Scenes and legends of the north of Scotland : $b or, The traditional history of Cromarty — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Scenes and legends of the north of Scotland : $b or, The traditional history of Cromarty
John Stuart Mill · en
for weeks before, had been turned to the accumulating of little hoards
of apples--all for this night; and now a large tub, filled with water,
was placed in the middle of the floor of some out-house, carefully
dressed up for the occasion; and into the tub every one of the party
flung an apple. They then approached it by turns, and, placing their
hands on the edges, plunged forward to fish for the fruit with their
teeth. I remember the main chance of success was to thrust the head
fearlessly into the tub, amid the booming of the water, taking especial
care to press down one of the apples in a line with the mouth, and to
seize it when jammed against the bottom. When the whole party, with
their dripping locks and shining faces, would seem metamorphosed into
so many mermaids, this sport usually gave place to another:--A small
beam of wood was suspended from the ceiling by a cord, and when fairly
balanced, an apple was fastened to the one end, and a lighted candle to
the other. It was then whirled round, and the boys in turn, as before,
leaped up and bit at the fruit; not unfrequently, however, merely to
singe their faces and hair at the candle. Neither of these games were
peculiar to the north of Scotland: we find it stated by Mr. Polewhele,
in his “Historical Views of Devonshire,” that the Irish peasants
assembled on the eve of _La Samon_ (the 2d November), to celebrate the
festival of the sun, with many rites derived from Paganism, among which
was the dipping for apples in a tub of water, and the catching at an
apple stuck on the one end of a kind of hanging beam.
[Sidenote: THE CHARM OF THE EGG.]