“On Whit-sunday whyte pigeons tame in strings from heaven flie,
And one that framed is of wood still hangeth in the skie.
Thou seest how they with idols play, and teach the people too;
None otherwise than little gyrls with puppets used to do.”
In an old Computus, anno 1509, of St. Patrick’s, Dublin, we find ivs. viid. paid to those playing with the great and little angel and the dragon; iiis. paid for little cords employed about the Holy Ghost; ivs. vid. for making the angel (thurificantis) censing, and iis. iid. for cords of it—all on the feast of Pentecost.—Every Day Book, vol. i. p. 685.
Whitsunday is observed as a Scarlet Day in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.—Kalendar of the English Church, 1865, p. 73.
The origin of the term Whitsunday has been warmly contested by various writers, and still seems to be an undecided question. For an interesting article on this subject, see N. & Q. 5th S. vol. i. pp. 401-403. Consult also N. & Q. 2nd S. vol. ii. p. 154; 3rd S. vol. vii. p. 479; 4th S. vol. xi. p. 437. Dr. Neale’s Church Festivals and their Household Words.—The Prayer Book Interleaved (Champion and Beaumont).
Whitsun Ale.
—Ale was so prevalent a drink amongst us in old times, as to become a part of the name of various festal meetings, as Leet-ale, Lamb-ale, Bride-ale (bridal), and, as we see, Whitsun-ale. It was the custom of our ancestors to have parochial meetings every Whitsuntide, usually in some barn near the church, consisting of a kind of picnic, as each parishioner brought what victuals he could spare. The ale, which had been brewed pretty strong for the occasion, was sold by the churchwardens, and from its profits a fund arose for the repair of the church.—See Book of Days, vol. i. p. 637; also Brand, Pop. Antiq. 1849, vol. i. pp. 276, 283.
Cornwall.
Whitsuntide is observed at Polperro by a custom of the young people going in droves into the country to partake of milk and cream.—N. & Q. 1st S. vol. xii. p. 298.
Carew in his Survey of Cornwall (p. 68), speaking of the church ale, says that “two young men of the parish are yerely chosen by their last foregoers to be wardens, who, dividing the task, make collection among the parishioners of whatsoever provision it pleaseth them voluntarily to bestow. This they employ in brewing, baking, and other acates [provisions] against Whitsuntide; upon which holy-days the neighbours meet at the church-house, and there merrily feed on their owne victuals, contributing some petty portion to the stock, which, by many smalls, groweth to a meetly greatness; for there is entertayned a kind of emulation between these wardens, who, by his graciousness in gathering and good husbandry in expending, can best advance the churche’s profit. Besides, the neighbour parishes at those times lovingly visit each one another and this way frankly spend their money together. The afternoones are consumed in such exercises as olde and yong folke (having leisure) doe accustomably weare out the time withall. When the feast is ended, the wardens yeeld in their account to the parishioners, and such money as exceedeth the disbursement is layd up in store, to defray any extraordinary charges arising in the parish or imposed on them for the good of the country or the prince’s service, neither of which commonly gripe so much but that somewhat still remayneth to cover the purse’s bottom.” This custom is falling into desuetude, if it be not already discontinued.—See N. & Q. 1st S. vol. xii. 298.