M. Kounavine (contribution by Dr. A. Elysseeff, Gypsy-Lore Journal,

July, 1890), gives the following as a Russian gypsy spell against barrenness:-- "Laki, thou destroyest and dost make everything on earth; thou canst see nothing old, for death lives in thee, thou givest birth to all upon the earth for thou thyself art life. By thy might cause me ---- to bear good fruit, I who am deprived of the joy of motherhood, and barren as a rock." According to Dr. Elysseeff, Laki is related to the Indian goddess Lakshmi, although differing from her in character. Another incantation of the same nature is as follows:-- "Thou art the mother of every living creature and the distributor of good: thou doest according to thy wisdom in destroying what is useless or what has lived its destined time; by thy wisdom thou makest the earth to regenerate all that is new.... Thou dost not seek the death of any one, for thou art the benefactress of mankind."