I didn't know that, but it makes sense. I mean, if those curses and hexes were put up by people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago it's like trying to decipher an older language form, right?

[He sets another finished totem aside and starts the next one. It's odd how practiced he has gotten at this in a short time, but ultimately they're less finicky than certain other spell items.]

Then again most of the books I used for reference are pretty old too, but regional differences probably play a role as well, both between the local cultures and those who've been coming in from outside across the ages.