FOLK LORE.
Salting a New-born Infant.
—In Ezekiel xvi. 4 we read, "In the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all." Salting seems to be spoken of as a regular part of the process which a new-born child underwent amongst the Jews in the days of Ezekiel. Can any one give me information on this point? Can the salt in baptism alluded to by SELEUCUS (Vol. iv., p. 163.) have any connexion with this passage?
Lent Crocking.
—The children in this neighbourhood have a custom of going round to the different houses in the parish, on the Monday before Shrove Tuesday, generally by twos and threes, and chanting the following verses, by way of extracting from the inmates sundry contributions of eggs, flour, butter, halfpence, &c., to furnish out the Tuesday's feast:
"Lent Crock, give a pancake,
Or a fritter, for my labour,
Or a dish of flour, or a piece of bread,
Or what you please to render.
I see by the latch,
There's something to catch;
I see by the string,
There's a good dame within.
Trap, trapping throw,
Give me my mumps, and I'll be go" [gone].
The above is the most popular version, and the one indigenous to the place; but there is another set, which was introduced some few years ago by a late schoolmistress, who was a native of another part of the county, where her version was customary:
"Shrove-tide is nigh at hand,
And we are come a-shroving;
Pray, Dame, give something,
An apple, or a dumpling,
Or a piece of crumple cheese,
Of your own making;
Or a piece of pancake.
Trip, trapping, throw;
Give me my mumps, and I'll be go."
PHILIP HEDGELAND.
Bridestowe, Okehampton.
Devonshire Superstition respecting Still-born Children.
—One of the Commissioners of Devonport complaining last week that a charge of one shilling and sixpence should have been made upon the parish authorities for the grave and interment of a still-born child, said, "When I was a young man it was thought lucky to have a still-born child put into any open grave, as it was considered to be a sure passport to heaven for the next person buried there." Query, Is this prejudice still common?
R. R.