Lest it be thought that incantations of ‘Christian’ origin were used only with benign intent, it should be noted that Lbs 143 8vo and the Stockholm MS both include the 109 th Psalm as means of cursing by way of retribution. It is worth quoting verses 8 to 13 in order to remind ourselves of its utter vindictiveness:
“Let his days be few; And let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; And let the strangers spoil his labour.
Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: Neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
Let his posterity be cut off; And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.”