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(1953)
On Chants
Of old there were many chants
and songs used especially in the Dances. Many of these have
been forgotten by us here, but we know that they used cries
of IAU which seems muchly like the cries EVO or EVOHE of the
ancients. Much dependeth on the pronunciation if this be so.
In my youth, when I heard IAU it seemed to be AEIOU, or rather,
AAAEEIOOOOUU. This may be but the natural way to prolong it
to make it fit for a call, but it suggests that these be possibly
the initials of an invocation as Agla is said to be, and of
sooth 'tis said that the whole Hebrew alphabet is said to
be such, and for this reason is recited as a most powerful
charm, but at least this is certain, these cries during the
dances do have profound effect, as I myself have seen.
Other calls are IEHOUA and
EHEIE; also Ho Ho Ho Ise Ise Ise.
IEO VEO VEO VEO VEOV OROV
OV OVOVO may be a spell but is more likely to be a call. 'Tis
like the EVOE EVOE of the Greeks and the "Heave ho!" of sailors.
"Emen hetan" and "Ab hur, ab hus" seem calls; as "Horse and
hattock, horse and go, horse and Pellatis, ho, ho, ho!"
"Thout, tout a tout tout,
throughout and about" and "Rentum tormentum" are probably
mispronounced attempts at a forgotten formula, though they
may have been invented by some unfortunate being tortured,
to evade telling the real formula.
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To Help the Sick
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