Charles Godfrey Leland

“ Also, as in German, "Ako i je baba, nje vjestica"--"Though she is an old woman she is no witch"; while, on the other hand, we have, "Svake baba viestica, a djed vjestac"--"Every old woman is a witch, and every old man a wizard."
The proverb, "Bizi ko vistica od biloga luka"--"she runs from it like a witch from white garlic"--will be found fully explained in the chapter on "The Cure of Children," in which it is shown that from early times garlic has been a well-known witch-antidote.
Another saying is, "Uzkostrsila se ko vistica"--"Her hair is as tangled, or twisted, as that of a witch" ”

“ English Romany, "Yuv dikela sá soved a lay sar a chovihani"--"He looks as if he had lain with a witch."
"Svaka vracara s vrazje strane"--"Every witch belongs to the devil's gang"--that is, she has, sold her soul to him and is in his interests. This is allied to the saying, "Kud ce vjestica do u svoj rod?"--"Where should a witch go if not to her kin or, "Birds of a feather flock together."
"Jasa ga vjestice"--"The witches ride him"--refers to the ancient and world-wide belief that witches turn men into animals and ride them in sleep. ”

“ In Naples the gettatura consists of throwing out the fore and middle fingers, so as to imitate horns, with the thumb and fingers closed. Some say the thumb should be within the middle and third fingers. In Florence the anti-witch gesture is to fare la fica, or stick the thumb out between the fore and middle fingers. ”

“ In some places the peasants believe that a fairy lives in the house, who does the work, brings water or wood, or curries the horses. Where such a fairy dwells, all succeeds if he or she is kindly treated" (KORTE'S "German Proverbs") . ”

“ I never enjoyed the mere living as regards all that constitutes ordinary respectable life so keenly as I did after some weeks of great hunger, exposure, and misery, in an artillery company in 1863, at the time of the battle of Gettysburg. ”

“ But he lived no more among men, nor did he after that ever enter a church. And I have heard that any one who will do as he did can draw the fate to come to him, for they are greatly desirous to be loved and worshipped by men as they were in the Roman times. ”

“ To be fairy-struck. (The paralysis is, or rather perhaps was, so called. KEIGHTLEY'S "Fairy Mythology.")
There has never been a merry world since the Phynoderee lost his ground. [A Manx fairy saying. See Train's "Isle of Man," ii. p. 14.8. "Popular Rhymes of the Isle of Man," pp. 16, 17.]
To be pixey-led.
Led astray by fairies or goblins. "When a man has got a wee drap ower muckle whuskey, misses his way home, and gets miles out of his direct course, he tells a tale of excuse and whiles lays the blame on the innocent pixies" (see KEIGHTLEY'S "Fairy Mythology") . ”

“ But behold, O Vladika, Thou hast thrown thyself into every storm, As witches throw or change themselves to cattle." And with these we may include the curse, "Izjele te viestice"--"May the witches eat you!" which has its exact parallel in Romany. Also the Scottish saying, "Witches, warlocks, and gypsies soon ken ae the ither":--
"Witches and warlocks without any bother, Like gypsies on meeting well know one another." ”