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Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1891
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About the author
Charles Godfrey Leland
358 books37 followersCharles Godfrey Leland (August 15, 1824 – March 20, 1903) was an American humorist and folklorist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was educated at Princeton University and in Europe.
Leland worked in journalism, travelled extensively, and became interested in folklore and folk linguistics, publishing books and articles on American and European languages and folk traditions. Leland worked in a wide variety of trades, achieved recognition as the author of the comic Hans Breitmann’s Ballads, fought in two conflicts, and wrote what was to become a primary source text for Neopaganism half a century later, Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches.
Leland worked in journalism, travelled extensively, and became interested in folklore and folk linguistics, publishing books and articles on American and European languages and folk traditions. Leland worked in a wide variety of trades, achieved recognition as the author of the comic Hans Breitmann’s Ballads, fought in two conflicts, and wrote what was to become a primary source text for Neopaganism half a century later, Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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July 28, 2011This review serves as a double review for not only am I evaluating a book but I am also evaluating the device I read it on. I downloaded this book off the internet in PDF form onto a Kobo reading application put out by Borders. Sometimes PDF's can be rather difficult but I have read book on Ibook and Kindles. So far Kindle and I books are great. Ibooks did a better job handling PDF'sthen did Kobo. Kobo often times changed pages with being instructed to do so. Turning pages was also difficult with the device. That being said stick with the Kindle.
Not too much has been published with regards to gypsy lore and spellcraft. This is one of the few books available on the subject. Mr. Leland travelled to Europe and lived with the Gysies for a good length of time. While living with the Gypsies he was able to learn their history and their lore. I would say that although the book is dated having been first published in 1923, that it is an over all good book opn Gypsy lore.
Dated material often times does have some drawbacks. There have been a couple facts trghat encountered that are rather questionable especially with regards to the Jewish religion. But more on that later.
The Gypsies originated from India and ventured Westward into Europe. They are a wandering people that often live close to nature and apart from mainstream civilization in general. They are very knowledgeable about herbs and natural cures and how to read signs given by nature. Their spirituality or magick bears great closeness to the Hindu religion back in India from whwence they originate. A Hindyu sorcerer can request the aid of spirits to curse or help an individal much like a gyspy can. European witch craft and magick was most likely bborn from Gypsy practices.
Man always has a fear of evil spirits even in a darkened room the imagination will take over and create a sort of bogy man that must be placated. Many an early religion were centered on placating an evil bogy with gifts so they people would avoid coming into harm.
Gypsy magic has spells to cure headaches and other sicknesses. Often times these are transferred into a plant or a tree by spitting into and saying a magical incanation. There bare also spells for love and finding stolen objects in fact too many to be listed. Eggshells can used for divinations and to makle boats for witches that would enable them to sail across the sea. Gypsies even have faerie lore. Faeries of air tend to be very unfriendly towards mankind while those of water are ok with man so long as they are near land. Once water faeries get near water they can become dangerous. Land faeries are the ones who will help mankind.
To these Indo Europeans everything has a spirit. The hazelnut houses the spririt of the witch. In fact a necklace of Hazelnuts is used to ward off bad luck. Much like British witch craft the toad is a very important animal. They can be trained like other animals and can give their owners magical powers. Toad are often used in fortune telling. Some beliee that toads are human sould trapped in an animal body only to be set free when the purpose is accomplished . Such purposes could include a pilgrimage to a holy spot.
Gypsy magic is replete with simple rhymes that even children will learn. I have deduced a formula that going from 1-10 would make something larger. This could be used for luck or fortune. While counting backwards from 10 to 1 would make something decrease. That would be something negative.
Gypsies have a neutral view towards witches. Witches are gifted individuals in magic, what is importatnt is how they use this gift. The view towards Gypsies, witches and Jews in Europe has been one of hostility. Gypsies are oft persecuted and witches have been burned alive based on a mere accusation. Gypsies believe that many objects likes swords, rabbit feet and stone can have a conciousness and life force if attached to a person for a long enough time. A sword that has killed enough will aquire a spirit. Sea Shell sem to mean alot to gypsies as they are used to ward off eil. In fact they believe that they can hear supernatuiral; voices if they put the shell up to their ear.
The view seems to shared by others. Now we get to a point where I diverge from one of his statements. He seems to believe that Jewish kabbalists believe they could hear the voice of God in a shell. Good fine and well. But he then goes on to say that they had a ritual where they ritually prepared a child's head and skillfully manipulated the childs ear canals to hear a sound. I am not sure if he meant that tehy took the head of a child who had already been dead, killed a child or if the child was still alive. From my knowledge of Judaism I have never heard of this practice. It seems rather far fetched. The author does elucidate that Christians also sacrificed children and maids by building them into walls to make sure the building did not fall. They Europeans also burned many people alive.
I give the book 4/5 stars. Excellent material on Gypsy spellcraft. The work is dated and many points may have been refuted. There are some errors about other groups that I have noticed and there may be others that nhave slipped my attention.
Not too much has been published with regards to gypsy lore and spellcraft. This is one of the few books available on the subject. Mr. Leland travelled to Europe and lived with the Gysies for a good length of time. While living with the Gypsies he was able to learn their history and their lore. I would say that although the book is dated having been first published in 1923, that it is an over all good book opn Gypsy lore.
Dated material often times does have some drawbacks. There have been a couple facts trghat encountered that are rather questionable especially with regards to the Jewish religion. But more on that later.
The Gypsies originated from India and ventured Westward into Europe. They are a wandering people that often live close to nature and apart from mainstream civilization in general. They are very knowledgeable about herbs and natural cures and how to read signs given by nature. Their spirituality or magick bears great closeness to the Hindu religion back in India from whwence they originate. A Hindyu sorcerer can request the aid of spirits to curse or help an individal much like a gyspy can. European witch craft and magick was most likely bborn from Gypsy practices.
Man always has a fear of evil spirits even in a darkened room the imagination will take over and create a sort of bogy man that must be placated. Many an early religion were centered on placating an evil bogy with gifts so they people would avoid coming into harm.
Gypsy magic has spells to cure headaches and other sicknesses. Often times these are transferred into a plant or a tree by spitting into and saying a magical incanation. There bare also spells for love and finding stolen objects in fact too many to be listed. Eggshells can used for divinations and to makle boats for witches that would enable them to sail across the sea. Gypsies even have faerie lore. Faeries of air tend to be very unfriendly towards mankind while those of water are ok with man so long as they are near land. Once water faeries get near water they can become dangerous. Land faeries are the ones who will help mankind.
To these Indo Europeans everything has a spirit. The hazelnut houses the spririt of the witch. In fact a necklace of Hazelnuts is used to ward off bad luck. Much like British witch craft the toad is a very important animal. They can be trained like other animals and can give their owners magical powers. Toad are often used in fortune telling. Some beliee that toads are human sould trapped in an animal body only to be set free when the purpose is accomplished . Such purposes could include a pilgrimage to a holy spot.
Gypsy magic is replete with simple rhymes that even children will learn. I have deduced a formula that going from 1-10 would make something larger. This could be used for luck or fortune. While counting backwards from 10 to 1 would make something decrease. That would be something negative.
Gypsies have a neutral view towards witches. Witches are gifted individuals in magic, what is importatnt is how they use this gift. The view towards Gypsies, witches and Jews in Europe has been one of hostility. Gypsies are oft persecuted and witches have been burned alive based on a mere accusation. Gypsies believe that many objects likes swords, rabbit feet and stone can have a conciousness and life force if attached to a person for a long enough time. A sword that has killed enough will aquire a spirit. Sea Shell sem to mean alot to gypsies as they are used to ward off eil. In fact they believe that they can hear supernatuiral; voices if they put the shell up to their ear.
The view seems to shared by others. Now we get to a point where I diverge from one of his statements. He seems to believe that Jewish kabbalists believe they could hear the voice of God in a shell. Good fine and well. But he then goes on to say that they had a ritual where they ritually prepared a child's head and skillfully manipulated the childs ear canals to hear a sound. I am not sure if he meant that tehy took the head of a child who had already been dead, killed a child or if the child was still alive. From my knowledge of Judaism I have never heard of this practice. It seems rather far fetched. The author does elucidate that Christians also sacrificed children and maids by building them into walls to make sure the building did not fall. They Europeans also burned many people alive.
I give the book 4/5 stars. Excellent material on Gypsy spellcraft. The work is dated and many points may have been refuted. There are some errors about other groups that I have noticed and there may be others that nhave slipped my attention.
November 27, 2018
The information and magic is sound. The reason I give it 4 stars only is because Leland was a Racist shit pot who stole Romani secrets to make a living.
January 22, 2019
Hopped onto Project Gutenberg at the beginning of the year to see their new books. This is the one I picked and I was super surprised at how much I like it. There were some parts I skipped over, but overall I read it through. There are so many things that you say in daily life that actually originated as spells, incantations, etc. With all the remedies for colds, sickness, disease, bad luck, how would you keep up with it? Nearly all women are considered witches, mostly after a certain age.
August 16, 2021
The version I purchased was a reprint somebody did via Amazon, it was poorly reproduced in places and was littered with adverts for their online magical goods shop. The book itself was of interest in places but often hard to follow due to the archaic style of writing. I struggled not to DNF this and skim read much of it. I wouldn't waste your money on this
January 30, 2025
Leland is a difficult source. His observations are dripping with the bias of a western academic, though he clearly had enthusiasm for the occult beliefs of different peoples. He makes a number of statements that have no clear support, so it falls to us to validate them with other sources.
March 2, 2020
Good for a few references and some interesting folklore. Very dry and poorly formatted at many of times. Language is that of the time and as such not up to date in terms of political correctness.
February 16, 2021
Mi aspettavo altro, sinceramente, ma a livello teorico non è male dai.
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January 3, 2025Gypsy sorcery, the author says, derives from “old Shamanism…. deeply based among the inferior races,” in contrast to “the beautiful Nature-worship of the early Aryans”. As these quotes suggest, the book is not a reliable guide to Romani people or their actual beliefs and practices, current or past. It does however include many snippets of folklore and fairytale, Romani or not. They have passed through many hands but are still imbued with sympathetic magic. If you are trembling due to an illness, shaking a sapling will transfer your malaise to the tree. Other bad things can be conjured into holes bored in trees, or wafted away into running streams. Cuckoos may tell men of the infidelity of wives, and how long the men have to live. If your cat runs away, when recovered it must be swung three times round one of your rooms to re-attach it to your dwelling – hence the saying about no room to swing a cat.
June 26, 2017
A thoroughly interesting and at times dark view into beliefs, black and white magic and superstitions of various indigenous peoples of Europe and beyond. The main emphasis still centers in the gypsies of Transylvania and Hungary, but a vast array of other ethnicities are referenced in brief glimpses as comparison.
As this is one of Mr Leland's final works prior to his passing, the text brings forth clearly the long years of research and travel in very elaborate and enjoyable manner - taken that the modern reader is able to regard the racial and ethnic views of the author in the context of his time.
As this is one of Mr Leland's final works prior to his passing, the text brings forth clearly the long years of research and travel in very elaborate and enjoyable manner - taken that the modern reader is able to regard the racial and ethnic views of the author in the context of his time.
November 26, 2013
Definitely a product of its time, racist and misogynist but also touching in its absolute belief in human potential, in the wonder of nature, and in the value of folklore. A source of intriguing legends and spells, but especially interesting for the access it offer to "progressive" views of the late 19th century. Sometimes I was irritated and sometimes I loved it.
April 26, 2012
More Politically Incorrect Propaganda that perpetuates the dehumanizing Gypsy Stereotype.
"The Good Spell Book" is another Romani Spell-Book that is much more light-hearted and magical as opposed to insensitive and impairing to Romani Rights like this book.
"The Good Spell Book" is another Romani Spell-Book that is much more light-hearted and magical as opposed to insensitive and impairing to Romani Rights like this book.
February 26, 2014
a very interesting book with a lot of weird stuff about the gypsy folk and witches..it's not very rich in information but it will do for the mere purpose of entertaining..i left out one star off my rating for the untranslated parts around the book
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May 15, 2020Just too dated (language and ideas) to want to finish. Good for historical record I'm sure but not what I was looking for.
October 13, 2011
I loved reading this colorful book on magic. A good book for armchair anthropologists.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews