morning to knock at a window and call a farmer out of bed, telling
him that cattle had destroyed his potatoes and corn fields. He would
run with all his might, sometimes half undressed, to find no cattle
before him.
Pieces of paper would be pinned onto the tails of a coat and valuable
looking packages containing a stone or a piece of iron would be left
in the track of a passerby so that if he kicked it he would remember
it. Sometimes a stiff purse would be placed on the road or footpath
with a string attached to it, and it would be jerked away by those
hiding behind a fence, gate or doorway when the fool would be in the
act of grasping for it. Probably this custom originated in France and
was borrowed by England, to whom we are indebted for it.
_Ancient Crossroads and Burial Customs._--At funerals to the west
of Dingle, a custom prevails of lowering the coffin containing the
remains at certain ancient crossroads and praying for the dead. This
is not practiced on the Castle Gregory side of Brandon Mountain, but
there, on lowering the coffin into the grave, the nails are drawn
from the cover of the coffin.
The custom of lowering the coffin at crossroads is a very ancient
one, not alone in the Dingle district, but in other countries outside
of Ireland. The origin of it was due to persons who committed suicide
not allowed to be interred in consecrated ground, were buried upon
the nearest crossroad thereto, i. e., at the junction of four
roads.[12] Whenever a funeral passed by, the corpse was lowered,
people knelt and prayed for the soul of the persons buried at the
crossroads.
In the course of time the custom of burying dead bodies on the
crossroads went out of practice, and the names of the persons buried
there were forgotten, but the habit of lowering the dead body
continued and a prayer was offered to God for both those buried on
the crossroads and also for the soul of the person whose funeral then
took place. Then when the penal laws were enforced, with military in
Dingle, the religious rites which should be said at the graveside for
the deceased were recited at the old crossroads.[12] Praying for the
dead at ancient crossroads nearest the graveyards, therefore, is an
act of piety and charity of an old standing.
_Ancient National Dances._--The most common dances[13] in our
locality were jigs, reels, hornpipe and country dance, or
Reencafadah. These were followed by a form of dance called "sets,"
and the German "waltz" was transmitted to us by the English.
Movable platforms for dancing upon them were placed on the country
crossroads, and boys and girls danced in the open air in the
afternoons on Sundays. The clergy took a dislike to all dances, with
the result that open-air dancing was almost suppressed, but of recent
years it was revived by the Gaelic League.
_Ardnane._--Carding, spinning and story telling by night is now gone
out of fashion--newspapers are driving away the latter.
_Banshee._--This is supposed to be a fairy visitant in the shape of
an old woman whose wailing around the home of a sick person foretold
death. Of course, it is superstition to think that an old woman
dead and gone will return from the grave wailing or calling for her
victim, or carry off a member of any family.
Nevertheless, there must be something of an unknown nature existing
in the shape of a wireless telephone, electric feeling or otherwise
in the blood, flesh or nature of certain Celtic families whereby some
relative of a sudden feels, pictures and imagines death, trouble or
misfortune approaching without apparently any means of knowing it at
the time. I hope science will soon more clearly solve the cause of
this and thereby strip off all superstition and uncertainty.
_Begrudging._--Persons admiring beasts or individuals and praising
them without saying "God bless them," if they died or became sick
the blame would be laid onto them, and some would say such a person
possessed an "evil eye" and his visits thereafter would not be very
desirable. However, this superstition can be found as bad in other
countries.
_Bellman._--The bellman with his hand-bell still survives in Dingle.
He usually announces sales by public auction. Missing or impounded
cattle, also property lost or found, money lost about thirty-three
years ago and found by another, were nearly always recovered by
giving a shilling or one shilling and sixpence to the bellman. I
am sure this was due to the moral influence of the clergy over the
people.
The most notable bellman at the end of the last century was Markim.
He was succeeded by Michael O'Sullivan.
_Blind Fiddlers and Flute Players._--The custom of blind fiddlers
and flute players, accompanied by members of their families, going
on a quarterly circuit among the villages has now fallen into
disuse. Formerly, when one of them entered the village he would be
entertained, given two or three nights' lodging and a collection
started for him. The boys and girls of the surrounding villages would
assemble and these would be dancing until cock-crow in the morning.
_Boats and Canoes Haunted and Made Useless._--A great trick to make
a boat or canoe useless was to pretend to see it on sea with some
mysterious persons in it, and that on approaching the boat or canoe
for the purpose of speaking to its occupants, they disappeared
suddenly as if the "earth, sky or sea swallowed them." If the crew
were at home and not fishing that night, and the tale was told by a
respectable person or corroborated by one who was not a notorious
liar no person would venture into the boat or canoe forever after.
One-third of these visions were imaginary; two-thirds were founded
by jealous neighbors and malicious persons who saw themselves
outstripped by the success of some local families or crew as
fishermen, consequently this superstition more rapidly died out.
_Bodach._--This is represented by parents to children as the figure
of an old beggar-man, at night looking through windows and making
horrible faces against panes of glass, carrying a big sack and
prepared to take with him children who he might find crying without
cause or wandering out into undesirable places in the dark.
Children ought to be told the truth, namely, that faces made against
the windows are done by members of the family in order to frighten
them. These false impressions created in the minds of innocent
children at such an early age make their lives so miserable to them
in after years that they imagine every bush that shakes after dark is
a ghost or a fairy.
_Bone Fires._--The custom of lighting bone fires on St. John's Eve is
very much on the decline in this peninsula. In Castle Gregory boys
and girls used to remain awake all night, dancing around them for
amusement. Bone fire is said to be derived from the Canduaoin "baun
fire," a beacon fire. A bone fire might mean a fire of bones, a fire
of corpse, a funeral pile or a fire for destroying heretics, but
whatever be the origin of it, one thing is certain, that bone fires
existed long before the dawn of Christianity.
_Bone Setters._--These were persons who made it a practice to set
broken bones, but the dispensary doctor quickly sent them out of
business.
_Brack-an-Tobar._--All the holy wells in the country are supposed
to have enchanted fish which never grew larger or smaller, and some
believed that water containing the fish, if taken from the well,
would never heat nor boil until both water and fish were returned.
People of the present day treat this as a fish story.
_Brandon Mountain's Western Slope Held Sacred._--For a long time the
inhabitants treated the western slopes of Brandon Mountain so sacred
through reverence for St. Brandon and his monks as not to allow any
living animal to be killed thereon except fish caught in the rivulets
of Feoghanagh and Shaunakyle and given to the poor or taken by them
as charity. The fish taken from these streams had to be eaten at once
and could not be kept beyond the second night without eating. Birds
within that sacred ground were nearly tame and hares when pursued by
the hounds following in their tracks, as soon as the hares crossed
the River of Feoghanagh, the hounds were stopped by the hunters.
Cattle, wild deer, boars and all like animals therein were protected.
I believe "Park Garrive" was about the last place here wherein
hunting was strictly forbidden.
_Brendon (Saint) Feast._--This was held on the 22nd of March, but
from time immemorial is gone out of practice.
St. Brendon died on the 16th of May.
_Changelings._--Fairies at one time were supposed to steal or spirit
away a fine, rosy-cheeked, healthy-looking child or young person and
take him off to Teer-Na-Oge, leaving a very thin, pale-faced, silent
weakling instead of the person stolen behind them who in the dead of
night changed into a withered crone. Medical science has proved this
change to be done by consumption and other like causes, therefore the
fairy thief is disappearing here faster than in other countries.
_Charms._--Not very long since, "respectable" people went to "wise"
old women to seek foolish cures for sickness by means of charms. I
believe I heard about one hundred diseases mentioned, each of which
I was told could be cured by a charm--consumption and the "fallen"
sickness were amongst them. Men also pretended to heal horses and
cattle by charms.
One of the most pitiable cases to come under my notice was at
Cloushguire, Castle Gregory, where an old man at a very early hour
of the morning was carrying on his performance over an old horse.
It surprised me to find in such an enlightened place as Castle
Gregory any person guilty of such folly as to believe in curing
ailments by charms. Corkaguiny in general, I believe, stands as clean
from superstition and charms as any barony in the British Isles,
judging by the latter actions in foreign lands. The ignorance and
superstitions of the few now amongst us are all nearly melted away
before the bright rays of science and education.
_Contracts with the Devil._--Some time ago quite a few were to be
found who believed that noted card players had attained the art of
winning as a result of a contract made by them with the devil, which
contract was confirmed at a general meeting of the witches and ghosts
over which the devil himself presided and the persons signed the
articles of agreement with their own blood. To obtain possession of
the soul was the main object of the devil. For a wise spirit like
"Old Nick," he used to sometimes make very silly contracts. Then
they thought of sleight-of-hand and other tricks. When the country
became properly policed, the robbers and thieves, with the ghosts and
devils, disappeared.
In England persons were hanged for selling their souls to the devil,
and by virtue of the contract raised storms.
_Cross Thursday, or La croista na blianna._--In olden times people
would not like to start doing anything on Cross Thursday, especially
the grandmothers of the present age. Carding, spinning, etc., were
sure to be suspended. Ask them why suspend spinning, etc., on that
day, and they would only tell you that it was not for them to break
an old custom which was accompanied by an old saying that if anything
was started on Cross Thursday it would never be completed.
I believe that this day must have been observed at some time as a
holiday in Ireland. No doubt but it had a religious origin connecting
it with the order given by Herod the Great to murder the children of
Bethlehem and its coast in order to cut off Jesus, who was born about
the same time. Jesus escaped by being taken by His mother into Egypt.
This day is also known as Innocents' Day.
_Death Warning._--The following were considered as sure warnings of
impending death if any of them were seen or heard by a relative,
namely: Dogs barking at the moon or the ghosts of the living;
headless coach approaching; weeping of women; the Banshee's wail;
sounds of a carpenter's hammer making a coffin; funeral processions;
spots of blood on the floor, ground or roadway.
Of course, there were several others, but the above were most
commonly mentioned.
_Easter Sunday Sun Dance on Easter Sunday Morning._--That the sun
can be seen dancing in the heavens on Easter Sunday morning is a
widespread superstition, more or less all around the whole globe. It
is quite true that almost every Easter Sunday morning in our parts
we have fine, bright sunshine, but this is due to the fact that at
that season of the year everything in the ground is springing out
fresh and green, and the warm heat of summer is approaching. When I
was a little boy of about nine or ten years of age, I was often told
that if I got up very early on Easter Sunday morning, I would see the
sun dancing with a lamb, a cross, and a bird on its face. I did so,
but of course I was disappointed. I dare say that many of those who
were telling me then that I could see the sun dance on Easter Sunday
thought Lent so dreary and long that they wished to see the Easter
Sunday morning sun so that they could be at liberty to dance. Eggs
are eaten in no small quantities on this morning.
On Easter Sunday dancing on the old crossroads called "Coughlanes"
started. However, if one immoral case or any immodest transaction
occurred in a parish, it often happened that dances and dancing
schools in the entire district were wholly suppressed by the word of
the parish priest and the dancing master turned away.
Sun dancing on Easter Sunday may be traced back to a heathen custom
when the spectators themselves danced at a festival in honor of the
sun after the vernal equinox.
_Eastern, Protestant and Catholic Winds._--A member of the Protestant
Episcopal religion came under my notice who made it a practice to
remain out on the night of the 31st of December until New Year's
morning that he might see with his own eyes if the wind was favorable
to the Protestants. If at midnight it blew from the east, it would
indicate to him that the Protestants would be very prosperous that
year, but if it blew from any other direction he would become
restless and uneasy. Should it happen to blow from the west, he would
express such words as "God help us poor Protestants; everything is
going against us and in the way of the Roman Catholics this year." I
have no doubt but some Catholics might then be found possessed of a
like superstition.
_Fallen Angels._--These were supposed to be in the air, in the house,
and everywhere, and had the power "of good and evil." They could
use a bush for a horse and ride all over the country. As they were
considered pretty active gentlemen by night for hurling persons,
standing in their way was not always safe. If they gave you a blow
of their hurley on the head, you would not know what happened to
you. Physicians now have found a cure for nearly all diseases,
consequently such ignorance quickly disappeared.
_Funeral Bells._--The custom of tolling bells slowly and solemnly
three times for funerals is carried on in Dingle both in the Catholic
and Protestant churches.[14] The ringing of a hand bell through the
streets of Dingle to summon the people to mass is many years gone
out of practice.
_Gates of Glory._--These are Gallauns standing at Milltown, Dingle.
Probably they were first erected as landmarks. At a later period
they served another purpose. Persons amenable to the town court for
certain acts, such as debts and the like, were considered outside its
jurisdiction when beyond those stones or landmarks. I was told that
it often happened orders were obtained against deceased persons who
owed money and the body arrested and held without burial up to, but
not exceeding, nine days, unless some friend paid the debt. However,
if the corpse escaped beyond the "Gates of Glory" the court was
unable to follow it and those in the funeral could stone the bailiff.
Consequently those stones were designated the Gates of Glory.
_Ghosts' Spirits Cannot Cross Running Water._--The reasons for
persons believing that a ghost or a fairy will not follow them
through any river or stream which is not bridged over or has no
stepping stones is because when they with fear suddenly plunge into
a deep hole in a river the cold water gives the nerves such a shock
that it drives away all terror. If a man was hounded by an enemy and
believed his life was in danger, he would quickly forget the ghosts
and even hide in a graveyard if he thought that by so doing he would
escape from his pursuer.
_Glas-Guineach._--This cow was remarkable for giving a large quantity
of milk. She belonged to the monks then residing at Kilmalckedor, was
well fed and grazed upon the best patches of sweet pasture in the
district. A thief attempted to steal her, but was captured in the
act. To make an example of him, his finger prints and the impression
of the cow's hoofs for future reference and to warn the people of the
district to be aware of him were cut or set into the stones by some
natural art touching finger prints then known to those monks. The
stories of the Glas-Guinach are numerous and interesting. Children
inclined to steal were reminded of what happened to the thief who
stole the monk's cow.
_Gospels._--These are received from a priest, sewn into a piece of
cloth, worn on necks of some children.
_Haunted Houses._--Three houses in the whole barony of Corkaguiny
are all I can discover to have the reputation of being haunted now.
Thieves, robbers and persons of fraudulent and dishonest intentions
manufactured ghosts and imposed them on their innocent neighbors as
haunting certain places, while in other cases where an unnatural
death took place, such as murder, suicide or the like, a fear would
seize the person finding the corpse or one hearing about it. Children
seeing white boys assembled by night in open places and not knowing
who they were prolonged the belief in the ghosts and fairies.
_Headless Coach Stories._--These are wicked lies which were told
on winter nights at the firesides by old people and imposed upon
children as real truth. To make it more serious, the storyteller
would put on a long, solemn face and speak in whispers. He would
start and describe in detail the make, appearance and movements
of the headless coach, thereby terrorizing the very lives in us
children, so much so that we would not willingly come home after
dark unless accompanied by another. There never was such a thing as a
headless coach in our parts, and some old people there are guilty of
a very serious crime in poisoning and destroying the minds of young
children with such horrid tales.
_Hold Out the Hand and Split the Difference._--In selling or buying
horses, cattle, sheep and hogs at fairs and markets a peculiar custom
prevails. When the buyer and seller are within a few shillings of
a bargain a friendly neighbor asks them to "split the difference"
and places their hands together. Another habit is for a buyer, when
making an offer which he expects will be accepted by the seller, to
ask the seller to open his hand. This being done, he slaps the open
hand in token of an agreement as he makes what he pretends to be his
last bid.
_Holy Water Bottles in Canoes._--There is a custom among fishermen
to the west of Dingle of carrying very small bottles containing holy
water tightly corked and fastened by a strong string to their canoes
when going to sea.
_Holy Wells_ (See "His. Co. Kerry"--Corkaguiny).--Pilgrims to holy
wells leave rags, copper coins and other quite valueless tokens
behind them in paying rounds, at Brandon Mountain shrine and other
like places.
_Horn Dance._--This peculiar dance was introduced into these parts by
persons of foreign descent in gentlemen's houses, and it disappeared
with them. In dancing, they wore horns and had bells on their feet.
_Horseshoe Nailed Over the Door._--This class of superstition I find
more common in the United States of America than elsewhere. Of
course, it is brought by Europeans into the country, chiefly by Jews.
_Hurley._--In former times this was considered a very fine play in
those parts but now is altogether extinct. Two men courting the same
girl often challenged each other to a hurling match in front of the
girl, and the man successful claimed her affection.
_I Usga Bagha, i. e., the Water of Life._[15]--This was the name
applied to whisky. A custom of hanging a bush, a jug and a glass
in front of a house having spirits for sale, and such notices as
refreshments for man and beast, disappeared with the enforcement of
the license laws and were replaced by the show card.
_Judges Bringing Bad Weather to Kerry._--Many persons believe that
the judges of the assizes in their circuit bring with them bad
weather to the County of Kerry, due to so many false oaths being
sworn before them and therefore so much wrong done in the name of
justice. Consequently, apart from any other reason, their lordships
are considered very undesirable visitors to the county by most of
the people outside of the legal profession. It is quite true that
at nearly all times in the last century when the assizes were held
in Tralee it was either raining or the sky was dark and gloomy and
the weather bad. This probably was due to the season of the year in
which the assizes were usually held. However, more noticeable was the
weather on the mornings of the executions in Tralee Jail of persons
condemned to death by judges and packed juries, but innocent in the
minds of the people.
_Lady Day._--This was the patron day of Dingle. It was held on the
8th of September.
_Leprachawn._--This is the name given to a shoemaker appearing
in several fairy tales. He is supposed to be a very rich little
gentleman and a native of Teer-Na-Oge, who appears very often amongst
briers, bushes and boulders. He is not more than six inches in
height, is often dressed in a nice green coat ornamented with gold
and silver lace, wears knee breeches and a red cap. They tell me he
works very hard at mending shoes. His shelves are covered with stacks
of gold coin, and in addition he has many crocks of this precious
metal. While he is working it is very easy to steal upon him and
catch him. I am told that whenever you lay your hands upon him you
should seize him quickly and, although his shrill screams will be
heart-rending, do not loosen your hold, and at the same time you
must not take your eyes off the gold, for if you do he will surely
change it into brown leaves and pay you off with a half-sovereign.
I fear that most of those who saw the Leprachawn were paid off with
brown leaves. If a remarkably poor person became suddenly rich, and
was anxious to keep his neighbors in the dark as to the source of
his changed position, he was sure to tell them that he captured a
Leprachawn.
_Lycanthropy._--Here is another wicked superstition, viz., that
persons in league with the devil can assume other forms, such as a
dog, etc. I am very glad I cannot now find one person to credit such
tales.
_Marriages and Weddings._--Many of the peculiar customs attached to
marriages and wedding feasts are slowly but surely changing for the
better. Imitations of the false standards of "decency" set up by the
middlemen of the previous centuries are fast disappearing. However,
the people, both in town and country, are still too extravagant with
their marriages and weddings, and in some instances the marriage
fees are unreasonably excessive when compared with the offering made
for a like ceremony in other countries. Rare cases of this kind
unfortunately rob the marriage of its sacramental appearance and
bring it to the level of a civil contract. The practice of making a
collection amongst the parties attending a wedding feast and offering
it to the curate and clerk is now almost out of fashion.
_May Day._--The superstitions connected with May Day were numerous
and widespread. That day people watched their cattle. Bad women with
their wooden milk gallons placed under their aprons watched for an
opportunity to steal upon their neighbors' cows to milk them. Witches
were believed to go about as hares. These superstitions, I am glad to
say, are now very rare.