The Humbugs of the World · Chapter
Charms and Incantations explained
This chapter catalogs a wide array of magical charms, incantations, and superstitious practices from various cultures and historical periods, including Roman, Greek, Hebrew, Mohammedan, gypsy, German, Irish, and Scottish traditions.
What happens
This chapter catalogs a wide array of magical charms, incantations, and superstitious practices from various cultures and historical periods, including Roman, Greek, Hebrew, Mohammedan, gypsy, German, Irish, and Scottish traditions. It details specific spells for curing ailments, raising the devil, transforming into animals, and cursing enemies, while emphasizing that such beliefs are pure mummery and that similar humbug persists in modern times.
Themes in this chapter
Religion and Superstition
The chapter extensively documents how religious and superstitious beliefs underpin magical incantations, from Hebrew secret names to Christian prayers used as charms.
Gullibility and Human Nature
Barnum highlights the enduring gullibility of people who believe in these charms, noting that similar foolishness persists in modern times.
Definition and Nature of Humbug
The chapter explicitly labels the charms as 'nonsense' and 'pure mummery,' illustrating how such practices constitute humbug by deceiving the credulous.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Barnum
The narrator, who compiles and comments on the various charms and incantations, exposing them as humbug.
Key passages
“The Roman Cato, so famous for his grumness and virtue, believed that if he were ill, it would much help him, and that it would cure sprains in others, to say over these words: 'Daries, dardaries, astaris, ista, pista, sista,'”
The famously stern and virtuous Roman Cato thought that reciting a specific string of nonsense words could cure his own illnesses and heal others' sprains.
Barnum uses Cato's belief to illustrate how even respected figures can fall for superstitious humbug.
“The ancient Hebrews believed that there was a secret name of God, usually thought to be inexpressible, and only to be represented by a mystic figure kept in the Temple, and that if anyone could learn it, and repeat it, he could rule the intelligent and unintelligent creation at his will.”
Ancient Hebrews thought God had a secret name, represented by a mystic symbol in the Temple, which if spoken would grant the speaker power over all creation.
This shows how religious mystery can be exploited as a form of humbug.
“Enough of this nonsense. It is pure mummery. Yet it is worth while to know exactly what the means were which in ancient times were relied on for such purposes, and it is not useless to put this matter on record; for just such formulas are believed in now by many people.”
Barnum dismisses these charms as foolishness but argues it is valuable to document them because similar beliefs still fool people today.
Barnum explicitly connects historical superstition to contemporary humbug.