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TRADITIONS AND HEARTHSIDE STORIES OF WEST CORNWALL.
by
WILLIAM BOTTRELL.
"Legends that once were told or sung
In many a smoky fireside nook."
LONGFELLOW.
With Illustrations by Mr. Joseph Blight.
SECOND SERIES.
Penzance:
Printed, for the Author, by Beare and Son.
1873.
(Right of Translation reserved.)
"Of strange tradition many a mystic trace,
Legend and vision, prophecy and sign."
SCOTT.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Duffy and the Devil (an old Christmas Play) 1
Celtic Monuments of Boleigh and Rosemodrass 27
The last Cardews of Boskenna and the story of Nelly Wearne 36
The Witch of Buryan Church-town 59
Madam Noy and the Witch 63
A Queen's visit to Baranhuel 67
The Small People's Cow (a fairy tale) 73
Tom of Chyannor, the tin-streamer (a West Country droll) 77
The Fairy Dwelling on Selena Moor 94
The I'an's House of Treen 103
Castle Treen and its Legends 130
Traditions of Parcurnow 140
Legends of St. Levan 145
A Legend of Pargwarra 149
An' Pee Tregeer's trip to market on Hallan Eve (a fairy tale) 154
An Overseer and a Parish Clerk of St. Just, sixty years ago 169
The Fairy Master, or Bob o' the Carn 173
A Tinner's fireside stories.--
The Knockers of Ballowal 185
Old Songs and Nicknames 193
The Changeling of Brea-Vean (fairy tale) 199
Betty Stoggs's Baby (fairy tale) 205
How a Morvah man bought clothes for his wife 207
How a Zennor man choked himself, but had his will in his
pocket 210
The Smugglers of Penrose 212
Tregagle at Gwenvor Cove 224
West Country Superstitions.--
Devil's Money 227
The Slighted Damsel of Gwinear 229
The Wreck of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel 231
A Night's Ride to Scilly 233
Ancient Bridal Customs 237
Ancient Rites at Madron Well 239
The Crick-stone, or Men-an-tol 242
Charms 243
The Fairy Tribes 245
The Pirate Wrecker and the Death-Ship 247
The sun never shines on those who have sworn away a life 249
A Legend of Pengersec 251
Notes, Illustrative Anecdotes, &c.--
Miracle Plays 268
The Levelis, or Lovells, of Trewoof 271
Duffy and the Devil 273
Pendrea and Baranhuel 274
Danes Marauding on the Cornish Coast, and King Olaf's
Conversion at Scilly 274
St. Levan's Path 277
A Ghostly Ship's-Bell 277
Brea and Pendeen 278
Vellan-Dreath 279
The Men-an-Tol 280
The Garrack-zans 283
Divination by Rushes and Ivy-leaves 283
Recent Ill-wishing 284
Midsummer Bonfires 287
The Mermaid of Zennor 288
Glossary of Living Cornish Words and Local Terms 290
Index 293
Subscribers' Names 296
[Illustration: _Page 144._]
STORIES AND TRADITIONS OF PENWITH.
DUFFY AND THE DEVIL.
AN OLD CHRISTMAS PLAY.
_Part First._
Open your doors, and let me in,
I hope your favours I shall win;
Whether I rise, or whether I fall,
I'll do my best to please you all.
_Christmas Play of St. George and the Dragon._
Associated with Trove and the ancient family who lived, for many
generations, in that pleasant place, there is a tradition that one old
Squire Lovell wedded a poor girl solely because he believed her to be
the best spinster and knitster in Buryan; but that all the fine
stockings and other knitted garments with which she provided her husband
were made by a devil. This droll formed the subject of an old
Guise-dance (Christmas Play) which is all but forgotten: yet, in our
youth, we have heard a few scenes rehearsed, which may be interesting as
an example of a primitive drama of West Penwith, that may have
succeeded, or been contemporary with, the miracle plays which, about
three centuries ago, were acted in the Plan-an-gwarre, St. Just, and at
the Church-town cross in most other western parishes. This uncouth piece
shows something of the rude and simple humour of old times, when people
were quite as innocent, though less fastidious, than in our days.
Great part of the dialogue appears to have been improvised, as the
actor's fancy dictated. Yet there were some portions in rude verse,
which would seem to have been handed down with little variation. Mimical
gesticulation expressed much of the story; and when there was unwonted
delay in change of scene, or any hitch in acting, in came the
hobby-horse and its licenced rider, to keep the mirth from flagging.
This saucy jester being privileged to say whatever he pleased, kept the
audience in good humour by filling up such intervals with burlesque
speeches on any matters which had taken place during the past year, that
furnished fit subjects for ridicule.
A hall, farmhouse-kitchen, barn, or other out-house, served for a
theatre, and a winnowing-sheet, suspended from key-beams or rafters,
made a drop-curtain. Father Christmas, as chorus, described the scene,
and told the company what characters the actors represented, unless they
introduced themselves, as was frequently the case, like St. George,
saying, "Here comes I, a champion bold," &c. He also narrated such parts
as could not be acted conveniently.
Our simple actors got up their dresses in as old-fashioned and smart a
style as they were able to contrive them, by begging or borrowing
cast-off finery from the gentry round. Male players were often seen
rigged in long-waisted, gay-coloured coats, having their skirts spread
out with straw, instead of buckram or bombast, and resplendent with
brass or tin buttons, large as crown pieces, and long ruffles at their
breasts and wrists; their breeches were of blue, red, or buff, slashed,
puffed, and tricked out with ribbons, tassels, and knee-buckles. Their
hose was of any bright hue, to make a strong contrast to the small
clothes. High-heeled shoes were adorned with shining buckles or bows of
ribbons. Yet their greatest pride was displayed in steeple-crowned or
cocked hats, surmounted with plumes and decked with streamers of gay
ribbons.
Our rural actresses also wore steeple-crowns fixed high above their
heads on pads; stiffen-bodied, long-waisted gowns, with bag skirts or
long trains; ruffles hanging from their elbows, wide stiff ruffs round
their necks; and any other remnants of old finery that they could
contrive to get.
It is somewhat curious that in this old guise-dance, or story about
Madame Lovell and the devil, several ladies belonging to noted families
who lived in Buryan, two or three centuries ago, are represented as
bringing their corn to Trove Mill to be ground and as serging (bolting)
their flour themselves. The names of Mesdames Cardew, Pender, Noy,
Trezilian, &c., are taken by these ladies, whose gossip forms a kind of
by-play.
We now purpose to reproduce a few well-remembered scenes, as we have
heard them related many years ago, by old folks of Buryan, and to simply
tell the story as expressed by others. Yet, with a feeling somewhat akin
to regret, we have curtailed some portions, in order to exclude whatever
might, now, be regarded as indelicate: there is sufficient, however,
preserved to carry on the story as far as it is likely to interest or
amuse any but antiquarian students who might prefer, with all its
blemishes, an unmutilated picture of such "merrie disports" as were
usual at Christmas-tide with our simple-honest forefathers.
Characters:--
SQUIRE LOVELL, _of Trove_.
DUFFY, _a poor girl, who became Madame Lovell_.
HUEY LENINE, _Duffy's lover_.
JENNY CHYGWIN, _Duffy's stepmother_.
A BUCKA-BOO, OR DEVIL.
BETTY, _the witch of Trove Mill_.
JONE, _Squire Lovell's housekeeper_.
_Several ladies and gentlemen, and witches._
SCENE I.--Father Christmas, with long hoary hair and beard enters before
the curtain, and says:--"Ladies and gentlemen,--Please to take it that
we are in Buryan Church-town, in the cider-making time. Squire Lovell is
come up to get help to gather in his apples. When the curtain rises you
will see him at Jenny Chygwin's door."
Curtain raised. Squire Lovell is seen on his horse (a hobby horse); an
old woman and a young woman scolding within.
SQUIRE:--"Hullo! in there! Jenny, what's all the caperrouse with you and
the maid, I'd like to know?"
DUFFY rushes out, and round the stage, followed by old Jenny, her
stepmother, who beats the girl with the skirt or kirtle of her gown,
saying, "I will break every bone in her body; the lazy hussy is all the
time out courseying, and corantan, with the boys. She will neither boil
the porridge, knit nor spin."
DUFFY runs to the Squire, saying "Don't e believe her, your honour. I do
all the work, whilst she is drunk from morning till night, and my
spinning and knitting is the best in Church-town. Your stockings are
nothing so fine as I can make."
SQUIRE:--"Stop beating the maid, Jenny, and choaking one with dust from
the skirt of thy old swing-tail gown. And, Duffy, as thou canst spin and
knit so well, come down to Trove and help my old Jone, who is blind on
one eye and can't see much with the other, as any one may know by
looking at the bad darns in my stocking and patches on my breeches. Come
away, on to the heaping-stock. Jump up: you can ride down behind me
without pillion or pad."
Squire rides off: Duffy follows.
JENNY:--"Aye, go thee ways with the old bucca, and good riddance of bad
rummage."
(_Curtain drops._)