Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second SeriesBottrell, William
General
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series
Bottrell, William
Cornwall (England : County) -- Social life and customs; Legends -- England -- Cornwall (County)
We suppose the reason why this would-be witch chose the
cross-road thorn as a suitable place for her hellish work, was
because many such trees are said to have sprung from stakes
driven into suicides' graves; also on account of those sites being
often visited by Old Nick and his headless dogs when they take
their nightly rounds to see if any spirits have wandered from
their assigned resting-places.
We may remark that, although the Black-huntsman's hounds
are said to have neither heads nor tails, yet according to our
popular mythology, they are believed to have the former appendages,
with the same lineaments they bore when they dwelt on
earth in human forms, but they make their heads invisible, to
ordinary mortals, that they may not be known.
The same applies to apparently headless coach-drivers, horses,
&c., that were frequently seen in old times.
[67]
A Queen's Visit to Baranhual.
At all feasts where ale was strongest,
Sat this gracious Queen the longest,
First to come and last to go.
Longfellow, slightly altered.
THERE is a tradition,—that has taken the form of a
droll, as it is related by old people of Buryan,—which
sayeth that when the Pendars lived in grand style, in
Baranhual, a Queen and her retinue landed from a
Man-of-war, at Moushal, for the sake of seeing the
Logan Rock and Land's End. News of the intended trip soon
spread, and reached Buryan ere sufficient horses could be procured
to furnish out the cavalcade. On the morning of the royal
progress, work was at a stand still, and nearly all who could
"lift a leg" started off from house and field towards Burian
Church-town, as it was rumoured that Her Majesty intended
to inspect Buryan Church on her way. So, in the morning
early, Buryan bells were set a ringing; and Church-town folks
arrayed themselves in their best to receive the Queen with due
honours.
Every soul left Baranhual except old Dame Pendar, who was
rather infirm. "My lady, the Queen," said she, "is but a
woman, and make the most of her, even if she do wear a crown
on her head every day of her life, with velvet robes all broider'd
in gold, silk stockings, and diamond-buckles on her satin shoes,
with rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, yet she's much
like myself under all her fine clothes; and it esn't worth while to
leave the house alone, and all that's in it, and go so far to see
her at my time of life; besides there's the milk to scald and many
jobs to be done at all hours. No, verily," said she to her son
and his wife, "you may be off to Church-town with the scabble-angow
(rag, tag, and bob-tail), but, indeed, I'll stay home and
guard the house, and all that's in it. That shall never be left
alone whilst I draw breath."
[68]
At that time the Pendars kept a capstan in repair, and gave
other aids to the fishery at Penberth,—which is partly in Baranhual
ground,—and received for it a certain portion of fish from
the owners of each boat kept in the cove.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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