Only a few years ago elderly farmers of the Land’s End district
commenced the breaking of grass land with a sort of religious
solemnity, to bring it into its three years’ course of tillage. On
entering the field, the cattle, attached to the plough, were turned
towards the west; and the ploughman saying, “In the name of God let’s
begin,” proceeded with the course of the sun to “break ground” by
turning a few yards of sod in that direction; afterwards the field
might be ploughed towards any point that was convenient.
The same rite was observed by some on beginning to plough an arable
field; and when they commenced to sow a few handfuls of grain were cast
round—with the same formality—from east to west, for luck. Following
the sun’s course in several other kinds of work was also regarded as a
means of ensuring success.
Dairy-women always place their pans of milk so that they shall be
skimmed, in turn, going with the sun, or from left to right. The
scalded or clouted cream, for making butter, being placed in a shallow
tub, is stirred round with the hand, or a wooden peel, in the direction
of the sun’s course; if turned in a reverse manner, butter cannot be
properly made—so it is believed. Young people dance round the
Midsummer’s bonfire in the same order; if any of them take the wrong
course it is believed, or at least said, they will die unmarried. When
the bonfire has burned sufficiently low, old and young leap through the
flames towards the place of the setting sun.
In the spring, people visit a “Pellar” (conjuror) as soon as there is
“twelve hours’ sun,” to have “their protection renewed,” that is, to be
provided with charms; and the wise man’s good offices to ward off, for
the ensuing year, all evil influences of beings who work in darkness.
The reason assigned for observing this particular time is, that “when
the sun is come back the Pellar has more power to goodé” (do good).
In curing diseases, charms are worked against the sun to backen the
complaint. Ricketty children bathed in a holy well on the three
Wednesdays in May, are dipped thrice and taken round the spring as
often against the sun’s course. For the cure of boils or eruptions, the
afflicted crawl nine times from east to west, under a bramble, rooted
at both ends. Many other examples might be given of practices regarding
the sun, but are much to the same effect.
One may notice a remarkable belief, however, that if a person, by false
swearing, compasses the life of another, the sun is thereafter
invisible to the perjured one. This idea is so well known that to hint
at a person’s inability to behold the sun is regarded as a great
insult.
An observance with regard to the moon may be here mentioned. Most folks
are acquainted with a practice called “washing in a dry dish,” for the
cure of warts and other ailments. To get rid of warts on the hands they
are shown the moon nine times on three successive nights before full
moon; three times on the full, at intervals of three quarters of an
hour; and thrice afterwards, on three following nights. On each
occasion the patient, or rather the supplicant, looks from the moon to
his hands, and from his hands to the moon—whilst rubbing them together
as if washing them—and holds them towards the moon nine times, saying:—
“I wash my hands in this thy dish,
O, Man in the Moon, do grant my wish,
And come take away this.”
For the cure of various other ailments this charm is worked in much the
same way. The above-mentioned remnants of Zabaism are suggestive of
Phœnician tin-traders’ connection with old Bellerion.
There are many ancient beliefs and practices with respect to the moon
still lingering in West Cornwall, which seem to be almost forgotten
elsewhere. The following are a few examples amongst many.
Herbs for drying, to be used in fomentation, or for other medicinal
purposes, are gathered at the full of the moon; when winter’s fruit
should also be picked and stored, in order that it may retain its
plumpness. Elderly persons prefer to sow their garden seeds and others
during the moon’s first quarter, from the idea that they will then
germinate quicker and grow stronger than on the decrease.
Timber should be felled on the “bating” of the moon, because the “sap
is then down,” and the wood will be more durable.
When the old iron “chills” (lamps) were in general use, rushes for
making “porvans” (wicks) were cut at the full moon, because it was
believed that they were then fuller of pith and less liable to shrink
than if cut at other times.
Old gentlemen who wore their hair long behind, or in “pigtails or
queues,” and other persons as well, of that day, were very particular
about having their heads trimmed at the time of full moon, that their
hair might grow the more luxuriantly.
The first money taken of a market-day is still frequently spit on for
good luck; and if silver, kept for luck-money, to be shown to the next
new moon, and turned three times towards the person who shows it. Three
wishes were made whilst showing the money, which the wisher turned
three times from the moon towards himself.
It is considered unlucky to get the first sight of a new moon through
glass, and many persons go out of doors purposely to see her for the
first time, when they hold towards her a piece of silver to ensure
their success whilst that moon lasts. Those who offer this kind of
adoration to Luna are mostly provided with a crooked sixpence, which
they call a pocket-piece, and wear as a means to retain good luck. This
observance of showing money to the new moon is, probably, a vestige of
an ancient rite connected with the worship of Luna or Astarte.
Another belief, which still holds good, is that when a child is born in
the interval between an old moon and the first appearance of a new one,
it will never live to attain to puberty. A recent observation confirms
this as well to animals as children. Hence the saying of “no moon no
man.” Other popular notions, among old folks, are that when a boy is
born on the waning moon the next birth will be a girl, and vice versâ;
they also say that when a birth takes place on the “growing of the
moon,” the next child will be of the same sex. Many of these fancies,
however, may be astrological notions, handed down from ancient times
and common to many places. Here much of such lore has been learnt from
Sibley’s “Treatise on the Occult Sciences,” which is the oracle of our
western astrologers; though they seldom let their study of that and
similar works be known for fear of the ridicule with which it is now
the fashion to regard such pursuits.