Folklore Notes from CornwallAuthor(s): Alfred AdamsSource: Folklore, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Jun. 30, 1919), pp. 130-131Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1254850 .

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COLLECTANEA.

FOLKLORE NOTES FROM CORNWALL.

THE following are some superstitions which I have personally met with in the course of twenty years' practice as a medical man in this neighbourhood.

The poor people are in my experience very superstitious, but are very unwilling to talk, or disclose their beliefs to a stranger for fear of ridicule. It is therefore useless to ask any questions, and one has to wait until it pleases them to tell what they think fit.

(I) Some years ago at Polperro, while examining a child who was suffering from whooping cough, I found hanging suspended round its neck on a piece of string a bit of raw meat, which from its look and smell must have been there many days. I pre- sume this must be a slight variation of a charm given in

Jonathan Couch's History of Polperro as follows: A small muslin bag is filled with live earthworms and hung around the child's neck. As the worms die and dry up so will the cough disappear.

(2) I was talking to a lady about charms, and she said laugh- ingly that she would show me one in her possession. This was considered to be so valuable by her aunt that it was mentioned in her will.

She went upstairs and came down with an orange-coloured cornelian bead, evidently one of a necklace. This bead has a considerable reputation in the.neighbourhood for the cure of eye diseases, and has since it has been in its present owner's posses_ sion been borrowed on two or three occasions and duly returned to her.

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Folklore Notes from Cornwall. Folklore Notes from Cornwall.

(3) A few weeks ago my partner removed a needle from a girl's leg where it had been buried for some years. I was shown the needle shortly afterwards put away in a little bottle of oil. I could not get them to give me any reason for this; but I fancy that it must be a relic of the old idea of preventing any rust forming on a weapon which has caused a wound, and in this way preventing any inflammation in the wound.

ALFRED ADAMS. Lemain, Looe, Cornwall.

FOLKLORE FROM THE ORKNEY ISLANDS.

IN forwarding the following communication Sir James Frazer remarks that the harvest customs are interesting and typical: "but this is the first case I have found of the last sheaf personi- fied (so to say) as a bitch in the British Islands." He cannot explain the expression about "freeing the auld wife," and hopes that some member of the Society may be able to interpret it.

"In Orkney in my childhood the harvest customs you mention still went on. There was some laughter over the last sheaf, and some attempt to avoid the job of tying it. More serious was the last load or sheaf to come into the stackyard: I have known young men almost at fists to avoid it. The last sheaf was the "bitch." When one farm had finished the " leading- in" before its neighbour, the lads would make a she-dog of straw, and put it on the sly in some prominent position about the neighbour's steading, taking care not to be caught. It is strange and interesting that no one thought of asking the mean- ing of these customs.

In Sanday, my native island, the fishermen, on going to sea for a day's fishing, thought they had poor luck if they each did not catch three fish at least. If a fisherman caught three or more he was said to " free the auld wife ": if he caught less than three, he did not " free the auld wife." I bring the ex- pression to your notice: what it means I do not know."

JOHN A. FOTHERINGHAME.

So. School Sandwick, Stromness, Orkney.

(3) A few weeks ago my partner removed a needle from a girl's leg where it had been buried for some years. I was shown the needle shortly afterwards put away in a little bottle of oil. I could not get them to give me any reason for this; but I fancy that it must be a relic of the old idea of preventing any rust forming on a weapon which has caused a wound, and in this way preventing any inflammation in the wound.

ALFRED ADAMS. Lemain, Looe, Cornwall.

FOLKLORE FROM THE ORKNEY ISLANDS.

IN forwarding the following communication Sir James Frazer remarks that the harvest customs are interesting and typical: "but this is the first case I have found of the last sheaf personi- fied (so to say) as a bitch in the British Islands." He cannot explain the expression about "freeing the auld wife," and hopes that some member of the Society may be able to interpret it.

"In Orkney in my childhood the harvest customs you mention still went on. There was some laughter over the last sheaf, and some attempt to avoid the job of tying it. More serious was the last load or sheaf to come into the stackyard: I have known young men almost at fists to avoid it. The last sheaf was the "bitch." When one farm had finished the " leading- in" before its neighbour, the lads would make a she-dog of straw, and put it on the sly in some prominent position about the neighbour's steading, taking care not to be caught. It is strange and interesting that no one thought of asking the mean- ing of these customs.

In Sanday, my native island, the fishermen, on going to sea for a day's fishing, thought they had poor luck if they each did not catch three fish at least. If a fisherman caught three or more he was said to " free the auld wife ": if he caught less than three, he did not " free the auld wife." I bring the ex- pression to your notice: what it means I do not know."

JOHN A. FOTHERINGHAME.

So. School Sandwick, Stromness, Orkney.

131 131

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