A young lad, whom the writer knew--an intelligent and promising

boy--whilst lying on his death-bed, told his mother that he heard a bird

warbling beautifully outside the house, and in rapture he listened to the

bird's notes.

His mother told me of this, and she stated further, that she had herself

on three different occasions previously to her eldest daughter's death,

in the middle of the night, distinctly heard singing of the most lovely

kind, coming, as she thought, from the other side of the river. She went

to the window and opened it, but the singing immediately ceased, and she

failed to see anyone on the spot where she had imagined the singing came

from. My informant also told me that she was not the only person who

heard lovely singing before the death of a friend. She gave me the name

of a nurse, who before the death of a person, whose name was also given

me, heard three times the most beautiful singing just outside the sick

house. She looked out into the night, but failed to see anyone. Singing

of this kind is expected before the death of every good person, and it is

a happy omen that the dying is going to heaven.

In the _Life of Tegid_, which is given in his _Gwaith Barddonawl_, p. 20,

it is stated:--

"Yn ei absenoldeb o'r Eglwys, pan ar wely angeu, ar fore dydd yr

Arglwydd, tra yr oedd offeiriad cymmydogaethol yn darllen yn ei le yn

Llan Nanhyfer, boddwyd llais y darllenydd gan fwyalchen a darawai drwy yr

Eglwys accen uchel a pherseiniol yn ddisymwth iawn. . . . Ar ol dyfod

o'r Eglwys cafwyd allan mai ar yr amser hwnw yn gywir yr ehedodd enaid

mawr Tegid o'i gorph i fyd yr ysprydoedd."

Which translated is as follows:--

In his absence from Church, when lying on his deathbed, in the morning of

the Lord's Day, whilst a neighbouring clergyman was taking the service

for him in Nanhyfer Church, the voice of the reader was suddenly drowned

by the beautiful song of a thrush, that filled the whole Church. . . .

It was ascertained on leaving the church that at that very moment the

soul of Tegid left his body for the world of spirits.

In the _Myths of the Middle Ages_, p. 426, an account is given of "The

Piper of Hamelin," and there we have a description of this spirit song:--

Sweet angels are calling to me from yon shore,

Come over, come over, and wander no more.

Miners believe that some of their friends have the gift of seeing fatal

accidents before they occur. A miner in the East of Denbighshire told me

of instances of this belief and he gave circumstantial proof of the truth

of his assertion. Akin to this faith is the belief that people have seen

coffins or spectral beings enter houses, both of which augur a coming

death.

In _The Lives of the Cambro-British Saints_, p. 444, it is stated that

previously to the death of St. David "the whole city was filled with the

music of angels."

The preceding death omens do not, perhaps, exhaust the number, but they

are quite enough to show how prevalent they were, and how prone the

people were to believe in such portents. Some of them can be accounted

for on natural grounds, but the majority are the creation of the

imagination, strengthened possibly in certain instances by remarkable

coincidences which were remembered, whilst if no death occurred after any

of the omens, the failure was forgotten.

BIRDS AND BEASTS.

Folk-lore respecting animals is common in Wales. It has been supposed

that mountainous countries are the cradles of superstitions. But this

is, at least, open to a doubt; for most places perpetuate these strange

fancies, and many of them have reached our days from times of old, and

the exact country whence they came is uncertain. Still, it cannot be

denied that rugged, rocky, sparsely inhabited uplands, moorlands, and

fens, are congenial abodes for wild fancies, that have their foundation

in ignorance, and are perpetuated by the credulity of an imaginative

people that lead isolated and solitary lives.

The bleating of the sheep, as they wander over a large expanse of barren

mountain land, is dismal indeed, and well might become ominous of storms

and disasters. The big fat sheep, which are penned in the lowlands of

England, with a tinkling bell strapped to the neck of the king of the

flock, convey a notion of peace and plenty to the mind of the spectator,

that the shy active mountain sheep, with their angry grunt and stamping

of their feet never convey. Still, these latter are endowed with an

instinct which the English mutton-producer does not exercise. Welsh

sheep become infallible prognosticators of a change of weather; for, by a

never failing instinct, they leave the high and bare mountain ridges for

sheltered nooks, and crowd together when they detect the approach of a

storm. Man does not observe atmospheric changes as quickly as sheep do,

and as sheep evidently possess one instinct which is strongly developed

and exercised, it is not unreasonable to suppose that man in a low state

of civilisation might credit animals with possessing powers which, if

observed, indicate or foretell other events beside storms.

Thus the lowly piping of the solitary curlew, the saucy burr of the

grouse, the screech of the owl, the croaking of the raven, the flight of

the magpie, the slowly flying heron, the noisy cock, the hungry seagull,

the shrill note of the woodpecker, the sportive duck, all become omens.

Bird omens have descended to us from remote antiquity. Rome is credited

with having received its pseudo-science of omens from Etruria, but whence

came it there? This semi-religious faith, like a river that has its

source in a far distant, unexplored mountain region, and meanders through

many countries, and does not exclusively belong to any one of the lands

through which it wanders; so neither does it seem that these credulities

belong to any one people or age; and it is difficult, if not impossible,

to trace to their origin, omens, divination, magic, witchcraft, and other

such cognate matters, which seem to belong to man's nature.

Readers of Livy remember how Romulus and Remus had recourse to bird omens

to determine which of the brothers should build Rome. Remus saw six

vultures, and Romulus twelve; therefore, as his number was the greater,

to him fell the honour of building the famous city.

But this was not the only bird test known to the Romans. Before a battle

those people consulted their game fowl to ascertain whether or not

victory was about to attend their arms. If the birds picked up briskly

the food thrown to them victory was theirs, if they did so sluggishly the

omen was unpropitious, and consequently the battle was delayed.

Plutarch, in his "Life of Alexander," gives us many proofs of that great

general's credulity. The historian says:--"Upon his (Alexander's)

approach to the walls (of Babylon) he saw a great number of crows

fighting, some of which fell down dead at his feet." This was a bad

sign. But I will not pursue the subject. Enough has been said to prove

how common omens were. I will now confine my remarks to Wales.

_Birds singing before February_.

Should the feathered songsters sing before February it is a sign of hard,

ungenial weather. This applies particularly to the blackbird and

throstle. The following lines embody this faith:--

Os can yr adar cyn Chwefror, hwy griant cyn Mai.

If birds sing before February, they will cry before May.

Thus their early singing prognosticates a prolonged winter.--_Bye-Gones_,

vol. i., p. 88.

_Birds flocking in early Autumn_.

When birds gather themselves together and form flocks in the early days

of autumn, it is thought to foretell an early and severe winter.

On the other hand, should they separate in early spring, and again

congregate in flocks, this shews that hard weather is to be expected, and

that winter will rest on the lap of May.

_Birds' Feathers_.

Feather beds should be made of domestic birds' feathers, such as geese,

ducks, and fowls. Wild fowl feathers should not be mixed with these

feathers; for, otherwise, the sick will die hard, and thus the agony of

their last moments will be prolonged.

_The Cock_.

Caesar, Bk. v., c.12, tells us that the Celtic nation did not regard it

lawful to eat the cock.

It was thought that the devil assumed occasionally the form of a cock.

It is said that at Llanfor, near Bala, the evil spirit was driven out of

the church in the form of a cock, and laid in the river Dee.

Formerly the cock was offered to the water god. And at certain Holy

Wells in Wales, such as that in the parish of Llandegla, it was customary

to offer to St. Tecla a cock for a male patient, and a hen for a female.

A like custom prevailed at St. Deifer's Well, Bodfari. Classical readers

may remember that Socrates, before his death, desired his friend Crito to

offer a cock to AEsculapius. "Crito," said he, and these were his last

words, "we owe a cock to AEsculapius, discharge that debt for me, and

pray do not forget it;" soon after which he breathed his last.

In our days, the above-mentioned superstitions do not prevail, but the

cock has not been resigned entirely to the cook. By some means or other,

it still retains the power of announcing the visit of a friend; at least,

so says the mountain farmer's wife.

The good-wife in North Wales, when the cock comes to the door-sill and

there crows many times in succession, tells her children that "Some one

is coming to visit us, I wonder who it is." Before nightfall a friend

drops in, and he is informed that he was expected, that the cock had

crowed time after time by the door, and that it was no good sending him

away, for he would come back and crow and crow, "and now," adds she, "you

have come." "Is it not strange," says the good woman, "that he never

makes a mistake," and then follows a word of praise for chanticleer,

which the stranger endorses.

However much the hospitable liked to hear their cock crow in the day

time, he was not to crow at night. But it was formerly believed that at

the crowing of the cock, fairies, spirits, ghosts, and goblins rushed to

their dread abodes. Puck was to meet the Fairy King, "ere the first cock

crow."

_Cock-fighting_.

Cock-fighting was once common in Wales, and it was said that the most

successful cock-fighters fought the bird that resembled the colour of the

day when the conflict took place; thus, the blue game-cock was brought

out on cloudy days, black when the atmosphere was inky in colour,

black-red on sunny days, and so on.

Charms for cocks have already been mentioned (p. 267). These differed in

different places. In Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire, a crumb from the

communion table, taken therefrom at midnight following the administration

of the Holy Communion, was an infallible charm. This was placed in the

socket of the steel spur, which was then adjusted to the natural

spur.--_Bye-Gones_, vol. i., p. 88.

_The Goose_.

Should a goose lay a soft egg, a small egg, or two eggs in a day, it is a

sign of misfortune to the owner of that goose.

An old woman in Llandrinio parish, Montgomeryshire, who lived in a

cottage by the side of the Severn, and who possessed a breed of geese

that laid eggs and hatched twice a year, when I asked her the time that

geese should begin to lay, said:--

Before St. Valentine's Day

Every good goose will lay.

and she added:--

By St. Chad,

Every good goose, and bad.

St. Chad's Day is March the 2nd.

Mr. Samuel Williams, Fron, Selattyn, gave me the following version of the

above ditty:--

On Candlemas Day,

Every good goose begins to lay.

Another rendering is:--

Every good goose ought to lay

On Candlemas Day.

Candlemas Day is February 2nd.

Geese should sit so as to hatch their young when the moon waxes and not

when it wanes, for, otherwise, the goslings would not thrive. The lucky

one in the family should place the eggs for hatching under the goose or

hen.

For the following paragraph I am indebted to "Ffraid," a writer in

_Bye-Gones_, vol. i., p. 88:--

"The goose is thought to be a silly bird, and hence the expression, 'You

silly goose,' or 'You stupid goose,' as applied to a person. The falling

snow is believed to be the effect of celestial goose-feathering, and the

patron of geese--St. Michael--is supposed to be then feathering his

proteges. The first goose brought to table is called a Michaelmas goose;

a large annual fair at Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant is called 'Ffair y cwarter

Gwydd,' the quarter goose fair. Seven geese on grass land are supposed

to eat as much grass as will keep a cow. Permanent grass land is called

'Tir Gwydd,' goose land. A bed of goose feathers is required to complete

a well-furnished house. The fat of geese, called 'goose-oil,' is a

recipe for many ailments. A small bone in the head of a goose, called

the 'goose's tooth,' is carried in the pocket for luck, and is a sure

preventative against toothache."

Much of the above paragraph is common to most parts of Wales, but the

writer used to be told, when he was a lad, that the snow was caused by

"the old woman feathering her geese," and a Michaelmas goose was called a

green goose, as well as a "Michaelmas goose."

_The Crow_.

The crow figures much in Welsh folk-lore. In many ways he is made to

resemble the magpie; thus, when one crow or one magpie was seen, it was

thought to foretell misfortune, as implied by the saying:--

Un fran ddu,

Lwc ddrwg i mi.

But should the spectator shout out in a defiant way:--

Hen fran ddu,

Gras Duw i mi,

no harm would follow. The former lines in English would be:--

One crow I see,

Bad luck to me.

But this foretold evil, brought about by the old black crow, could be

counteracted by repeating the following words, (a translation of the

second couplet), with a pause between each line, and thus the last line

would assume the form of a prayer:--

Old Black Crow!

God, grace bestow;

or the evil could be hurled back upon the Old Black Crow by the

repetition of these words:--

Hen fran ddu,

Gras Duw i mi,

Lwc ddrwg i ti.

Freely translated, these lines would be:--

Old Black Crow!

God's grace to me,

Bad luck to thee.

In the English-speaking parts of Wales, such as along the borders of

Montgomeryshire, adjoining Shropshire, I have heard the following

doggerel lines substituted for the Welsh:--

Crow, crow, get out of my sight,

Before I kill thee to-morrow night.

The bad luck implied by the appearance of one crow could also be

overcome, as in the case of the magpie, by making a cross on the ground,

with finger or stick.

Although one crow implied bad luck, two crows meant good luck; thus we

have these lines:--

Dwy fran ddu,

Lwc dda i mi.

Two black crows,

Good luck to me.

Many prognostications were drawn from the appearance of crows. A crow

seen on the highest branch of a tree implied that the person seeing it

should shortly see his or her sweetheart. The manner in which they flew

foretold a wedding or a burying. When they fly in a long line there is

to be a wedding, if crowded together a funeral.

There is a common expression in Montgomeryshire--"Dwy fran dyddyn"--"The

two crows of the farm"--just as if each farm had its two crows, either as

guardians of the farm--for two crows implied good luck--or as if they

were located by couples in various places, which places became their

feeding ground and homes. This, however, is not true of rooks, which

feed in flocks and roost in flocks.

_Crows' Feathers_.

In Montgomeryshire it was, at one time, supposed that if a person picked

up a crow's feather he was sure to meet a mad dog before the day was

over.

But in other parts it was considered lucky to find a crow's feather, if,

when found, it were stuck on end into the ground. This superstition

lingered long in Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, a remote, hilly parish in

Denbighshire.

Some years ago, crows' wing or tail feathers could be seen stuck upright

in the ground in many parts of Wales, but at present such a thing cannot

be seen. The practice and the superstition have come to an end.

_A Rookery deserted was a sign of bad luck_, _but when they nested near a

house it was a sign of good luck_.

The writer visited, in the year 1887, a gentleman's park, where for

generations the rooks had made a lodgment, and by several persons his

attention was called to the ominous fact that the rooks had left the

ancestral trees which ornamented the spacious and well-wooded park, and

had even carried their nests away with them. He was informed that the

desertion boded no good to the highly respected family that occupied that

ancient seat.

The writer also visited a friend, who lives in an ancient abode, a mile

or two from the rook-rejected park, and, with a smile, he was informed by

the lady of the house that a colony of rooks had taken possession of the

trees that surrounded her house. He gladly wished her luck, to which she

responded--"It has been a long time coming."

Both these places are in East Denbighshire.

The writer remembers a case in which a rookery was deserted just before

misfortune fell upon the gentleman who occupied the house around which

grew the trees occupied by the rooks. This gentleman one morning noticed

the rooks carrying away their nests to a new home. Se called his servant

man to him, and desired him to go after the rooks and destroy their nests

in their new abode, in the fond hope that they would thus be induced to

return to their old home. This was done more than once, but the rooks

would not take the hint; they persisted in gathering up the scattered

sticks that strewed the ground, but these they replaced in the trees

above, which now had become their new home. When it was found that they

would not return, the man desisted, and his master, as he had feared, met

with dire misfortune shortly afterwards (see p. 304).

_The Cuckoo_. _Y Gog_.

The cuckoo is a sacred bird. It is safe from the gamekeeper's gun. Its

advent is welcomed with pleasure. "Have you heard the cuckoo?" is a

question put by the fortunate person who first hears its notes to every

person he meets. When it is ascertained that the cuckoo has arrived,

parents give their children pence for luck, and they themselves take care

not to leave their houses with empty pockets, for should they do so,

those pockets, if the cuckoo is heard, will be empty all the year. Those

who hear the cuckoo for the first time thrust immediately their hand in

their pockets, and turn their money, or toss a piece into the air, and

all this is for luck for the coming year ushered in by the cheering sound

of the cuckoo's notes.

It is believed that the cuckoo is in our country for several days before

its welcome two notes are heard, and that the cause of its huskiness is,

that it is tired, and has not cleared its voice by sucking birds' eggs.

Generally the cuckoo is heard for the first time yearly about the same

place, and the hill tops not far from the abodes of man are its favourite

resort. Thus we have the ditty:--

Cynta' lle y can y cogydd,

Yw y fawnog ar y mynydd.

The place where first the cuckoo sings,

Is by the peat pits on the hills.

The cuckoo is supposed to be accompanied by the wry-neck, hence its name,

"Gwas-y-gog," the cuckoo's servant. The wryneck was thought to build the

nest, and hatch and feed the young of the cuckoo.

Many superstitions cluster round the cuckoo; thus, should a person be in

doubt as to the way to take, when going from home, to secure success in

life, he, or she, waits for the cuckoo's return, and then should the bird

be heard for the first time, singing towards the east, as it flies, that

is the direction to take, or any other direction as the case may be; and

it is, or was, even thought that the flight of the cuckoo, singing as it

flies before a person, for the first time in the year, indicated a change

of abode for that person, and the new home lay in the direction in which

the cuckoo flew.

Should the cuckoo make its appearance before the leaves appear on the

hawthorn bush, it is a sign of a dry, barren year.

Os can y gog ar ddrain-llwyn llwm,

Gwerth dy geffyl a phryn dy bwn.

If the cuckoo sings on a hawthorn bare,

Sell thy horse, and thy pack prepare.

The Welsh words I heard at Llanuwchllyn, a good many years ago, just as

the cuckoo's voice was heard for the first time in those parts, and there

were then no leaves out on the hedgerows. I do not recollect whether the

prophecy became true, but it was an aged Welshman that made use of the

words. Another version of the same is heard in Llanwddyn parish:--

Os can y gog ar bincyn llwm,

Gwerth dy geffyl a phryn dy bwn.

If the cuckoo sings on a sprig that's bare,

Sell thy horse, and thy pack prepare.

The latter ditty suits a hilly country, and the former applies to the low

lands where there are hedgerows.

The early singing of the cuckoo implies a plentiful crop of hay, and this

belief is embodied in the following ditty:--

Mis cyn Clamme can y coge,

Mis cyn Awst y cana' inne.

That is:--

If the cuckoo sings a month before May-day,

I will sing a month before August.

_Calan Mai_, May-day, abbreviated to _Clamme_, according to the Old

Style, corresponds with our 12th of May, and the above saying means, that

there would be such an abundant hay harvest if the cuckoo sang a month

before May-day, that the farmer would himself sing for joy on the 12th of

July. It was the custom in the uplands of Wales to begin the hay harvest

on the 1st of July.

The above I heard in Montgomeryshire, and also the following:--

Mis cyn Clamme can y coge,

Mis cyn hynny tyf mriallu.

That is:--

If the cuckoo sings a month before May-day,

Primroses will grow a month before that time.

I do not know what this means, unless it implies that early primroses

foretell an early summer.

But, speaking of the song of the cuckoo, we have the following lines:--

Amser i ganu ydi Ebrill a Mai,

A hanner Mehefin, chwi wyddoch bob rhai.

This corresponds somewhat with the English:--

The cuckoo sings in April,

The cuckoo sings in May,

The cuckoo sings to the middle of June,

And then she flies away.

In Mochdre parish, Montgomeryshire, I was told the following:--

In May she sings all day,

In June she's out of tune.

The following Welsh lines show that the cuckoo will not sing when the hay

harvest begins:--

Pan welith hi gocyn,

Ni chanith hi gwcw.

When she sees a heap,

Silence she will keep.

In certain parts of Wales, such as Montgomeryshire, bordering on

Shropshire, it is thought that the cuckoo never sings after

Midsummer-day. This faith finds corroborative support in the following

lines:--

The cuckoo sings in April,

The cuckoo sings in May,

The cuckoo sings in Midsummer,

But never on that day.

In Flintshire, in Hawarden parish, it is believed that she mates in June,

as shown by these words:--

The cuckoo comes in April,

The cuckoo sings in May,

The cuckoo mates in June,

And in July she flies away.

In Montgomeryshire I have often heard these lines:--

The cuckoo is a fine bird,

She sings as she flies,

She brings us good tidings,

And never tells us lies;

She sucks young birds' eggs,

To make her voice clear,

And the more she sings "Cuckoo,"

The summer is quite near.

The last two lines are varied thus:--

And then she sings, "Cuckoo"

Three months in every year.

Or:--

And when she sings "Cuckoo"

The summer is near.

The cuckoo was credited with sucking birds' eggs, to make room for her

own, as well as to acquire a clear voice. Perhaps the rustic belief is

at fault here. The writer has seen a cuckoo rise from the ground with an

egg in her mouth, but he has seen it stated that the cuckoo always lays

her eggs on the ground, and carries them in her mouth until she discovers

a nest wherein to deposit them, and when she has done this her mother's

care is over.

_A White Cock_.

A white cock was looked upon as an unlucky bird, thus:--

Na chadw byth yn nghylch dy dy,

Na cheiliog gwyn, na chath ddu.

Never keep about thy house,

A white cock, nor black cat.

_Crane_.

The crane is often mistaken for the heron. When the crane flies against

the stream, she asks for rain, when with the stream she asks for fair

weather.

This bird is said to be thin when the moon wanes, and fat at the waxing

of the moon.

_Ducks_.

When ducks sportively chase each other through the water, and flap their

wings and dive about, in evident enjoyment of their pastime, it is a sign

that rain is not far off.

_Eagle_.

Persons who had eaten eagle's flesh had power to cure erysipelas, and

this virtue was said by some to be transmitted to their descendants for

ever, whilst others affirmed it only lasted for nine generations. See

page 263, where this subject is fully treated.

_The Goat Sucker_.

A curious notion prevailed respecting this bird, arrived at, presumably,

in consequence of its peculiar name--the _goat sucker_--viz., that it

lives on the milk of the goat, which it obtains by sucking the teats of

that animal.

_Putting Hens to Sit_.

Placing the eggs in the nest for hens, geese, and ducks to sit on was

considered an important undertaking. This was always done by the lucky

member of the family. It was usual to put fowl to sit so as to get the

chick out of the egg at the waxing, and not at the waning, of the moon.

It was thought that the young birds were strong or weak according to the

age of the moon when they were hatched.

March chickens were always considered the best. A game bird hatched in

March was thought to be stronger and more plucky than those that broke

their shells in any other month, and, further, to obtain all extraneous

advantages, that bird which was hatched at full moon began life with very

good prospects.

A singular custom prevailed at Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire, when

putting hens, and other fowl, to sit. I obtained the information from

the late Vicar, the Rev. R. H. M. Hughes, M.A., an observant gentleman,

who took a lively interest in all matters connected with his parish. I

was staying with him, and he made the remark that in his parish it was

considered lucky to place the hen, when she first began to sit, with her

head towards the church. This the cottagers in the village could easily

do, for the parish church was in their midst. I do not know whether this

kind of proceeding prevailed in other places.

The number of eggs placed under a hen varied with her size, but one

general rule was followed, viz., an odd number of eggs was always placed

under her; eleven or thirteen was the usual number, but never ten or

twelve.

_The Heron_.

The heron as it flies slowly towards the source of a river is said to be

going up the river to bring the water down, in other words, this flight

is a sign of coming rain. The same thing is said of the crane.

_Fable of why the Heron frequents the banks of rivers and lakes_.

It is from thirty to forty years ago that I heard the fable I am about to

relate, and the circumstances under which I heard it are briefly as

follows. I was walking towards Bangor from Llanllechid, when I saw a

farmer at work hedging. I stopped to chat with him, and a bramble which

had fastened itself on his trousers gave him a little trouble to get it

away, and the man in a pet said, "Have I not paid thee thy tithe?" "Why

do you say those words, Enoch?" said I, and he said, "Have you not heard

the story?" I confessed my ignorance, and after many preliminary

remarks, the farmer related the following fable:--

The heron, the cat, and the bramble bought the tithe of a certain parish.

The heron bought the hay, mowed it, harvested it, and cocked it, and

intended carrying it the following day, but in the night a storm came on,

and carried the hay away, and ever since then the heron frequents the

banks of the rivers and lakes, looking for her hay that was carried away,

and saying "Pay me my tithe."

The cat bought the oats, cut them, and even threshed them, and left them

in the barn, intending the following day to take them to the market for

sale. But when she went into the barn, early the next morning, she found

the floor covered with rats and mice, which had devoured the oats, and

the cat flew at them and fought with them, and drove them from the barn,

and this is why she is at enmity with rats and mice even to our day.

The bramble bought the wheat, and was more fortunate than the heron and

cat, for the wheat was bagged, and taken to the market and sold, but sold

on trust, and the bramble never got the money, and this is why it takes

hold of everyone and says "Pay me my tithe," for it forgot to whom the

wheat had been sold.

_The Jackdaw_.

This bird is considered sacred, because it frequents church steeples and

builds its nest there, and it is said to be an innocent bird, though

given to carrying off things and hiding them in out-of-the-way places.

When ignorance of a fault is pleaded, it is a common saying--"I have no

more knowledge of the fact than the Devil has of the jackdaw" (see

_Bye-Gones_, Vol. I., 86). The Devil evidently will have nothing to do

with this bird, because it makes its home in the church steeple, and he

hates the church and everything belonging to it.

_The Magpie_.

The magpie was considered a bird of ill-omen. No one liked to see a

magpie when starting on a journey, but in certain parts of

Montgomeryshire, such as the parish of Llanwnog, _if the magpie flew from

left to right it foretold good luck_; in other parts, such as

Llansantffraid, if seen at all, it was considered a sign of bad luck.

However, fortunately, a person could make void this bad luck, for he had

only to spit on the ground, and make a cross with his finger, or stick,

through the spittle, and boldly say--

"Satan, I defy thee,"

and the curse, or bad luck, indicated by the appearance of the magpie,

could not then come.

The number of magpies seen implied different events. It was a common

saying:--

One's grief, two's mirth,

Three's a marriage, four's a birth;

and another rendering of the above heard in Montgomeryshire was:--

One for bad luck,

Two for good luck,

Three for a wedding,

Four for a burying.

Another ditty is as follows:--

One's joy, two's greet (crying),

Three's a wedding, four's a sheet (death).

As stated above, one is grief, or bad luck, if it flies from right to

left, but if from left to right it implied success or joy. So these

various readings can only be reconciled by a little verbal explanation,

but "four's a birth" cannot be made to be an equivalent to "four's a

sheet," a winding sheet, or a burying, by any amount of ingenuity.

Should a magpie be seen stationary on a tree, it was believed that the

direction in which it took its flight foretold either success or disaster

to the person who observed it. If it flew to the left, bad luck was to

follow; if to the right, good luck; if straight, the journey could be

undertaken, provided the bird did not turn to the left whilst in sight,

but disappeared in that direction.

I heard the following tale in Denbighshire:--In days of old, a company of

men were stealthily making their way across the country to come upon the

enemy unawares. All at once they espied a magpie on a tree, and by

common consent they halted to see which way it would take its flight, and

thus foretell the fortune which would attend their journey. One of the

party, evidently an unbeliever in his comrades' superstition, noiselessly

approached the bird, and shot it dead, to the great horror of his

companions. The leader of the party, in great anger, addressed the

luckless archer--"You have shot the bird of fate, and you shall be shot."

The dauntless man said, "I shot the magpie, it is true, but if it could

foretell our fate, why could it not foresee its own?" The archer's

reasoning was good, but I do not know whether people were convinced by

logic in those distant times, any more than they are in ours.

I will relate one other tale of the magpie, which I heard upwards of

twenty years ago in the parish of Llanwnog, Montgomeryshire.

I was speaking to a farmer's wife--whose name it is not necessary to

give, as it has nothing to do with the tale--when a magpie flew across

our view. "Ah!" she ejaculated, "you naughty old thing, what do you want

here?" "I see," said I, "you think she brings bad luck with her." "Oh,

yes," was the response, "I know she does." "What makes you so positive,"

said I, "that she brings bad luck with her?" My question elicited the

following story. My friend commenced:--"You know the brook at the bottom

of the hill. Well, my mother met with very bad luck there, a good many

years ago, and it was in this way--she was going to Newtown fair, on our

old horse, and she had a basket of eggs with her. But, just as she was

going to leave the 'fould,' a magpie flew before her. We begged of her

not to go that day--that bad luck would attend her. She would not listen

to us, but started off. However, she never got further than the brook,

at the bottom of the hill, for, when she got there, the old mare made

straight for the brook, and jerked the bridle out of mother's hand, and

down went the mare's head to drink, and off went the basket, and poor

mother too. All the eggs were broken, but I'm glad to say mother was not

much the worse for her fall. But ever since then I know it is unlucky to

see a magpie. But sir," she added, "there is no bad luck for us to-day,

for _the magpie flew from left to right_."

The magpie was thought to be a great thief, and it was popularly supposed

that if its tongue were split into two with silver it could talk like a

man.

The cry of the magpie is a sign of rain. To man its dreaded notes

indicated disaster, thus:--

Clyw grechwen nerth pen, iaith pi--yn addaw

Newyddion drwg i mi.

List! the magpie's hoarse and bitter cry

Shows that misfortune's sigh is nigh.

If this bird builds her nest at the top of a tree the summer will be dry;

if on the lower branches, the summer will be wet.

_The Owl_.

The hooting of an owl about a house was considered a sign of ill luck, if

not of death. This superstition has found a place in rhyme, thus:--

Os y ddylluan ddaw i'r fro,

Lle byddo rhywun afiach

Dod yno i ddweyd y mae'n ddinad,

Na chaiff adferiad mwyach.

If an owl comes to those parts,

Where some one sick is lying,

She comes to say without a doubt,

That that sick one is dying.

_Peacock_.

The peacock's shrill note is a sign of rain. Its call is supposed to

resemble the word _gwlaw_, the Welsh for rain.

_Pigeon_.

If the sick asks for a pigeon pie, or the flesh of a pigeon, it is a sign

that his death is near.

If the feathers of a pigeon be in a bed, the sick cannot die on it.

_The Raven_.

The raven has ever enjoyed a notoriously bad name as a bird of ill-omen.

He was one of those birds which the Jews were to have in abomination

(Lev., xi., 5-13).

But other nations besides the Jews dreaded the raven.

The raven himself is hoarse

That croaks the fatal entrance of

Duncan under thy battlements.

_Macbeth_, Act i., s. 5.

Thus wrote Shakespeare, giving utterance to a superstition then common.

From these words it would seem that the raven was considered a sign of

evil augury to a person whose house was about to be entered by a visitor,

for his croaking forebode treachery. But the raven's croaking was

thought to foretell misfortune to a person about to enter another's

house. If he heard the croaking he had better turn back, for an evil

fate awaited him.

In Denmark the appearance of a raven in a village is considered an

indication that the parish priest is to die, or that the church is to be

burnt down that year. (_Notes and Queries_, vol. ii., second series, p.

325.) The Danes of old prognosticated from the appearance of the raven

on their banners the result of a battle. If the banner flapped, and

exhibited the raven as alive, it augured success; if, however, it moved

not, defeat awaited them.

In Welsh there is a pretty saying:--

Duw a ddarpar i'r fran.

God provides for the raven.

But this, after all, is only another rendering of the lovely words:--

Your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Such words imply that the raven is a favoured bird. (See p. 304).

_Robin Redbreast_.

Ill luck is thought to follow the killer of dear Robin Redbreast, the

children's winter friend. No one ever shoots Robin, nor do children rob

its nest, nor throw stones at it. Bad luck to anyone who does so. The

little bird with its wee body endeavoured to staunch the blood flowing

from the Saviour's side, and it has ever since retained on its breast the

stain of His sacred blood, and it consequently enjoys a sacred life. It

is safe from harm wherever English is spoken.

There is another legend, which is said to be extant in Carmarthenshire,

accounting for the Robin's _red breast_. It is given in _Bye-Gones_,

vol. i., p. 173, from Mr. Hardwick's _Traditions_, _Superstitions_,

_Folk-lore_, _etc_.:--"Far, far away, is a land of woe, darkness, spirits

of evil, and fire. Day by day does the little bird bear in its bill a

drop of water to quench the flame. So near to the burning stream does he

fly that his dear little feathers are scorched; and hence is he named

Bronchuddyn (qu. Bronrhuddyn), i.e., breast-burned, or breast-scorched.

To serve little children, the robin dares approach the infernal pit. No

good child will hurt the devoted benefactor of man. The robin returns

from the land of fire, and therefore he feels the cold of winter far more

than the other birds. He shivers in brumal blasts, and hungry he chirps

before your door. Oh, my child, then, in pity throw a few crumbs to poor

red-breast."

_The Sea Gull_.

It is believed that when sea gulls leave the sea for the mountains it is

a sign of stormy weather.

A few years ago I was walking from Corwen to Gwyddelwern, and I overtook

an aged man, and we entered into conversation. Noticing the sea gulls

hovering about, I said, there is going to be a storm. The answer of my

old companion was, yes, for the sea gull says before starting from the

sea shore:--

Drychin, drychin,

Awn i'r eithin;

and then when the storm is over, they say one to the other, before they

take their flight back again to the sea:--

Hindda, hindda,

Awn i'r morfa.

which first couplet may be translated:--

Foul weather, foul weather,

Let's go to the heather;

and then the two last lines may be rendered:--

The storm is no more,

Let's go to the shore.

This was the only occasion when I heard the above stanza, and I have

spoken to many aged Welshmen, and they had not heard the words, but every

one to whom I spoke believed that the sea gulls seen at a distance from

the sea was a sign of foul weather.

_The Swallow_.

The joy with which the first swallow is welcomed is almost if not quite

equal to the welcome given to the cuckoo. "One swallow does not make a

summer" is an old saw.

There is a superstition connected with the swallow that is common in

Wales, which is, that if it forsakes its old nest on a house, it is a

sign of ill luck to that house. But swallows rarely forsake their old

nests, and shortly after their arrival they are busily engaged in

repairing the breaches, which the storms of winter or mischievous

children have made in their abodes; and their pleasant twitterings are a

pleasure to the occupants of the house along which they build their

nests, for the visit is a sign of luck.

The flight of the swallow is a good weather sign. When the swallow flies

high in the air, it is a sign of fair weather; when, on the other hand,

it skims the earth, it is a sign of rain.

It was a great misfortune to break a swallow's nest, for--

Y neb a doro nyth y wenol,

Ni wel fwyniant yn dragwyddol.

Whoever breaks a swallow's nest,

Shall forfeit everlasting rest.

_The Swan_.

The eggs of the swan are hatched by thunder and lightning. This bird

sings its own death song.

_The Swift_.

This bird's motions are looked upon as weather signs. Its feeding

regions are high up in the air when the weather is settled for fair, and

low down when rain is approaching.

Its screaming is supposed to indicate a change of weather from fair to

rain.

_Tit Major_, _or Sawyer_.

The Rev. E. V. Owen, Vicar of Llwydiarth, Montgomeryshire, told me that

the Tit's notes are a sign of rain, at least, that it is so considered in

his parish. The people call the bird "Sawyer," and they say its notes

resemble in sound the filing of a saw. A man once said to my friend:--"I

dunna like to hear that old sawyer whetting his saw." "Why not," said

Mr. Owen. "'Cause it'll rain afore morning," was the answer. This bird,

if heard in February, when the snow or frost is on the ground, indicates

a breaking up of the weather. Its sharp notes rapidly repeated several

times in succession are welcome sounds in hard weather, for they show

that spring is coming.

_The Wren_.

The Wren's life is sacred, excepting at one time of the year, for should

anyone take this wee birdie's life away, upon him some mishap will fall.

The wren is classed with the Robin:--

The robin and the wren

Are God's cock and hen.

The cruel sport of hunting the wren on St. Stephen's Day, which the

writer has a dim recollection of having in his boyhood joined in, was the

one time in the year when the wren's life was in jeopardy.

The Rev. Silvan Evans, in a letter to the _Academy_, which has been

reproduced in _Bye-Gones_, vol. vii., p. 206, alludes to this sport in

these words:--

"Something similar to the 'hunting of the wren' was not unknown to the

Principality as late as about a century ago, or later. In the Christmas

holidays it was the custom of a certain number of young men, not

necessarily boys, to visit the abodes of such couples as had been married

within the year. The order of the night--for it was strictly a nightly

performance--was to this effect. Having caught a wren, they placed it on

a miniature bier made for the occasion, and carried it in procession

towards the house which they intended to visit. Having arrived they

serenaded the master and mistress of the house under their bedroom window

with the following doggerel:--

Dyma'r dryw,

Os yw e'n fyw,

Neu dderyn to

I gael ei rostio.

That is:--

Here is the wren,

If he is alive,

Or a sparrow

To be roasted.

If they could not catch a wren for the occasion, it was lawful to

substitute a sparrow (ad eryn to). The husband, if agreeable, would then

open the door, admit the party, and regale them with plenty of Christmas

ale, the obtaining of which being the principal object of the whole

performance."

The second line in the verse, "_Os yw e'n fyw_," intimates that possibly

the wren is dead--"If he is alive." This would generally be the case, as

it was next to impossible to secure the little thing until it had been

thoroughly exhausted, and then the act of pouncing upon it would itself

put an end to its existence.

Perhaps the English doggerel was intended to put an end to this cruel

sport, by intimating that the wee bird belonged to God, was one of His

creatures, and that therefore it should not be abused.

There is a Welsh couplet still in use:--

Pwy bynnag doro nyth y dryw,

Ni chaiff ef weled wyneb Duw.

Whoever breaks a wren's nest,

Shall never see God's face.

This saying protects the snug little home of the wren. Much the same

thing is said of the Robin's nest, but I think this was put, "Whoever

robs a robin's nest shall go to hell."

Another Welsh couplet was:--

Y neb a doro nyth y dryw,

Ni chaiff iechyd yn ei fyw.

Whoever breaks the wren's nest,

Shall never enjoy good health.

Although the robin and the wren were favourites of heaven, still it was

supposed that they were under some kind of curse, for it was believed

that the robin could not fly through a hedge, it must always fly over,

whilst on the other hand, the wren could not fly over a hedge, but it was

obliged to make its way through it. (See Robin, p. 329).

_The Wood Pigeon_.

The thrice repeated notes of five sounds, with an abrupt note at the end,

of which the cooing of the wood pigeon consists, have been construed into

words, and these words differ in different places, according to the state

of the country, and the prevailing sentiments of the people. Of course,

the language of the wood pigeon is always the language of the people

amongst whom he lives. He always speaks Welsh in Wales, and English in

England, but in these days this bird is so far Anglicised that it blurts

out English all along the borders of Wales.

In the cold spring days, when food is scarce and the wood pigeon cold, it

forms good resolutions, and says:--

Yn yr haf

Ty a wnaf;

Gwnaf.

In the summer

I'll make a house;

I will.

However, when the summer has come with flower, and warmth, the wood

pigeon ridicules its former resolution and changes its song, for in June

it forgets January, and now it asks:--

Yn yr ha'

Ty pwy wna'?

Pwy?

In the summer

Who'll make a house?

Who?

For then a house is quite unnecessary, and the trouble to erect one

great. The above ditty was told me by the Rev. John Williams, Rector of

Newtown, a native of Flintshire.

In the English counties bordering upon Wales, such as Herefordshire, the

wood pigeon encouraged Welshmen to drive off Englishmen's cattle to their

homes, by saying:--

Take two cows, Taffy,

Take two cows, Taffy,

Take two.

and ever since those days the same song is used; but another version

is:--

Take two cows Davy,

Take two cows Davy,

Two.

The late Rev. R. Williams, Rector of Llanfyllin, supplied me with the

above, and he stated that he obtained it from Herefordshire.

In the uplands of Denbighshire the poor wood pigeon has a hard time of it

in the winter, and, to make provision for the cold winter days, he, when

he sees the farmer sowing spring seeds, says:--

Dyn du, dyn da,

Hau pys, hau ffa,

Hau ffacbys i ni

Fwyta.

which rendered into English is:--

Black man, good man,

Sow peas, sow beans,

Sow vetches for us

To eat.

Mr. Hugh Jones, Pentre Llyn Cymmer, a farmer in Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr,

a descendant of the bard Robert Davies, Nantglyn, supplied me with the

preceding ditty.

_The Magpie teaching a Wood Pigeon how to make a nest_.

The wood pigeon makes an untidy nest, consisting of a few bits of twigs

placed one on the other without much care. There is a fable in the Iolo

MSS., p. 159, in Welsh, and the translation appears on page 567 in

English, as follows:--

The magpie, observing the slight knowledge of nest building possessed by

the wood pigeon, kindly undertook the work of giving his friend a lesson

in the art, and as the lesson proceeded, the wood pigeon, bowing, cooed

out:--

_Mi wn_! _Mi wn_! _Mi wn_!

I know! I know! I know!

The instructor was at first pleased with his apt pupil, and proceeded

with his lesson, but before another word could be uttered, the bird

swelling with pride at its own importance and knowledge, said again:--

I know! I know! I know!

The magpie was annoyed at this ignorant assurance, and with bitter

sarcasm said: "Since you know, do it then," and this is why the wood

pigeon's nest is so untidy in our days. In its own mind it knew all

about nest building, and was above receiving instruction, and hence its

present clumsy way of building its nest. This fable gave rise to a

proverb, "As the wood pigeon said to the magpie: 'I know.'"

It is believed that when wood pigeons are seen in large flocks it is a

sign of foul weather.

_Woodpecker_.

The woodpecker's screech was a sign of rain. This bird is called by two

names in Welsh which imply that it foretold storms; as, _Ysgrech y coed_,

the wood screech, and _Caseg y drycin_, the storm mare.

These names have found a place in Welsh couplets:--

"Ysgrech y coed!

Mae'r gwlaw yn dod."

The Woodpecker's cry!

The rain is nigh.

_Bardd Nantglyn_, Robert Davies, Nantglyn, has an englyn to the

woodpecker:--

"I Gaseg y Drycin."

"Och! rhag Caseg, greg rwygiant,--y drycin,

Draw accw yn y ceunant,

Ar fol pren, uwch pen pant,

Cyn 'storm yn canu 'sturmant."

Barddoniaeth R. Davies, p. 61.

My friend Mr. Richard Williams, Celynog, Newtown, translates this stanza

as follows:--

Ah! 'tis the hoarse note of the Woodpecker,

In yonder ravine,

On the round trunk of a tree, above the hollow,

Sounding his horn before the coming storm.

_Yellow Hammer_. (_Penmelyn yr Eithin_).

There is a strange belief in Wales that this bird sacrifices her young to

feed snakes.

_Ass_.

The stripe over the shoulders of the ass is said to have been made by our

Lord when He rode into Jerusalem on an ass, and ever since the mark

remains.

It was thought that the milk of an ass could cure the "decay," or

consumption. This faith was common fifty years ago in Llanidloes,

Montgomeryshire. I do not know whether it is so now. People then

believed that ass's milk was more nutritious than other kind of food for

persons whose constitutions were weak.

_The Bee_.

The little busy bee has been from times of old an object of admiration

and superstition. It is thought that they are sufficiently sensitive to

feel a slight, and sufficiently vindictive to resent one, and as they are

too valuable to be carelessly provoked to anger, they are variously

propitiated by the cottager when their wrath is supposed to have been

roused. It is even thought that they take an interest in human affairs;

and it is, therefore, considered expedient to give them formal notice of

certain occurrences.

_Buying a Hive of Bees_.

In the central parts of Denbighshire people suppose that a hive of bees,

if bought, will not thrive, but that a present of a hive leads to its

well-doing.

A cottager in Efenechtyd informed the writer that a friend gave her the

hive she had, and that consequently she had had luck with it; but, she

added, "had I bought it, I could not have expected anything from it, for

bought hives do badly." This was in the centre of Denbighshire.

_Time of Bee Swarming_.

The month in which bees swarm is considered of the greatest importance,

and undoubtedly it is so, for the sooner they swarm, the longer their

summer, and therefore the greater the quantity of honey which they will

accumulate. A late swarm cannot gather honey from every opening flower,

because the flower season will have partly passed away before they leave

their old home.

This faith has found expression in the following lines:--

A swarm of bees in May

Is worth a load of hay;

A swarm of bees in June

Is worth a silver spoon;

A swarm of bees in July

Is not worth a fly.

These words are often uttered by cottagers when a swarm takes place in

the respective months named in the lines. It is really very seldom that

a swarm takes place in our days in May, and many a swarm takes place in

July which is of more value than a fly, But however, be this as it may,

the rhyme expresses the belief of many people.

_The Day of Swarming_.

Sunday is the favourite day for bee swarming. Country people say, when

looking at their bees clustering outside the hive, and dangling like a

rope from it, "Oh, they won't swarm until next Sunday," and it is true

that they are often right in their calculations, for bees seem to prefer

the peaceful Day of Rest to all other days for their flight. The kettle

and pan beating are often heard of a Sunday in those parts of the country

where bees are reared. It is possible that the quietness of the day, and

the cessation of every-day noise, is appreciated by the little creatures,

and that this prevailing stillness entices them to take then their flight

from their old home to seek a new one.

_Luck comes with a Strange Swarm_.

It is considered very lucky indeed to find that a strange swarm of bees

has arrived in the garden, or tree, belonging to a cottager. The advent

of the bees is joyfully welcomed, and the conversation of the neighbours

on such an occasion intimates that they think that good fortune has come

with them to the person whom they have condescended to honour with their

presence.

Occasionally, if bees settle down on property of doubtful ownership, a

good deal of wrangling and bad feeling arises between the rival claimants

for their possession.

_It is considered unlucky for Bees to fly away from their owner_.

As the coming of a strange swarm of bees is indicative of good luck to

the person to whom they come, so the decamping of a swarm shows that

misfortune is about to visit the person whom they leave.

_Bees in a Roof_.

It was thought lucky when bees made their home in the roof, or indeed in

any part of a house, and this they could easily do when houses were

thatched with straw. Many a swarm of bees found shelter in the roofs of

ancient churches, but in our days bees are seldom found in either houses

or churches.

_Informing Bees of a Death in a Family_.

Formerly it was the custom to tell the bees of a death in the family.

The head of the house whispered the news to the bees in the hive. If

this were neglected, it was thought that another death would soon follow

the previous one. Instead of speaking to the bees, it was the custom, in

some parts of Wales, to turn the bee-hive round before starting the

funeral. This was always done by the representative of the family, and

it also was thought to be a protection against death.

Mrs. Jones, Rhydycroesau Rectory, informed me that an old man, David

Roberts of Llanyblodwel, once came to her in deep grief, after the

funeral of his grandchild, because he had forgotten to turn the bee-hive

before the funeral started for the church. He said that he was in such

distress at the loss of the child, that he had neglected to tell the bees

of the death, and, said he, some other member of the family is now sure

to go. He informed Mrs. Jones that he had turned the hive at the death

of his old woman, and that consequently no death had followed hers in his

family.

_Putting Bees in Mourning_.

This is done after a death in a family, and the bees are put into

mourning by tying a piece of black ribbon on a bit of wood, and inserting

it into the hole at the top of the hive.

_Stolen Bees_.

It was believed that stolen bees would not make honey, and that the hive

which had been stolen would die.

_A Swarm entering a House_.

Should a swarm enter a house, it was considered unlucky, and usually it

was a sign of death to someone living in that house.

The culture of bees was once more common than it is, and therefore they

were much observed, and consequently they figure in the folk-lore of most

nations.

_Cat_.

The cat was thought to be a capital weather glass. If she stood or lay

with her face towards the fire, it was a sign of frost or snow; if she

became frisky, bad weather was near. If the cat washed her face,

strangers might be expected; and if she washed her face and ears, then

rain was sure to come. A _black_ cat was supposed to bring luck to a

house, thus:--

Cath ddu, mi glywais dd'wedyd,

A fedr swyno hefyd,

A chadw'r teulu lle mae'n hyw

O afael pob rhyw glefyd.

A black cat, I've heard it said,

Can charm all ill away,

And keep the house wherein she dwells

From fever's deadly sway.

Cats born in May, or May cats, were no favourites. They were supposed to

bring snakes or adders into the house. This supposition has found

utterance:--

Cathod mis Mai

Ddaw a nadrodd i'r tai.

Cats born in May

Bring snakes to the house.

In some parts the black cat was otherwise thought of than is stated

above, for this injunction is heard:--

Na chadw byth yn nghylch dy dy

Na cheiliog gwyn na chath ddu.

Never keep about thy house

A white cock or _black_ puss.

Cats are so tenacious of life that they are said to have nine lives. We

have already spoken of witches transforming themselves into cats.

A singular superstition connected with cats is the supposition that they

indicate the place to which the dead have gone by ascending or descending

trees immediately after the death of a person.

The Rev. P. W. Sparling, Rector of Erbistock, informed me that one day a

parishioner met him, and told him that his brother, who had lately died,

was in hell, and that he wished the Rector to get him out. Mr. Sparling

asked him how he knew where his brother was, and in answer the man said

that he knew, because he had seen his brother in the form of a white cat

descend a tree immediately after his death. On further inquiry, the man

stated that since the cat came _down the tree_, it was a sign that his

brother had gone down to hell; but had the cat _gone up the tree_, it

would have shown that he had gone up to heaven.

I have heard it stated, but by whom I have forgotten, that if a _black_

cat leaves a house where a person dies, immediately after that person's

death, it shows he has gone to the bad place; but if a white cat, that he

has gone to heaven.

_Cows._

_Cows Kneeling on Christmas Morn._

In the upland parishes of Wales, particularly those in Montgomeryshire,

it was said, and that not so long ago, that cows knelt at midnight on

Christmas eve, to adore the infant Saviour. This has been affirmed by

those who have witnessed the strange occurrence.

Cows bringing forth two calves are believed to bring luck to a farmer;

but in some parts of Wales a contrary view is taken of this matter.

If the new born calf is seen by the mistress of the house with its head

towards her, as she enters the cowhouse to view her new charge and

property, it is a lucky omen, but should any other part of the calf

present itself to the mistress's view, it is a sign of bad luck.

Witches were thought to have great power over cows, and it was not

unusual for farmers to think that their cows, if they did not thrive, had

been bewitched.

_Crickets_.

It is lucky to have crickets in a house, and to kill one is sure to bring

bad luck after it. If they are very numerous in a house, it is a sign

that peace and plenty reign there. The bakehouse in which their merry

chirp is heard is the place to bake your bread, for it is a certain sign

that the bread baked there will turn out well.

An aged female Welsh friend in Porthywaen told me that it is a sign of

death for crickets to leave a house, and she proved her case by an apt

illustration. She named all the parties concerned in the following

tale:--"There were hundreds of crickets in . . . house; they were

'sniving,' swarming, all about the house, and were often to be seen

outside the house, or at least heard, and some of them perched on the

wicket to the garden; but all at once they left the place, and very soon

afterwards the son died. The crickets, she said, knew that a death was

about to take place, and they all left that house, going no one knew

where."

It was not thought right to look at the cricket, much less to hurt it.

The warm fireplace, with its misplaced or displaced stones, was not to be

repaired, lest the crickets should be disturbed, and forsake the place,

and take with them good luck. They had, therefore, many snug, warm holes

in and about the chimneys. Crickets are not so plentiful in Wales as

they once were.

_Hare_.

_Caesar_, bk. v., ch. xii., states that the Celts "do not regard it

lawful to eat the _hare_, the cock, and the goose; they, however, breed

them for amusement and pleasure." This gives a respectable age to the

superstitions respecting these animals.

Mention has already been made of witches turning themselves into hares.

This superstition was common in all parts of North Wales. The Rev. Lewis

Williams, rector of Prion, near Denbigh, told me the following tales of

this belief:--A witch that troubled a farmer in the shape of a hare, was

shot by him. She then transformed herself into her natural form, but

ever afterwards retained the marks of the shot in her nose.

Another tale which the same gentleman told me was the following:--A

farmer was troubled by a hare that greatly annoyed him, and seemed to

make sport of him. He suspected it was no hare, but a witch, so he

determined to rid himself of her repeated visits. One day, spying his

opportunity, he fired at her. She made a terrible noise, and jumped

about in a frightful manner, and then lay as if dead. The man went up to

her, but instead of a dead hare, he saw something on the ground as big as

a donkey. He dug a hole, and buried the thing, and was never afterwards

troubled by hare or witch.

In Llanerfyl parish there is a story of a cottager who had only one cow,

but she took to Llanfair market more butter than the biggest farmer in

the parish. She was suspected of being a witch, and was watched. At

last the watcher saw a hare with a tin-milk-can hanging from its neck,

and it was moving among the cows, milking them into her tin-can. The man

shot it, and it made for the abode of the suspected witch. When he

entered, he found her on the bed bleeding.

It was supposed that there was something uncanny about hares. Rowland

Williams, Parish Clerk, Efenechtyd, an aged man, related to me the

following tale, and he gave the name of the party concerned, but I took

no note of the name, and I have forgotten it:--A man on his way one

Sunday to Efenechtyd Church saw a hare on its form. He turned back for

his gun, and fired at the hare. The following Sunday he saw again a hare

on the very same spot, and it lifted its head and actually stared at him.

The man was frightened and went to church; the third Sunday he again saw

a hare on the very same form, and this hare also boldly looked at him.

This third appearance thoroughly convinced the man that there was

something wrong somewhere, and he afterwards avoided that particular

place.

The pretty legend of Melangell, called Monacella, the patroness of hares,

is well known. One day the Prince of Powis chased a hare, which took

refuge under the robe of the virgin Melangell, who was engaged in deep

devotion. The hare boldly faced the hounds, and the dogs retired to a

distance howling, and they could not be induced to seize their prey. The

Prince gave to God and Melangell a piece of land to be henceforth a

sanctuary. The legend of the hare and the saint is represented in carved

wood on the gallery in the church of Pennant. Formerly it belonged to

the screen. Hares were once called in the parish of Pennant Melangell

_Wyn Melangell_, or St. Monacella's lambs. Until the last century no one

in the parish would kill a hare, and it was believed that if anyone cried

out when a hare was being pursued, "God and St. Monacella be with thee,"

it would escape.

_Haddock_.

The haddock has a dark spot on each side its gills, and superstition

ascribes these marks to the impression of S. Peter's thumb and finger,

when he took the tribute money out of the mouth of a fish of the same

species in the sea of Galilee.

_Hedgehog_.

It was believed that hedgehogs sucked cows, and so firmly were the people

convinced of this fact, that this useful little animal was doomed to

death, and I have seen in many Churchwardens' accounts entries to the

effect that they had paid sums of money for its destruction. The amount

given in most parishes was two pence. I will give a few entries, from

many that I have by me, to show that parishes paid this sum for dead

hedgehogs.

In Cilcen Churchwardens' Accounts for the year 1710 I find the following

entry:--

To Edward Lloyd for killing a hedgehog 00. 00. 02.

One hundred years afterwards I find in Llanasa Churchwardens' Accounts

for 1810-1811 this entry:--

9 hedgogs ... ... ... 1. 6.

It was thought, should the cow's teats be swollen of a morning, that she

had been sucked the previous night by a hedgehog.

Formerly dead hedgehogs could be seen in company with foxes, polecats,

and other vermin suspended from the boughs of the churchyard yew trees,

to prove that the Churchwardens paid for work actually done.

_Horse_.

A white horse figures in the superstition of school children. When the

writer was a lad in school at Llanidloes, it was believed that if a white

horse were met in the morning it was considered lucky, and should the boy

who first saw the horse spit on the ground, and stealthily make the sign

of a cross with his toe across the spittle, he was certain to find a coin

on the road, or have a piece of money given to him before the day was

over; but he was not to divulge to anyone what he had done, and for the

working of the charm it was required that he should make sure that the

horse was perfectly white, without any black hairs in any part of the

body.

In Welshpool a like superstition prevails. Mr. Copnall, the master of

the Boys' National School in that town, has kindly supplied me with the

following account of this matter:--"It is lucky to meet a white horse on

the road, if, when you meet it, you spit three times over your little

finger; if you neglect this charm you will be unlucky. I asked the

children if it signified whether it was the little finger on the right or

left hand; some boys said the left, but the majority said it made no

difference which hand."

It was said that horses could see spirits, and that they could never be

induced to proceed as long as the spirit stood before them. They

perspired and trembled whilst the spirit blocked the way, but when it had

disappeared, then the horses would go on.

_Lady-bird_.

This pretty spotted little beetle was used formerly in the neighbourhood

of Llanidloes as a prognosticator of the weather. First of all the

lady-bird was placed in the palm of the left hand, or right; I do not

think it made any difference which hand was used, and the person who held

it addressed it as follows:--

Iar fach goch, gwtta,

Pa un ai gwlaw, neu hindda?

and then having said these words, the insect was thrown skywards, the

person repeating the while--

Os mai gwlaw, cwympa lawr,

Os mai teg, hedfana;

which in English would be--

Lady-bird, lady-bird, tell to me

What the weather is going to be;

If fair, then fly in the air,

If foul, then fall to the ground.

The first two lines were said with the beetle in the hand, and the last

two whilst it was thrown upwards; if it came to the ground without

attempting to fly, it indicated rain; if, however, when thrown into the

air it flew away, then fair weather was to be expected. The writer has

often resorted to this test, but whether he found it true or false he

cannot now say.

_Mice_.

A mouse nibbling clothes was a sign of disaster, if not death, to the

owner. It was thought that the evil one occasionally took the form of a

mouse. Years ago, when Craig Wen Farm, Llawr-y-glyn, near Llanidloes,

Montgomeryshire was haunted--the rumour of which event I well

remember--the servant girl told her mistress, the tenant of the farm,

that one day she was going through the corn field, and that a mouse ran

before her, and she ran after it to catch it, but that when she was

opposite the barn, _the mouse stopped and laughed at her_, and ran into a

hole. The mouse, therefore, was the evil spirit, and the cause of all

the mischief that followed.

_Moles_.

Moles are said to have no eyes. If mole hills move there will be a thaw.

By the moving of mole hills is meant bits of earth tumbling off the

mound. A labourer in Llanmerewig parish, Montgomeryshire, called my

attention to this fact. It was a frosty day, and apparently no change

was near, but it will thaw, said he, and certain I am, that by the next

morning a thaw had set in.

_Pigs_.

Pigs used to be credited with the power of seeing the wind. Devils were

fond of assuming the form of, or entering into, pigs. Pigs littered in

February could not be reared. This I was told by a native of

Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire.

_The Snake_, _Serpent_.

The snake was supposed to be able to understand what men said. A tale

was told me by an aged man at Penrhos, Montgomeryshire, of an event which

took place in the last century. His father, he said, saw a number of

snakes, or _nethers_, as he called them, basking in the sun, and he said

when passing them, "I will make you jump to-morrow." The next day he,

provided with a rod, passed the spot, but no adder could be seen. The

next day he passed again the same spot without his rod, and the man was

now obliged to run for his life, so furiously did the snakes attack him.

Traditions of Flying Snakes were once common in all parts of Wales.

_Flying Serpents_.

The traditional origin of these imaginary creatures was that they were

snakes, which by having drunk the milk of a woman, and by having eaten of

bread consecrated for the Holy Communion, became transformed into winged

serpents or dragons.

These dangerous creatures had their lurking places in many districts, and

they attacked everyone that crossed their paths. There was said to have

been one such den on Moel Bentyrch. Old Mrs. Davies, Plas, Dolanog, who

died 1890, aged 92, told the Rev. D. R. Evans, B.A., son of the Vicar of

Dolanog, that once, when she was a young woman, she went to Llanfair

market, and on the way she sat on a stile, and she saw smoke and fire

issuing from a hole on Moel Bentyrch, where the _Gwiber_, or Flying

Serpent, had its abode. She ran, and never stopped until she had placed

a good distance between her and the hill. She believed that both the

smoke and fire were caused by the serpent. There is also a tradition

still current in Dolanog that this flying serpent was destroyed by

wrapping some red material round a post into which sharp nails were

driven. The serpent, attacking this post with furious onslaughts, was

lacerated by the sharp spikes, and died. A like tradition is current in

Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant in connection with the _Post Coch_, or

_Post-y-Wiber_, or Maen Hir y Maes-Mochnant.

Mr. Hancock in his "History of Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant," writes as

follows:--

"The legend connected with this stone pillar is, that it was raised

in order to prevent the devastation which a winged serpent or dragon

(a _Wiber_) was committing in the surrounding country. The stone was

draped with scarlet cloth, to allure and excite the creature to a

furor, scarlet being a colour most intolerably hateful and provoking

to it. It was studded with iron spikes, that the reptile might wound

or kill itself by beating itself against it. Its destruction, it is

alleged, was effected by this artifice. It is said to have had two

lurking places in the neighbourhood, which are still called

_Nant-y-Wiber_, one at Penygarnedd, the other near Bwlch Sychtyn, in

the parish of Llansilin, and this post was in the direct line of its

flight. Similar legends referring to winged serpents exist in

various parts of Wales. In the adjoining parish of

Llanarmon-Dyffryn-Ceiriog there is a place called _Sarffle_ (the

serpent's hole)."--_Montgomeryshire Collections_, vol. ix., 237.

_Snake Rings_, _or Glain Nadroedd_.

Mention is made in _Camden_ of snake rings. Omitting certain remarks not

connected with the matter directly, he writes:--"In some parts of Wales

we find it a common opinion of the vulgar that about Midsummer Eve

(though in the time they do not all agree) 'tis usual for snakes to meet

in companies, and that by joyning heads together and hissing, a kind of

Bubble is form'd like a ring about the head of one of them, which the

rest by continual hissing, blow on till it comes off at the tail, and

then it immediately hardens, and resembles a glass ring; which whoever

finds (as some old women and children are persuaded) shall prosper in all

his undertakings." The above quotation is in Gibson's additions to

Camden, and it correctly states the popular opinion. Many of these rings

formerly existed, and they seemed to be simply glass rings. They were

thought to possess many healing virtues, as, for instance, it could cure

wens and whooping cough, and I believe I have heard it said that it could

cure the bite of a mad dog.

_Sheep_.

It was thought that the devil could assume any animal's form excepting

that of the sheep. This saying, however, is somewhat different from what

a farmer friend told me of _black sheep_. He said his father, and other

farmers as well, were in the habit of killing all their black lambs,

because they were of the same colour as the devil, and the owners were

afraid that Satan had entered, or would enter into them, and that

therefore these sheep were destroyed. He stated that his father went on

his knees on the ground and prayed, either before or after he had killed

the black lambs. It is a common saying that the black sheep is the

ringleader of all mischief in a flock of sheep. The expression, "He is a

black sheep," as applied to a person, conveys the idea that he is a

worthless being, inclined to everything that is bad.

It is even now in country places thought to be a lucky omen if anyone

sees the head of the first spring lamb towards him. This foretells a

lucky and prosperous year to the person whose eyes are thus greeted.

_Spider_.

The long-legged spider, or, as it is generally called in Wales, the

Tailor, is an object of cruel sport to children. They catch it, and then

handle it roughly, saying the while:--

Old Harry long-leg

Cannot say his prayers,

Catch him by the right leg,

Catch him by the left leg.

And throw him down stairs;

and then one leg after the other is plucked off, and the poor creature is

left to die miserably. This was done in Llanidloes.

_The Squirrel_.

Hunting this sprightly little animal became at Christmas the sport of our

rustic population. A number of lads gathered together, and proceeded to

the woods to hunt the squirrel. They followed it with stones and sticks

from tree to tree, shouting and screaming, to frighten it on and on,

until it was quite unable to make further progress, and then they caught

it. The writer, when a lad, has often joined in this cruel hunt, but

whether the squirrel was killed when caught he is unable to recall to

mind. Generally it escaped.

_The Blind Worm_, _or Slow Worm_.

This reptile is a snake, varying from twelve to eighteen inches long.

Its head is small, and its movements very rapid. At the slightest noise,

it darts away in a moment, and hides among rocks, stones, or rank grass.

It is said to have no eyes, but this is a popular mistake--hence,

however, its name, _Blind Worm_. This beautiful timid creature is often

wantonly cut into pieces by its cruel and mistaken captors, for they

credit it with the possession of evil propensities. It is said that,

could it see, it would be a formidable enemy to man and beast. This

supposition has found strength and sanction in doggerel verse. The Blind

Worm is said to address the adder as follows:--

If I could see,

As well as thee,

Man nor beast

Should ne'er pass me.

Another version of these lines, heard in Shropshire, on the borders of

Wales, is:--

If I had one eye,

As thou hast two,

No man should live,

Nor beast should loo (low).

These doggerel lines indicate clearly the dread in which this innocent

snake is held.

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

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Acton, T. A., Regent Street, Wrexham

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Ballinger, John, Mr., Cardiff Free Library, Cardiff

Barnes, J. R., Esq., The Quinta, Chirk

Bennett, Edgar, Esq., 2, Court Ash, Yeovil

Bennett, N., Esq., Glanyrafon, Llanidloes

Bangor, The Lord Bishop of, The Palace, Bangor, N.W.

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Chapman, Henry, Mr., Dolfor School, Near Newtown

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Daniels, Rev. J., Curate, Carmarthen

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Davies, Rev. Joseph, B.A., Curate, Holywell

Davies, Rev. C. H., M.A., Tregarth, Bangor

Davies, Rev. E. T., B.A., The Vicarage, Pwllheli

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Davies, Rev. J. J., Machynlleth

Davies, W. Cadwaladr, Esq., Penybryn, Bangor, N. Wales

Davies, Rev. T. R., Curate, The Hut, Farnham Royal, Windsor

Davies, Thos. Mr., Draper, 121, High Holborn, London

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Edwards, Rev. D., M.A., Vicarage, Rhyl

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Edwards, T. C., D.D., Principal, College, Bala

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Edwards, Rev. E. J., B.A., Vicar, Tremeirchion, St. Asaph

Elias, Miss Elizabeth, 2, Chapel Street, Conway

Ellis, Rev. Robert, The Rectory, Llansannan, Abergele

Evans, Mr. E., School House, Gwernaffield, Mold

Evans, Rev. E., The Vicarage, Llanarmon, Mold

Evans, Rev. J. T., Bettws Vicarage, Abergele

Evans, Rev. J., B.A., Tallarn Green, Malpas

Evans, Rev. D. W., M.A., St. George's Vicarage, Abergele

Evans, Rev. T. H., Minera Vicarage, Wrexham

Evans, Rev. W., B.A., 5, King Street, Aberystwyth

Evans, Rev. J. O., M.A., Peterston Rectory, Cardiff

Evans, Rev. J. Silas, B.A., Vicarage, St. Asaph

Evans, J. G. Esq., 7, Clarendon Villa, Oxford

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Fletcher, Rev. W. H., M.A., The Vicarage, Wrexham

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George, Rev. T., B.A., Nerquis Vicarage, Mold

Gilbert, T. H., Esq., 129, Cheapside, London, E.C.

Green, Rev. G. K. M., Exhall Rectory, Alcester, Redditch

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Haines, W., Esq., Y Bryn, Near Abergavenny

Harland, E. Sydney, Esq., Barnwood Court, Gloucester

Harper, W. J., Mr., Wern Shop, Rhosesmor, Holywell

Hope, John H., Mr., National School, Holywell

Hughes, Rev. H. T., M.A., Bistre Vicarage, Chester

Hughes, Rev. T., M.A., Buttington Vicarage, Near Welshpool

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James, Rev. E. R, R.D., The Rectory, Marchwiel, Wrexham

James, Rev. D. Pennant, Rectory, Oswestry

Jenkins, Rev. W., Chaplain of H.M. Prison, Ruthin

Jenkins, Rev. J., B.A., Bodawen, Penmaenmawr

Jenkins, Rev. L. D., B.A., Penycae Vicarage, Ruabon

Johnson, Mr. R., National Provincial Bank, Mold

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Jones, Rev. D., Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant Vicarage, Oswestry

Jones, Sir Pryce Pryce, Dolerw, Newtown

Jones, Pryce Edward, Esq., M.P., Newtown Hall, Newtown

Jones, Rev. J. Thompson, B.A., Towyn Vicarage, Abergele

Jones, Rev. W., M.A., Trofarth Vicarage, Abergele

Jones, Prof. J. Morris, M.A., University College, Bangor

Jones, Rev. Rees, Carrog Rectory, Corwen

Jones, Rev. Hy., M.A., Llanychan Rectory, Ruthin

Jones, Dr. A. Emrys, 10, Saint John Street, Manchester

Jones, Miss M., Bryn Siriol, Mold

Jones, Rev. Evan

Jones, Rev. Jno., Curate, Llanbedr, Ruthin

Jones, Rev. G. J., Curate of Ysceifiog, Holywell

Jones, Mr. H. W., Tanyberllan, Penmaenmawr

Jones, Rev. Stephen, Curate, Mold

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Jones, Rev. Griffith, The Vicarage, Mostyn, Holywell

Jones, Lewis, Esq., _Journal_ Office, Rhyl

Jones, J. R, Delbury School, Craven Arms, Salop

Jones, Mr. T., The Schools, Ffynnongroyw, Holywell, N.W.

Jones, Mr. J. E., National School, Llawr y Bettws, Corwen

Jones, Mr. L. P., National Schools, Rhosesmor, Holywell

Jones, Rev. Enoch, M.A.

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Jones, F., Esq., Pyrocanth House, Ruthin

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Marsh, Miss Ellen, late of Tybrith, Carno, Mont.

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Minshall, P. H., Esq., Solicitor, Oswestry

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Morris, Edward, Esq., M.A., Copthorne House, Ruthin Road, Wrexham

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Rees, Miss M., Clifton House, Denbigh

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Reece, Rev. T. F., B.A., Llanfwrog Rectory, Ruthin

Reichel, H. R., Esq., Pen'rallt, Bangor

Reynolds, Llywarch, Old Church Place, Merthyr Tydfil

Richardson, The Rev. Chancellor William, M.A., The Rectory, Corwen

Roberts, Rev. J., Fron, Garthmyl, Mont.

Roberts, Mr W. S., School House, Cwmddu, Crickhowel, S. Wales

Roberts, Rev. E. S., B.A., Curate of Penarth, Cardiff

Roberts, G. W., Esq., M.D., Denbigh

Roberts, Rev. J. R., B.A., Curate of St. James's, Bangor

Roberts, Rev. R., Curate, Blaenau Festiniog

Roberts, Mr. W. Ll., Penyceunant, Penybont Fawr, Llanrhaiadr, Oswestry

Roderick, Rev. E. M., M.A., The Vicarage, Mold

Rowden, Mr B., Rose Cottage, Maesydre, Mold

Rowlands, Rev. D., M.A., Normal College, Bangor

S

Selby, Mr. Jas. P., School House, Trevor, Ruabon

Shelby, Mr. T. F., 11, Cross Street, Rhosddu, Wrexham

St. Davids, The Lord Bishop, Abergwili Palace, Carmarthen

St. Asaph, Right Rev. Lord Bishop of, The Palace, St. Asaph

Swansea, The Rt. Rev. the Lord Bishop, The Vicarage, Carmarthen

T

Taylor, Henry, Esq., F.S.A., Angar Park, Chester

Thomas, Rev. D. J., M.A., Vice Principal, The College, Winchester

Thomas, D. Lleufer, Esq., Cefn Hendre, Llandilo

Thomas, Ven. Archdeacon, Meifod Vicarage, Welshpool

Thomas, Rev. J. W., M.A., Rhosymedre Vicarage, Ruabon

Thomas, Rev. J. W., M.A., Bwlchycibau, Oswestry

Thomas, Miss, Park Mostyn, Denbigh

Thomas, Rev. H. E., Assistant Curate, Llangollen

Thomas, Rev. J. Howell, B.A., Curate of Brymbo, Wrexham

Turnour, Dr. A. E., Denbigh

V

Vaughan, Rev. T. H., B.A., Curate, Rhyl

Venables, R. G., Esq., Ludlow

W

Walmsley, James, Esq., Plas-y-nant, Ruthin

West, Neville, Esq., Glanyrafon, Llanyblodwel, Oswestry

West, W. Cornwallis, M.P., Ruthin Castle, Ruthin

Whittington, Rev. W. P., The Grammar School, Ruthin

Williams, Rev. R. A., Waenfawr Vicarage, near Carnarvon

Williams, Rev. Lewis, Vicar of Prion, Denbigh

Williams, Rev. R. O., M.A., The Vicarage, Holywell

Williams, Rev. David, Llandyrnog Rectory, Denbigh

Williams, Rev. E. O., Melidan Vicarage, Rhyl

Williams, Rev. T. T., B.A., Penloin, Llanrwst

Williams, Mr. T., Islawrdref Board School, Near Dolgelley

Williams, W. Llewellyn, Esq., Brown Hill, Llangadock, S. Wales

Williams, Rev. Lloyd, B.A., Organizing Sec., S.P.C.K., Wrexham

Williams, Rev. T. Ll., M.A., The Vicarage, St. Asaph

Williams, Rev. G., M.A., Trefonen

Williams, W. P., Esq., Caer Onen, Bangor

Williams, Mr. T. Ll., 64, Love Lane, Denbigh

Williams, Mr. R., 106, Clarence Street, Lower Broughton, Manchester

Wilson, Capt. Hy., Hope, Mold

Wilson, Alfred, Bookseller, 18, Gracechurch Street, London, E.C.

Wood, R. H., Esq. F.S.A., Pantglas, Trawsfynydd

Wykes, Mr C. H., Board School, Rhosddu, Wrexham

Wynne, Miss F. E., 62, Park Street, Grosvenor Square, London