Charming the sword

Under St Patrick’s Day Hone gathered old English accounts of Irish beliefs. Spenser wrote in 1596 that the Irish going into battle said prayers or charms over their swords, making a cross on the earth with them and thrusting the points into the ground for better success in the fight, and that they commonly swore by their swords. Gainsford in 1619 said they used spells, wore girdles of women’s hair and locks of their lovers’ hair, and were particular about their horses in ways that tended to witchcraft.