“At his warning,
Whether in sea, or fire, in earth, or air,
Th’ extravagant, and erring spirit, hies
To his confine—”
During Christmas time, the cock was supposed to exert his power throughout the night, from which no doubt originated the Welsh word “Pulgen” as applied to this custom.—Bingley’s Tour Round North Wales, 1800, vol. ii. p. 226.
At Tenby it was customary at 4 o’clock on Christmas morning for the young men of the town to escort the rector with lighted torches from his residence to church.—Mason’s Tales and Traditions of Tenby, 1858, p. 4.
Sometimes also before or after Christmas Day the fishermen of Tenby dressed up one of their number whom they called the “Lord Mayor of Pennyless Cone,” with a covering of evergreens and a mask over his face; they would then carry him about, seated on a chair, with flags flying, and a couple of violins playing before him. Before every house the “Lord Mayor” would address the occupants, wishing them a merry Christmas and a happy new year. If his good wishes were responded to with money his followers gave three cheers, the masquer would himself return thanks, and the crowd again cheered.—Ibid. p. 5.
SCOTLAND.
In some parts of Scotland, he who first opens the door on Yule Day expects to prosper more than any other member of the family during the future year because, as the vulgar express it, “He lets in yule.” On opening the door, it is customary with some to place in the doorway a table or chair covered with a clean cloth; and, according to their own language, to “set on it bread and cheese to yule.” Early in the morning, as soon as any one of the family gets out of bed, a new besom is set behind the outer door, the design being to “let in yule.” These superstitions, in which yule is not only personified, but treated as a deity, are evidently of heathen origin. It is common also to have a table covered in the house, from morning until evening, with bread and drink upon it, that every one who calls may take a portion, and it is considered particularly inauspicious if any one comes into a house and leaves it without doing so. Whatever number of persons call on this day, all must partake of the good cheer.—Med. Ævi Kalend. vol. i. p. 48; see Jamieson, Etymol. Dict., Art. Yule.
Any servant who is supposed to have a due regard to the interests of the family, and is not at the same time emancipated from the yoke of superstition, is careful to go early to the well on Christmas morning to draw water, pull the corn out of the sack, and also to bring kale from the kitchen garden. This is intended to insure prosperity to the family (Ibid. p. 99). It is in fact the same as the Usque Cashrichd, which was noticed among the superstitious customs of the first of January.—See p. 17.
The doings of the guisards (that is, masquers), says Chambers (Pop. Rhymes, 1870, p. 169), form a conspicuous feature in the New Year proceedings throughout Scotland. The evenings on which these personages are understood to be privileged to appear, are those of Christmas, Hogmanay, New Year’s Day, and Handsel Monday. Dressed up in quaint and fantastic attire, they sing a selection of songs which have been practised by them some weeks before. There were important doings, however, one of a theatrical character. There is one rude and grotesque drama (called Galatian) which they are accustomed to perform on each of the four above-mentioned nights, and which in various fragments or versions exists in every part of Lowland Scotland. The performers, who are never less than three, but sometimes as many as six, having dressed themselves, proceed in a band from house to house, generally contenting themselves with the kitchen for an arena, whither in mansions, presided over by the spirit of good humour, the whole family will resort to witness the scene of mirth.—See Chambers’ Pop. Rhymes, p. 170.
Angus-shire.
At Christmas and the New Year, the opulent burghers begin to feast with their friends, and go a round of visits, which takes up the space of many weeks. Upon such occasions the gravest is expected to be merry, and to join in a cheerful song.—Sinclair, Stat. Acc. of Scotland, 1793, vol. v. p. 48.