Mixen Agaric. _Agaricus fimetarius._
Dedicated to _St. Marcellus_.
~October 31.~
_St. Quintin_, A. D. 287. _St. Wolfgang_, Bp. of Ratisbon, A. D. 994.
_St. Foillan_, A. D. 655.
ALLHALLOW EVEN;
or,
HALLOW E’EN.
Respecting this, which is the vigil of All Saints-day, Mr. Brand has
collected many notices of customs; to him therefore we are indebted for
the following particulars:--
On this night young people in the north of England dive for apples, or
catch at them, when stuck upon one end of a kind of hanging beam, at the
other extremity of which is fixed a lighted candle. This they do with
their mouths only, their hands being tied behind their backs. From the
custom of flinging nuts into the fire, or cracking them with their
teeth, it has likewise obtained the name of _nutcrack night_. In an
ancient illuminated missal in Mr. Douce’s collection, a person is
represented balancing himself upon a pole laid across two stools; at the
end of the pole is a lighted candle, from which he is endeavouring to
light another in his hand, at the risk of tumbling into a tub of water
placed under him. A writer, about a century ago, says, “This is the last
day of October, and the birth of this packet is partly owing to the
affair of _this night_. I am alone; but the servants having demanded
_apples_, _ale_, and _nuts_, I took the opportunity of running back my
own annals of _Allhallows Eve_; for you are to know, my lord, that I
have been a mere adept, a most famous artist, both in the college and
country, on occasion of _this anile, chimerical solemnity_.”[365]
Pennant says, that the young women in Scotland determine the figure and
size of their husbands by _drawing cabbages blind-fold_ on Allhallow
Even, and, like the English, _fling nuts into the fire_. It is mentioned
by Burns, in a note to his poem on “Hallow E’en,” that “The first
ceremony of Hallow E’en is pulling each a stock or plant of kail. They
must go out, hand in hand, with eyes shut, and pull the first they meet
with. Its being big or little, straight or crooked, is prophetic of the
size and shape of the grand object of all their spells--the husband or
wife. If any _yird_, or earth, stick to the root, that is _tocher_, or
fortune; and the taste of the _custoc_, that is the heart of the stem,
is indicative of the natural temper and disposition. Lastly, the stems,
or, to give them their ordinary appellation, the _runts_, are placed
somewhere above the head of the door; and the christian names of the
people whom chance brings into the house, are, according to the priority
of placing the _runts_, the names in question.” It appears that the
Welsh have “a play in which the youth of both sexes seek for an
even-leaved sprig of the ash: and the first of either sex that finds
one, calls out Cyniver, and is answered by the first of the other that
succeeds; and these two, if the omen fails not, are to be joined in
wedlock.”[366]
Burns says, that “Burning the nuts is a favourite charm. They name the
lad and lass to each particular nut, as they lay them in the fire; and
accordingly as they burn quietly together, or start from beside one
another, the course and issue of the courtship will be.” It is to be
noted, that in Ireland, when the young women would know if their lovers
are faithful, they put three nuts upon the bars of the grates, naming
the nuts after the lovers. If a nut cracks or jumps, the lover will
prove unfaithful; if it begins to blaze or burn, he has a regard for the
person making the trial. If the nuts, named after the girl and her
lover, burn together, they will be married. This sort of divination is
also in some parts of England at this time. Gay mentions it in his
“Spell:”--
“Two hazel nuts I threw into the flame,
And to each nut I gave a sweet-heart’s name:
This with _the loudest bounce_ me sore amaz’d,
That in a _flame of brightest colour_ blaz’d;
As _blaz’d the nut_, so _may thy passion grow_,
For t’was thy nut that did so brightly glow!”
There are some lines by Charles Graydon, Esq.--“On Nuts burning,
Allhallows Eve.”
“These glowing nuts are emblems true
Of what in human life we view;
The ill-match’d couple fret and fume,
And thus, in strife themselves consume,
Or, from each other wildly start,
And with a noise for ever part.
But see the happy happy pair,
Of genuine love and truth sincere;
With mutual fondness, while they burn,
Still to each other kindly turn:
And as the vital sparks decay
Together gently sink away:
Till life’s fierce ordeal being past.
Their mingled ashes rest at last.”[367]
Burns says, “the passion of prying into futurity makes a striking part
of the history of human nature, in its rude state, in all ages and
nations; and it maybe some entertainment to a philosophic mind to see
the remains of it among the more unenlightened in our own.” He gives,
therefore, the principal charms and spells of this night among the
peasantry in the west of Scotland. One of these by young women, is, by
pulling stalks of corn. “They go to the barn yard, and pull, each, at
three several times, a stalk of oats. If the third stalk wants the
top-pickle, that is, the grain at the top of the stalk, the party in
question will come to the marriage bed any thing but a maid.” Another is
by the _blue clue_. “Whoever would, with success, try this spell, must
strictly observe these directions: steal out, all alone, to the kiln,
and, darkling, throw into the pot a clew of blue yarn; wind it in a new
clew off the old one; and, towards the latter end, something will hold
the thread; demand, ‘wha hauds?’ _i. e._ who holds? and answer will be
returned from the kiln-pot, by naming the christian and surname of your
future spouse.” A third charm is by eating an apple at a glass. “Take a
candle and go alone to a looking-glass; eat an apple before it, and some
traditions say, you should comb your hair all the time; the face of your
conjugal companion _to be_, will be seen in the glass, as if peeping
over your shoulder.”
In an appendix to the late Mr. “Pennant’s Tour,” several other very
observable and perfectly new customs of divination on this night are
enumerated. One is to “steal out unperceived, and sow a handful of
hemp-seed, harrowing it with any thing you can conveniently draw after
you. Repeat, now and then, ‘hemp-seed I saw thee, hemp-seed I saw thee;
and him (or her) that is to be my true, come after me and pou thee.’
Look over your left shoulder and you will see the appearance of the
person invoked, in the attitude of pulling hemp. Some traditions say,
‘come after me and shaw thee,’ that is, show thyself; in which case it
simply appears. Others omit the harrowing, and say, ‘come after me and
harrow thee.’”
Another is, “to winn three wechts o’naething.” The wecht is the
instrument used in winnowing corn. “This charm must likewise be
performed unperceived and alone. You go to the barn and open both doors,
taking them off the hinges, if possible: for there is danger that the
_being_, about to appear, may shut the doors and do you some mischief.
Then take that instrument used in winnowing the corn, which, in our
country dialect, we call a _wecht_, and go through all the attitudes of
letting down corn against the wind. Repeat it three times; and, the
third time, an apparition will pass through the barn, in at the windy
door, and out at the other, having both the figure in question, and the
appearance or retinue marking the employment or station in life.”
Then there is “to fathom the stack three times.” “Take an opportunity of
going unnoticed to a _bear stack_ (barley stack), and fathom it three
times round. The last fathom of the last time, you will catch in your
arms the appearance of your future conjugal yokefellow.” Another, “to
dip your left shirt sleeve in a burn where three lairds’ lands meet.”
“You go out, one or more, for this is a social spell, to a south-running
spring or rivulet, where ‘three lairds’ lands meet,’ and dip your left
shirt sleeve. Go to bed in sight of a fire, and hang your wet sleeve
before it to dry. Lie awake; and some time near midnight, an apparition,
having the exact figure of the grand object in question, will come and
turn the sleeve, as if to dry the other side of it.”
The last is a singular species of divination “with three _luggies_, or
dishes.” “Take three dishes; put clean water in one, foul water in
another, and leave the third empty: blindfold a person, and lead him to
the hearth where the dishes are ranged: he (or she) dips the left hand,
if by chance in the clean water, the future husband or wife will come
to the bar of matrimony a maid; if in the foul, a widow; if in the empty
dish, it foretells with equal certainty no marriage at all. It is
repeated three times: and every time the arrangement of the dishes is
altered.” Sir Frederick Morton Eden says, that “_Sowens_, with butter
instead of milk, is not only the Hallow E’en supper, but the Christmas
and New-year’s-day’s breakfast, in many parts of Scotland.”[368]
In the province of Moray, in Scotland, “A solemnity was kept on the eve
of the first of November as a thanksgiving for the safe in-gathering of
the produce of the fields. This I am told, but have not seen; it is
observed in Buchan and other countries, by having Hallow Eve fire
kindled on some rising ground.”[369]
In Ireland fires were anciently lighted up on the four great festivals
of the Druids, but at this time they have dropped the fire of November,
and substituted candles. The Welsh still retain the fire of November,
but can give no reason for the illumination.[370]
The minister of Logierait, in Perthshire, describing that parish, says:
“On the evening of the 31st of October, O. S., among many others, one
remarkable ceremony is observed. Heath, broom, and dressings of flax,
are tied upon a pole. This faggot is then kindled. One takes it upon his
shoulders; and, running, bears it round the village. A crowd attend.
When the first faggot is burnt out, a second is bound to the pole, and
kindled in the same manner as before. Numbers of these blazing faggots
are often carried about together; and when the night happens to be dark,
they form a splendid illumination. This is Halloween, and is a night of
great festivity.”[371] Also at Callander, in Perthshire:--“On All Saints
Even they set up bonfires in every village. When the bonfire is
consumed, the ashes are carefully collected into the form of a circle.
There is a stone put in, near the circumference, for every person of the
several families interested in the bonfire; and whatever stone is moved
out of its place, or injured before next morning, the person represented
by that stone is devoted, or _fey_; and is supposed not to live twelve
months from that day. The people received the consecrated fire from the
Druid priests next morning, the virtues of which were supposed to
continue for a year.”[372] At Kirkmichael, in the same shire, “The
practice of lighting bonfires on the first night of winter, accompanied
with various ceremonies, still prevails in this and the neighbouring
highland parishes.”[373] So likewise at Aberdeen, “The Midsummer Even
fire, a relict of Druidism, was kindled in some parts of this county;
the Hallow Even fire, another relict of Druidism, was kindled in Buchan.
Various magic ceremonies were then celebrated to counteract the
influence of witches and demons, and to prognosticate to the young their
success or disappointment in the matrimonial lottery. These being
devoutly finished, the Hallow fire was kindled, and guarded by the male
part of the family. Societies were formed, either by pique or humour, to
scatter certain fires, and the attack and defence here often conducted
with art and fury.”--“But now”--“the Hallow fire, when kindled, is
attended by children only; and the country girl, renouncing the rites of
magic, endeavours to enchant her swain by the charms of dress and of
industry.”[374]
Pennant records, that in North Wales “there is a custom upon All Saints
Eve of making a great fire called Coel Coeth, when every family about an
hour in the night makes a great bonfire in the most conspicuous place
near the house; and when the fire is almost extinguished, every one
throws a white stone into the ashes, having first marked it; then,
having said their prayers, turning round the fire, they go to bed. In
the morning, as soon as they are up, they come to search out the stones;
and if any one of them is found wanting, they have a notion that the
person who threw it in will die before he sees another All Saints Eve.”
They also distribute _soul cakes_ on All Souls-day, at the receiving of
which poor people pray to God to bless the next crop of wheat.
Mr. Owen’s account of the bards, in sir R. Hoare’s “Itinerary of
archbishop Baldwin through Wales,” says, “The autumnal fire is still
kindled in North Wales on the eve of the first day of November, and is
attended by many ceremonies; such as running through the fire and smoke,
each casting a stone into the fire, and all running off at the
conclusion to escape from the black short-tailed sow; then supping upon
parsnips, nuts, and apples; catching at an apple suspended by a string
with the mouth alone, and the same by an apple in a tub of water; each
throwing a nut into the fire, and those that burn bright betoken
prosperity to the owners through the following year, but those that burn
black and crackle denote misfortune. On the following morning the stones
are searched for in the fire, and if any be missing they betide ill to
those that threw them in.”
At St. Kilda, on Hallow E’en night, they baked “a large cake in form of
a triangle, furrowed round, and which was to be all eaten that
night.”[375] In England, there are still some parts wherein the grounds
are illuminated upon the eve of All Souls, by bearing round them straw,
or other fit materials, kindled into a blaze. The ceremony is called _a
tinley_, and the Romish opinion among the common people is, that it
represents an emblematical lighting of souls out of purgatory.
“The inhabitants of the isle of Lewis (one of the western islands of
Scotland,) had an antient custom to sacrifice to a sea god, called
Shony, at Hallow-tide, in the manner following: the inhabitants round
the island came to the church of St. Mulvay, having each man his
provision along with him. Every family furnished a peck of malt, and
this was brewed into ale. One of their number was picked out to wade
into the sea up to the middle; and, carrying a cup of ale in his hand,
standing still in that posture, cried out with a loud voice, saying,
‘Shony, I give you this cup of ale, hoping that you’ll be so kind as to
send us plenty of sea-ware, for enriching our ground the ensuing year;’
and so threw the cup of ale into the sea. This was performed in the
night time. At his return to land, they all went to church, where there
was a candle burning upon the altar; and then standing silent for a
little time, one of them gave a signal, at which the candle was put out,
and immediately all of them went to the fields, where they fell a
drinking their ale, and spent the remainder of the night in dancing and
singing,” &c.[376]
At Blandford Forum, in Dorsetshire, “there was a custom, in the papal
times, to ring bells at Allhallow-tide for all christian souls.” Bishop
Burnet gives a letter from king Henry the Eighth to Cranmer “against
superstitious practices,” wherein “the vigil and ringing of bells all
the night long upon Allhallow-day at night,” are directed to be
abolished; and the said vigil to have no hatching or ringing. So
likewise a subsequent injunction, early in the reign of queen Elizabeth,
orders “that the superfluous ringing of bels, and the superstitious
ringing of bells at Alhallowntide, and at Al Soul’s day, with the two
nights next before and after, be prohibited.”
General Vallancey says, concerning this night, “On the Oidhche Shamhna,
(Ee Owna,) or vigil of Samam, the peasants in Ireland assemble with
sticks and clubs, (the emblems of laceration,) going from house to
house, collecting money, bread-cake, butter, cheese, eggs, &c. &c. for
the feast, repeating verses in honour of the solemnity, demanding
preparations for the festival in the name of St. Columb Kill, desiring
them to lay aside the fatted calf, and to bring forth the black sheep.
The good women are employed in making the griddle cake and candles;
these last are sent from house to house in the vicinity, and are lighted
up on the (Saman) next day, before which they pray, or are supposed to
pray, for the departed soul of the donor. Every house abounds in the
best viands they can afford. Apples and nuts are devoured in abundance;
the nut-shells are burnt, and from the ashes many strange things are
foretold. Cabbages are torn up by the root. Hemp-seed is sown by the
maidens, and they believe that if they look back, they will see the
apparition of the man intended for their future spouse. They hang a
shift before the fire, on the close of the feast, and sit up all night,
concealed in a corner of the room, convinced that his apparition will
come down the chimney and turn the shift. They throw a ball of yarn out
of the window, and wind it on the reel within, convinced that if they
repeat the paternoster backwards, and look at the ball of yarn without,
they will then also see his sith, or apparition. They dip for apples in
a tub of water, and endeavour to bring one up in the mouth. They
suspend a cord with a cross stick, with apples at one point, and candles
lighted at the other; and endeavour to catch the apple, while it is in a
circular motion, in the mouth. These, and many other superstitious
ceremonies, the remains of Druidism, are observed on this holiday, which
will never be eradicated while the name of Saman is permitted to
remain.”
It is mentioned by a writer in the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” that
_lamb’s-wool_ is a constant ingredient at a merry-making on Holy Eve, or
on the evening before All Saints-day in Ireland. It is made there, he
says, by bruising roasted apples, and mixing them with ale, or sometimes
with milk. “Formerly, when the superior ranks were not too refined for
these periodical meetings of jollity, white wine was frequently
substituted for ale. To _lamb’s-wool_, apples and nuts are added as a
necessary part of the entertainment; and the young folks amuse
themselves with _burning nuts in pairs_ on the bar of the grate, or
among the warm embers, to which they give their name and that of their
lovers, or those of their friends who are supposed to have such
attachments; and from the manner of their burning and duration of the
flame, &c. draw such inferences respecting the constancy or strength of
their passions, as usually promote mirth and good humour.” _Lamb’s-wool_
is thus etymologized by Vallancey:--“The first day of November was
dedicated to the angel presiding over fruits, seeds, &c. and was
therefore named _La Mas Ubhal_, that is, the day of the apple fruit, and
being pronounced _lamasool_, the English have corrupted the name to
_lamb’s-wool_.”
So much is said, and perhaps enough for the present, concerning the
celebration of this ancient and popular vigil.
* * * * *