FOLK LORE.
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:
"May he no pleasure or profit see,
Till he comes back again to me."
B. J. S.
Charm for the Ague.—
"Cut a few hairs from the cross marked on a donkey's shoulders. Enclose these hairs in a small bag, and wear it on your breast, next to the skin. If you keep your purpose secret, a speedy cure will be the result."
The foregoing charm was told to me a short time since by the agent of a large landed proprietor in a fen county. My informant gravely added, that he had known numerous instances of this charm being practised, and that in every case a cure had been effected. From my own knowledge, I can speak of another charm for the ague, in which the fen people put great faith, viz. a spider, covered with dough, and taken as a pill.
Cuthert Bede, B.A.