Notes and Queries, Number 229, March 18, 1854: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
History
Notes and Queries, Number 229, March 18, 1854: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
_Herefordshire Folk Lore._--Pray make an imperishable Note of the following
concentration of Herefordshire folk lore, extracted from the "Report of the
Secretary of the Diocesan Board of Education," as published in _The Times_
of Jan. 28, 1854:
"The observation of unlucky days and seasons is by no means unusual.
The phases of the moon are regarded with great respect: in one medicine
may be taken; in another it is advisable to kill a pig; over the doors
of many houses may be found twigs placed crosswise, and never suffered
to lose their cruciform position; and the horse-shoe preserves its old
station on many a stable-door. Charms are devoutly believed in. A ring
made from a shilling offered at the Communion is an undoubted cure for
fits; hair plucked from the crop of an ass's shoulder, and woven into a
chain, to be put round a child's neck, is powerful for the same
purpose; and the hand of a corpse applied to a neck is believed to
disperse a wen. Not long since, a boy was met running hastily to a
neighbour's for some holy water, as the only hope of preserving a sick
pig. The 'evil eye,' so long dreaded in uneducated countries, has its
terrors amongst us; and if a person of ill life be suddenly called
away, there are generally some who hear his 'tokens,' or see his ghost.
There exists, besides, the custom of communicating deaths to hives of
bees, in the belief that they invariably abandon their owners if the
intelligence be withheld."
May not any one exclaim:
"O miseras hominum mentes! O pectora cæca!
Qualibus in tenebris vitæ, quantisque periclis
Degitur hoc ævi, quodcunque est!"
S. G. C.
_Greenock Fair._--A very curious custom existed in this town, and in the
neighbouring town of Port-Glasgow, within forty years; it has now entirely
disappeared. I cannot but look upon it as a last remnant of the troublous
times when arms were in all hands, and property liable to be openly and
forcibly seized by bands of armed men. This custom was, that the whole
trades of the town, in the dresses of their guilds, with flags and music,
each man armed, made a grand rendezvous at the place where the fair was to
be held, and with drawn swords and array of guns and pistols, surrounded
the booths, and greeted the baillie's announcement by tuck of drum, "that
Greenock fair was open," by a tremendous shout, and a straggling fire from
every serviceable barrel in the crowd, and retired, bands playing and flags
flying, &c., home. Does any such _wappenschau_ occur in England on such
occasions now?
C. D. LAMONT.
Greenock.
_Dragons' Blood._--A peculiar custom exists amongst a class, with whom
unfortunately the schoolmaster has not yet come very much in contact, when
supposed to be deserted or slighted by a lover, of procuring dragons'
blood; which being carefully wrapped in paper, is thrown on the fire, and
the following lines said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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