf
Sancta Maria peperit
Sator Arepo
St. Peter
St. Susanne
Tres boni fratres
Wafer charm
Y conjure

Online Information: Manuscript description in the online catalogue

Entry in the DIMEV

Digitised: No, but some images are available with the manuscript description.

Bibliography: Don C. Skemer. Binding words: Textual amulets in the Middle Ages (University Park, PA: Penn State Press, 2006).

Durham, Durham University Library Cosin MS V.v.9

Twelve separate pieces bound together. Contains works on human reproduction, religious texts, part of the Gesta Romanorum, works on philosophy, etc., and medical recipes and prognostications.

Date: s. xiii-xv^med

Scribes:

Medieval owners: Johannes Artowre

Original location or linguistic profile: northern East Anglia

Magic Category: charms, animal

charms, medical

charms, other

charms, protection

charms, thieves

natural magic

recipes and experiments

Specific magic texts: A variety of medical and other charms and possibly natural magic, based on the description in the Durham University Library catalogue. To make fleas congregate in one place (“Sy uys [? si vis] vt omnes pulices congregentur ad vnum locum pone sanguine hyrcy”), to staunch bleeding (“Contra fluxum sanguinis narium siue plage. Scribe has litteras in percameno”) (fol. 119v).
A cure for blindness using the blood of a bat and writing tetragrammaton on an apple (I suspect these may be two recipes), a magical recipe to make men and women dance by writing certain words on virgin wax, and one to catch a thief also done by writing names on virgin wax(fol. 120v).

Charm motifs: Apple
Food
Virgin Wax

Online Information: Manuscript description at the Durham University Library

Digitised: No

Bibliography:

Durham, Durham University Library Cosin MS V.iv.8

Medical recipes. Cf. Cambridge, Trinity College Library MS O.2.13, London, British Library Sloane MS 213.

Date: s. xv

Scribes:

Medieval owners: Richard Helmyslay

Original location or linguistic profile: Partly West Riding of Yorkshire

Magic Category: charms, medical

Specific magic texts: Charms for the falling evil, wicked wights, and wounds (fols. 16r; 22r-v; 30r-v). Some sort of charm-ritual to cure “Golsought” using an apple (fols. 30v-31). A variant form of this is found in MS Cosin V.iv.1.

Charm motifs: Apple
Food
Ring cure for the falling evil
Tres boni fratres

Online Information: Manuscript description at the Durham University Library

Digitised: No

Bibliography:

Cambridge, Pembroke College Library MS S.p.19 (248)

A copy of the Pars Oculi of William of Pagula.

Date: s.xiv, xv

Scribes: William Hobyes

Medieval owners: William Hobyes

Original location or linguistic profile:

Magic Category: charms, animals

charms, other

Specific magic texts: A charm with an unclear purpose for men and for animals (protection?) (fol. 139v?). The animal charm is written in bread, or cheese, or apple:

“Pro hominibus + Leo + fortis + Visim + Et cosim
Pro animalibus scribe in pane uel in caseo uel in pomo hec nomina + sua + nare + ffrare + sua + Nare + ffrare + ffrare + Rare + Rare + ffrare +”

Charm motifs: Writing on food

Online Information: Manuscript description at Archive.org

Entry in the DIMEV

Digitised: No

Bibliography: