Sunday 12 February 2012

Folk Lore and Urban Myth 1: The Curse of the Crying Boy

'Hello! My name is Buffy. Ask me about curses.'

- Buffy the Vampire Slayer,  episode 1, Season 6


Welcome to Buddha's Black Dog, my blog on curses and spells: for what it's about  (and my other blogs) see

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/

Buddha's Black Dog is  organised thematically, and older posts will be linked to  after each post. 


The 'Curse of the Crying Boy' is a very curious curse associated with the once-popular kitsch print, 'The Crying Boy'.  The invaluable Fortean Times featured this story in July 2008 -

'The Curse of the Crying Boy’ appeared out of the blue one morning in 1985. The Sun, at that time the most popular tabloid newspaper in the English-speaking world, published on page 13 of its 4 September edition a story headlined: “Blazing Curse of the Crying Boy”. It told how Ron and May Hall blamed a cheap painting of a toddler with tears rolling down his face for a fire which gutted their terraced council home in Rotherham, a mining town in South Yorkshire. The blaze broke out in a chip-pan in the kitchen of their home of 27 years and spread rapidly. But although the downstairs rooms of the house were badly damaged, the framed print of the Crying Boy escaped unscathed. It continued to hang there, surrounded by a scene of devastation. '

See
http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/1308/the_curse_of_the_crying_boy.html

As the Fortean Times points out, there is an old superstition that you can expect bad luck when a picture falls off a wall, and something about the story sparked off a series of similar stories about accidents to the painting  - or variants of it - causing houses to burn down.



See also


Introduction


Ancient Curses 1: the Curse of Akkad

Ancient Curses 2: Otzi the Ice Man


Ancient Curses  3: Egyptian Curses
Ancient Curses 4: a professional's counter-spell
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/10/ancient-curses-4-professionals-counter.html

Curses and Music 1: The 27 Curse and Amy Winehouse

Curses in Literature 1: the Jackdaw of Rheims
http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6404009094692616159#editor/target=post;postID=8036703344964600731

Curses in Literature 2: 'The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral'
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2012/02/curses-in-literature-2-stalls-of.html


Curses that Worked 1: the Curse of Shakespeare's Tomb

Proverbial Curses 1
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/proverbial-curses-1.html
Theatre Curses 1: Macbeth
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/theatre-curses-1-macbeth.html
Historical Curses 1: the Monition of Cursing Against the Border Reivers
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/historical-curses-1-monition-of-cursing.html
My other blogs are 
A Glasgow Album - a photoblog drifting in a melancholy manner around the city
http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com/
and photographs of dogs tied up outside shops and other places (not too melancholy)
http://parkeddogs.blogspot.com/
 



Curses in Literature 2: 'The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral'

'Hello! My name is Buffy. Ask me about curses.'

- Buffy the Vampire Slayer,  episode 1, Season 6


Welcome to Buddha's Black Dog, my blog on curses and spells: for what it's about  (and my other blogs) see

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/

Buddha's Black Dog is  organised thematically, and older posts will be linked to  after each post.


M R James - author of many classic ghost stories - has a rather good curse  in  'The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral'.


When I grew in the Wood
I was water'd wth Blood
Now in the Church I stand
Who that touches me with his Hand
If a Bloody hand he bear
I councell him to be ware
Lest he be fetcht away
Whether by night or day,
But chiefly when the wind blows high
In a night of February.
This I drempt, 26 Febr. AD 1699. John Austin.



The curse is found in an old carving in the church. The reference to 'water'd with blood' indicates that the tree from which the carving was made was a site of sacrifice - probably human as well as animal.


The complete text of this rather disturbing story can be found here.

http://www.litgothic.com/Texts/barchester.html

See also


Introduction
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html


Ancient Curses 1: the Curse of Akkad
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/ancient-curses-1-curse-of-akkad.html

Ancient Curses 2: Otzi the Ice Man
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-2-otzi-ice-man.html

Ancient Curses  3: Egyptian Curses
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-3-egyptian-curses.html
Ancient Curses 4: a professional's counter-spell
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/10/ancient-curses-4-professionals-counter.html

Curses and Music 1: The 27 Curse and Amy Winehouse
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/curses-and-music-1-27-curse-and-amy.html

Curses in Literature 1: the Jackdaw of Rheims
http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6404009094692616159#editor/target=post;postID=8036703344964600731

Curses that Worked 1: the Curse of Shakespeare's Tomb
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/curses-that-worked-1-curse-of.html

Proverbial Curses 1
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/proverbial-curses-1.html
Theatre Curses 1: Macbeth
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/theatre-curses-1-macbeth.html
Historical Curses 1: the Monition of Cursing Against the Border Reivers
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/historical-curses-1-monition-of-cursing.html
 

My other blogs are

A Glasgow Album - a photoblog drifting in a melancholy manner around the city

http://glasgowalbum.blogspot.com

and photographs of dogs tied up outside shops and other places (not too melancholy)

http://parkeddogs.blogspot.com/




Sunday 23 October 2011

Ancient Curses 4: a professional's counter-spell

Here is a very  interesting  curse from the Dark Ages, recorded on one of those  evocatively named 'Babylonian  Demon Bowls' . It is  a 'counter-spell'. The spell is inscribed on a bowl made of clay and this particular example - one of several illustrated here -

http://www.lib.umich.edu/traditions-magic-late-antiquity/def2.display.html

is a spell devised by a professional in cursing in order to protect the against any incoming spells. It dates from the 6th-7th century and is written in an Aramaic dialect (Jesus of course spoke Aramaic). It was found in the Mesopotamian  city of Seleucia-on-Tigris.

The translation is by Timothy La Vallee, The spell is a formulaic one found elsewhere, with the name of the client - in this case, 'Negray daughter of Denday' - inserted into the gaps. The translation and notes were provided by Timothy La Vallee, inserted. Here is an extract - for the complete spell go to the first link above.



Negray daughter of Denday and from her male sons and [...] I have heard and the voice of the weak [...] of the men who are fighting [...] of raging women who curse and afflict and cause pain they have descended against them [Azdai], Yazdun and Yaqrun, Prael the great and Ruphael and Sahtiel and seized them and by the tufts of hair and the tresses of their heads and broke the horns which were high and tied them by the tufts of hair of their heads and said to them "remove that which you have cursed" and they said to him "from the pain of our heart we cursed and from the bitterness of our palate we resolved to curse" I have made you swear and adjure you in the name of Azdai and Yazdun and Yaqrun and Prael the great and Ruphael and Sahtiel that you release (Panel 2) and free [...] Negray daughter of Denday and [...] male and female from [...] all the curses [...] cursed and from the curses of [...] and the mother and from the curse of the prostitute [...] and the fetus and from the curse of the employee and employer who stole the wage and from the curse of the brothers who did not divide truthfully among themselves and from the curses of all people who curse in the name of idol demons and their surrenderings you are the healer you are the healer who heals sicknesses with words you are the healer who turns away the sicknesses and the curses of those who cursed Negray daughter of Denday. . .

Saturday 22 October 2011

Curses in Literature 1: the Jackdaw of Rheims

The Ingoldsby Legends is a charming and once enormously popular collection of myths and legends, written by  Victorian clergyman called Richard Harris Barham. The most popular piece in the collection  is undoubtedly  'The Jackdaw of Rheims,' an anti-Catholic poem which describes how a jackdaw steals a cardinal's ring and is made a saint, despite this impressive curse from the cardinal


The Cardinal rose with a dignified look,
He call'd for his candle, his bell, and his book!
    In holy anger, and pious grief,
    He solemnly cursed that rascally thief!
    He cursed him at board, he cursed him in bed;
    From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head;
    He cursed him in sleeping, that every night
    He should dream of the devil, and wake in a fright;
    He cursed him in eating, he cursed him in drinking,
    He cursed him in coughing, in sneezing, in winking;
    He cursed him in sitting, in standing, in lying;
    He cursed him in walking, in riding, in flying,
    He cursed him in living, he cursed him dying!--
Never was heard such a terrible curse!!
But what gave rise
To no little surprise,
Nobody seem'd one penny the worse!

See wiki for more on the author and his book -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ingoldsby_Legends

Friday 23 September 2011

Proverbial Curses 1

'Hello! My name is Buffy. Ask me about curses.'

- Buffy the Vampire Slayer,  episode 1, Season 6

Welcome to Buddha's Black Dog, my blog on curses and spells: for what it's about  (and my other blogs).  see

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

Buddha's Black Dog is  organised thematically, and older posts will be linked to  after each post.




Some proverbial curses are presented  humorously,  but may have an uncomfortable edge, eg


I hope your rabbit dies and you can't sell the hutch
Probably quite old this one, with variants through the ages.  Our favourite is this from Flashman and the Mountain of Light

Well thank'ee Sir Henry, and I hope your rabbit dies and you can't sell the hutch

Previous Posts

INTRODUCTION

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

ANCIENT CURSES 1: the Curse of Akkad

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/ancient-curses-1-curse-of-akkad.html

ANCIENT CURSES 2: Otzi the Ice Man

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-2-otzi-ice-man.html

ANCIENT CURSES 3: Egyptian Curses

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-3-egyptian-curses.html

Curses and Music 1: The 27 Curse and Amy Winehouse

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/curses-and-music-1-27-curse-and-amy.html

CURSES THAT WORKED 1: the Curse of Shakespeare's Tomb

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/curses-that-worked-1-curse-of.html

Historical Curses 1: the Monition of Cursing Against the Border Reivers

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/historical-curses-1-monition-of-cursing.html


Theatre Curses 1: Macbeth
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/theatre-curses-1-macbeth.html

Thursday 22 September 2011

Theatre Curses 1: Macbeth

'Hello! My name is Buffy. Ask me about curses.'
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer,  episode 1, Season 6

Welcome to Buddha's Black Dog, my blog on curses and spells: for what it's about  (and my other blogs).  see

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

Buddha's Black Dog is  organised thematically, and older posts will be linked to  after each post.



Everyone knows that actors (most of them anyway) don't like saying the name of the play  Macbeth and refer to it as the 'Scottish Play'.  `As Wiki says -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scottish_Play

tradition  holds that there is a real  curse - maybe curses - embedded in the text, and for that reason some of the witches' lines are frequently amended - or even cut.


Even creepier perhaps is the notion that the curse is not that obvious, and occurs in an otherwise innocuous passage.

The actor/director Mark Rylance refused  to believe in  the curse (and doesn't believe William Shakespeare write the plays attribiuted to him), and as it  happens, his touring Macbeth of 1995 is by far the worst Macbeth I have ever seen, though in Glasgow at least we were spared the sight of seeing Jane Horrocks weeing on stage.

For some examples of disasters associated  with Macbeth, see

http://pretallez.com/onstage/theatre/broadway/macbeth/macbeth_curse.html

PREVIOUS POSTS



INTRODUCTION

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

ANCIENT CURSES 1: the Curse of Akkad

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/ancient-curses-1-curse-of-akkad.html

ANCIENT CURSES 2: Otzi the Ice Man

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-2-otzi-ice-man.html

ANCIENT CURSES 3: Egyptian Curses

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-3-egyptian-curses.html

Curses and Music 1: The 27 Curse and Amy Winehouse

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/curses-and-music-1-27-curse-and-amy.html

CURSES THAT WORKED 1: the Curse of Shakespeare's Tomb

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/curses-that-worked-1-curse-of.html

Historical Curses 1: the Monition of Cursing Against the Border Reivers
http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/09/historical-curses-1-monition-of-cursing.html

Monday 12 September 2011

Historical Curses 1: the Monition of Cursing Against the Border Reivers

'Hello! My name is Buffy. Ask me about curses.'
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer,  episode 1, Season 6

Welcome to Buddha's Black Dog, my blog on curses and spells: for what it's about  (and my other blogs).  see

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

Buddha's Black Dog is  organised thematically, and older posts will be linked to  after each post.

Thanks to George MacDonald  Fraser's magnificent book, The Steel Bonnets (1971), the  Archbishop of Glasgow's 1524 curse against the depredations of the Border reivers has become once again well known. The bishop of Glasgow was one  Gavin Dunbar ( c.1490-1547), and he himself was not a significant  addition to the general well-being of 16th century Scotland. He was made archbishop by Pope Clement VII, the Medici pope whose bungling and cruelty did so much to damage the prestige of the church.  Dunbar did his best to live down to his pope's beliefs, and had Protestants burned at the stake.

As Fraser says, the curse places Dunbar among  'the great cursers of all time. Here it is in all its Scots glory:




"Gude folks, heir at my Archibischop of Glasgwis letters under his round sele, direct to me or any uther chapellane, makand mensioun, with greit regrait, how hevy he beris the pietous, lamentabill, and dolorous complaint that pass our all realme and commis to his eris, be oppin voce and fame, how our souverane lordis trew liegis, men, wiffis and barnys, bocht and redeimit be the precious blude of our Salviour Jhesu Crist, and levand in his lawis, are saikleslie part murdrist, part slayne, brynt, heryit, spulziet and reft, oppinly on day licht and under silens of the nicht, and thair takis and landis laid waist, and thair self banyst therfra, als wele kirklandis as utheris, be commoun tratouris, ravaris, theiffis, dulleand in the south part of this realme, sic as Tevidale, Esdale, Liddisdale, Ewisdale, Nedisdale, and Annandereaill; quhilis hes bene diverse ways persewit and punist be the temperale swerd and our Soverane Lordis auctorite, and dredis nocht the samyn.

And thairfoir my said Lord Archbischop of Glasgw hes thocht expedient to strike thame with the terribill swerd of halykirk, quhilk thai may nocht lang endur and resist; and has chargeit me, or any uther chapellane, to denounce, declair and proclame thaim oppinly and generalie cursit, at this market-croce, and all utheris public places.

Hairfor throw the auctorite of Almichty God, the Fader of hevin, his Son, our Saviour, Jhesu Crist, and of the Halygaist; throw the auctorite of the Blissit Virgin Sanct Mary, Sanct Michael, Sanct Gabriell, and all the angellis; Sanct John the Baptist, and all the haly patriarkis and prophets; Sanct Peter, Sanct Paull, Sanct Andro, and all haly appostillis; Sanct Stephin, Sanct Laurence, and all haly mertheris; Sanct Gile, Sanct Martyn, and all haly confessouris; Sanct Anne, Sanct Katherin, and all haly virginis and matronis; and of all the sanctis and haly company of hevin; be the auctorite of our Haly Fader the Paip and his cardinalis, aned of my said Lord Archibischop of Glasgw, be the avise and assistance of my lordis, archibischop, bischopis, abbotis, priouris, and utheris prelatis and minesteris of halykirk.

I denounce, proclamis, and declaris all and sindry the committaris of the said saikles murthris, slauchteris, brinying, heirchippes, reiffis, thiftis and spulezeis, oppinly apon day licht and under silence ofnicht, alswele within temporale landis as kirklandis; togither with thair partakeris, assitaris, supplearis, wittandlie resettaris of thair personis, the gudes reft and stollen be thaim, art or part thereof, and their counsalouris and defendouris, of thair evil dedis generalie CURSIT, waryit, aggregeite, and reaggregeite, with the GREIT CURSING.

I curse their heid and all the haris of thair heid; I curse thair face, thair ene, thair mouth, thair neise, thair tongue, thair teeth, thair crag, thair shoulderis, thair breist, thair hert, thair stomok, thair bak, thair wame, thair armes, thais leggis, thair handis, thair feit, and everilk part of thair body, frae the top of their heid to the soill of thair feet, befoir and behind, within and without.

I curse thaim gangand, and I curse them rydand; I curse thaim standand, and I curse thaim sittand; I curse thaim etand, I curse thaim drinkand; I curse thaim walkand, I curse thaim sleepand; I curse thaim risand, I curse thaim lyand; I curse thaim at hame, I curse thaim fra hame; I curse thaim within the house, I curse thaim without the house; I curse thair wiffis, thair barnis, and thair servandis participand with thaim in their deides. I way thair cornys, thair catales, thair woll, thair scheip, thjair horse, thair swyne, thair geise, thair hennes, and all thair quyk gude. I wary their hallis, thair chalmeris, thair kechingis, thair stanillis, thair barnys, thair biris, thair bernyardis, thair cailyardis thair plewis, thair harrowis, and the gudis and housis that is necessair for their sustentatioun and weilfair.

All the malesouns and waresouns that ever gat warldlie creatur sen the begynnyng of the world to this hour mot licht on thaim. The maledictioun of God, that lichtit apon Lucifer and all his fallowis, that strak thaim frae the hie hevin to the deip hell, mot licht apon thaimr. The fire and the swerd that stoppit Adam far the yettis of Paradise, mot stop thaim frae the gloire of Hevin. quhill thai forbere and mak amendis. The malesound that lichtit on cursit Cayein, quhen his slew his bruther just Abell saiklessly, mot licth on thaim for the saikles slauchter that thai commit dailie. The maledictioun that lichtit apon all the warlde, man and beist, and all that ever tuk life, quhen all was drownit be the flude of Noye, except Noye and his ark, mot licht apon thame and drouned thame, man and beist, and mak this realm cummirless of thame for thair wicked synnyes. The thunnour and fireflauchtis that set doun as rane apon the cities of Zodoma and Gomora, with all the landis about, and brynt thame for thair vile sunnys, mot rane apon thame, and birne thaim for oppin synnis. Tha malesoun and confusion that lichtit on the Gigantis for thair oppressioun and pride, biggand the tour of Bablloun, mot confound thaim and all thair werkis, for thair opppin reiffs and oppressioun. All the plagis that fell apon Pharao and his pepill of Egipt, thair landis, cornse, and cataill, mot fall apon thaim, thair takkis, rowmys and stedingis, cornys and beistis. The watter of Tweid and utheris watteris quhair thair ride mot droun thaim, as the Reid Say drownit King Pharoao and his pepil of Egipt, sersewing Godis pepill of Israell. The erd mot oppin, riffe and cleiff, and swelly thaim quyk to hell, as it swellyt cursit Dathan and Abiron, that genestude Moeses and the command of God. The wyld fyre that byrnt Thore and his fallowis to the nowmer of twa hundredth and fyty, and utheris 14000 and 7000 at anys, usurpand aganis Moyses and Aaron, servandis of God, not suddanely birne and consume thaim dailie genestandand the commandis of God and halykirk. The malediction that lichtit suddanely upon fair Absalon, rydant contrair his fader, King David, servand of God, throw the wod, quhen the branchis of ane tre fred him of his horse and hangit him be the hair, mot lie apon thaain trew Scottis men, and hang thaim siclike tha all the warld may se. The Maledictioun that lichtit apon Olifernus, lieutenant to Nabogodonooser, makand weair and heirchippis apon trew cristin men, the maledictioun that lichtit apon Judas, Pylot, Herod and the Jowis that chucifyit Our Lord, and all the plagis and trublis that lichtit on the citte of Jherusalme thairfor, and upon Simon Magus for his symony, bludy Nero, cusit Ditius Makcensisu, Olibruis, Julianus Apostita and the laiff of the cruell tirrannis that slew and murthirit Crits haly servandis, mot licth apon thame for thair cruel tiranny and murthirdome of cristin pepill.

And all the vengeance that evir was takin sen the warlde began for oppin synnys, and all the plagis and pestilence that ever fell on man or beist, mot fall on thaim for thair oppin reiff, saiklesse slauchter and schedding of innocent blude. I disserver and pairtis thaim fra the kirk of God, and deliveris thaim quyk to the devill of hell, as the Apostill Sanct Paull deliverit Corinthion. I interdite the places thay cum in fra divine service, minitracioun of the sacramentis of halykirk, except the sacrament of baptissing allenerlie; and forbiddis all kirkmen to schriffe or absolbe thim of theire synnys, quhill they be firs abolyeit of this cursing.

I forbid all cristin man or woman till have ony company with thaime, etand, drynkand, spekand, prayand, lyand, gangand, standand, or in any uther deid doand, under the paine of deidly syn. I discharge all bandis, actis, contractis, athis and obligatiounis made to them by ony persounis, outher of lawte, kyndenes or manrent, salang as thai susteined this cursing, sub that na man be bundin to thaim, and that this be bundin till all men. I tak fra thame and cryis douned all the gude dedis that ever thai did or sall do, quhill thai rise froae this cursing. I declare thaim partles of of all matynys, messis, evinsangis, dirigeis or utheris prayeris, on buke or beid; of all pilgrimagis and almouse deids done or to be done in halykirk or be cristin pepill, enduring this cursing.

And, finally, I condemn thaim perpetualie to the deip pit of hell, the remain with Lucifer and all his fallowis, and thair bodeis to the gallows of the Burrow Mure, first to be hangit, syne revin and ruggit with doggis, swyne, and utheris wyld beists, abhominable to all the warld. And their candillis gangis frae your sicht, ast mot their saulis gang fra the visage of God, and thair gude faim fra the warld, quhill thai forbeir thair oppin synnys foirsaidis and ryse frae this terribill cursing, and mak satisfaction and pennance."





PREVIOUS POSTS



INTRODUCTION

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

ANCIENT CURSES 1: the Curse of Akkad

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/ancient-curses-1-curse-of-akkad.html

ANCIENT CURSES 2: Otzi the Ice Man

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-2-otzi-ice-man.html

ANCIENT CURSES 3: Egyptian Curses

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-curses-3-egyptian-curses.html

Curses and Music 1: The 27 Curse and Amy Winehouse


http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/07/curses-and-music-1-27-curse-and-amy.html

CURSES THAT WORKED 1: the Curse of Shakespeare's Tomb

http://buddhasblackdog.blogspot.com/2011/06/curses-that-worked-1-curse-of.html