Home › Ring Superstitions › Ring Superstitions: Henry

Ring Superstitions: Henry

The following entry occurs in the account of the seventh and eighth years of Henry IV. (1406). ‘In oblacionibus domini regis factis adorando crucem in capella infra manerium suum de Eltham, die parasceves, in precio trium nobilium auri, et v. solidorum sterlyng, xxv. s.' 'In denariis solutis pro eisdem oblacionibus reassumptis, pro annulis medicinalibus inde faciendis, xxv. s.' A ring considered to possess some healing or talismanic virtues was also termed, in mediæval Latin, vertuosus. Thus Thomas de Hoton, rector of Kyrkebymisperton, 1351, bequeathed to his chaplain 'j. zonam de serico, j. bonam bursam, j. firmaculum, et j. anulum vertuosum. Item, domino Thome de Bouthum, j. par de bedes de corall, j. annulum vertuosum.' Andrew Boorde, who lived in the reign of Henry VIII., alluding to the cramp-rings, says, in his 'Introduction to Knowledge,' the 'Kynges of England doth halow every yere crampe rynges, ye whych rynges worn on one's finger doth helpe them whych have the crampe.' And, again, in his 'Breviary of Health' (1557), he writes: 'The kynge's majesty hath a great helpe in this matter in halowynge crampe rings, and so given without money or petition, ye which rynges worne on one's finger doth helpe them,' &c. This ceremonial was practised by previous sovereigns. Hospinian gives an account of the proceedings, and states that they took place on Good Friday, and originated from the famous 'pilgrim' ring of King Edward the Confessor. According to tradition the sapphire in the British crown came from this ring, the possession of which gave English sovereigns the power of procuring an efficacious blessing to the cramprings. Gardiner, in 1529, received a number of cramprings to distribute among the English embassage to the Pope, 'the royal fingers pouring such virtue into the metal that no disorder could resist it.' 1 The superstitious belief in the efficacy of cramp-rings was by no means, as we have seen, confined to the ignorant and uneducated classes; even Lord Berners, ambassador to the Emperor Charles V., writing to 'my Lord Chancellor's Grace' from Saragossa (June 30, 1518), says, 'If your Grace remember me with some crampe - ryngs, ye shall doe a Silver Cramp-ring thing muche looked for, and I trust to bestowe theym well, with Goddes grace, who evermore preserve and increase your most reverent estate.' The late Cardinal Wiseman ('Notes and Queries,' vol. vii., 1st series, p. 89) had in his possession a manuscript containing both the ceremony for the blessing of the cramprings, and that for the touching for the King's evil. At the commencement of the manuscript are emblazoned the arms of Philip and Mary. The first ceremony is headed 'Certain Prayers to be used by the Quene's Heignes in the Consecration of the Crampe-rynges.' Accompanying it is an illumination, representing the queen kneeling, with a dish 1 A more homely remedy for the same disorder is given in Wittal's Little Dictionary,' where we find that- ، The bone of a hare's foot, closed in a ring, Will drive away the cramp, whenas it doth wring.' M2 containing the rings to be blessed on each side of her. The second Ceremony is entitled 'The ceremonye for ye Heling of them that be diseased with the Kynge's Evill.' This manuscript was exhibited at a meeting of the Archæological Institute, June 6, 1851. In Burnet (vol. ii. p. 266 of 'Records') there is the whole Latin formula of the consecration of the cramp-rings. It commences with the psalm 'Deus misereatur nostri.' Then follows a prayer invoking the aid of the Holy Spirit : the rings then lying in one basin or more, a prayer was said over them, from which we learn that the rings were made of metal, and were to expel all living venom of serpents. The rings were then blessed with an invocation to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and signed frequently with the cross. In the last benediction the prayer is made 'that the rings may restore contracted nerves.' A psalm of benediction follows, and a prayer against the frauds of devils. The Queen's Highness then rubbeth the rings between her hands, saying the prayer implying that as her hands rub the rings, the virtue of the holy oil wherewith she was anointed might be infused into their metal, and, by the grace of God, might be efficacious.' The remainder of the curious ceremony concluded with holy water being poured into the basin with further prayers. This ceremonial was practised by previous sovereigns, and discontinued by Edward VI. Queen Mary intended to revive it, and, in all probability, did so, from the manuscript to which I have alluded as having belonged to the late Cardinal Wiseman.! 6 The annexed cut represents a cramp-ring of lead, 1 Appendix. simply cast in a mould, and sold cheap for the use of the commonalty. It belongs to the fourteenth century.

Bar+Ta Lead Cramp-ring.

A curious remnant or corruption of the use of cramp-rings at the present time is noticed by Mr. Rokewode, who says that in Suffolk the use of cramprings as a preventive against fits is not entirely abandoned: 'Instances occur where young men of a parish each subscribe a crooked sixpence to be moulded into a ring for a young woman afflicted with that malady.' The use of galvanic rings for the cure of rheumatism belongs to our own time, and is by no means extinct; however, we have no right to class this practice among our superstitions. After all, faith works wonders !