Brett me here, brett me there,
I’ll brett (bring) home a load of hay, I swear.
The horse stumbled, and broke its foot; that’s the reason why the day is marked with a horse in Thelemarken.
“That’s St. Blasius (Feb. 3), marked with a ship. If it blows (bläse) on that day, it will blow all the year through. That’s a very particular day. We must not use any implement that goes round on it, such as a mill, or a spindle, else the cattle would get a swimming in the head (Sviva).
“That’s St. Peter’s key (Feb. 22). Ship-folks begin to get their boats ready then. As the weather is that day it will be forty days after.
“That,” continued this learned decipherer of Runes, “is St. Matthias (24th Feb.) If it’s cold that day, it will get milder, and vice versâ; and therefore the saying is, St. Matthias bursts the ice; if there is no ice, he makes ice. The fox darn’t go on the ice that day for fear it should break.
“That’s a mattock (hakke) for St. Magnus (16th April). We begin then to turn up the soil.
“That’s St. Marcus (25th April). That’s Stor Gangdag (great procession-day). The other gang-days are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension.”
“And why are they called Gang-days?”
“Because a procession used to go round the fields, and the priest, at their head, held mass, to drive away all evil spirits.”