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| De Scott Evans: Grandfathers Clock' , 1891, from Wikipedia |
"To speak while the clock is striking."
Hewett 1900
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Unlucky in Devon - 16
"To speak while the clock is striking."
Hewett 1900
Unlucky in Devon - 14 & 15 - (Sunday)
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| Hillerton Cross, Devon - Martin Bodman [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Common |
It is unlucky
"To turn a feather-bed on Sunday.
To cut one's nails on Sunday."
Hewett 1900
Unlucky in Devon - 14
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| Sneeze - By CDC (CDC Public Health Image library ID 11162) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
"To sneeze before breakfast."
Hewett 1900
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Unlucky in Devon - 13
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| Knife - By Davi Segre (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
"To give a friend a knife ; as it cuts all love away."
Hewett 1900
Friday, 28 January 2011
Unlucky in Devon - 10, 11 & 12
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| Honey bee I photographed in Devon - if you want to use my photographs please attribute this blog. |
It is unlucky -
"To omit to inform the bees of the death of a relative, by tapping at each hive with the key of the front door. It is necessary too, to say to each hive as one taps "Maister is dead," or "Missus is dead," as the case may be.
To forget to put the bees in mourning, by placing a scrap of black crape or cloth on the top of each hive.
To neglect to communicate any great social or political event to the bees.
(The bees resent the omission of these ceremonies, and in consequence cease work, dwindle and die)."
Hewett 1900
[A friend of mine in the bee keeping world in Devon says that informing the bees of deaths is fairly common still among some bee keepers. He doesn't do the whole key or black cloth routine however. On getting married he told me to go up to see the bees he has on my allotment and give them an account of events. He also makes time on days of funerals to go around telling his bees, and removes his hat when telling them. He also says hello to any bees he meets out and around town, jokingly assigning them woman's names, as if he knows each one personally! He is not from Devon, but is very much a part of our local areas bee keeping world, and has been for a few decades.]
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| Honey bee I photographed in Devon - if you want to use my photographs please attribute this blog. |
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Unlucky in Devon - 7
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| Robin - Erithacus rubecula - By Marek Szczepanek (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons |
"To kill a robin."
Hewett 1900
Unlucky in Devon - 4, 5 and 6 (salt related)
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| Salt - Michel32nl at nl.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], from Wikimedia Commons |
"To break a salt-cellar.
To spill salt at table without throwing a pinch over the left shoulder.
To help one another to salt."
Hewett 1900
Unlucky in Devon - 3
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| Ladder of Devine Assent - 12th century Icon from Egypt |
It is unlucky to -
"To pass under a lean-to ladder without first crossing the middle fingers over the front ones.
"This superstition," says the Weekly Western News, Plymouth, "originates from an old coarse joke formerly frequent among the lower class. It took its rise from the fact that at the gallows at Tyburn the culprit had to walk up a ladder, there being no platform. The ladder was afterwards withdrawn and he was left suspended.""
Hewett 1900
Unlucky in Devon - 2
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| Besom Broom - Schmidti [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons |
"To buy a broom in May
For it sweeps all luck away."
For it sweeps all luck away."
Hewett 1900
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Unlucky in Devon - 1
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| Empty pocket - By Dvortygirl (Own work)[see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons |
"To have an empty pocket (even a crooked coin keeps the devil away)."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 31
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| Money! Author: Daniel Maleck Lewy This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_6_016_Hand_with_Anarchy-_Tatoo_and_money.jpg |
"On opening a new business, or entering upon any new commercial enterprise, the first money taken should be turned over from hand to hand and spat upon, to insure good luck in all future dealing."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 30
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| Musician Hanged - Fac-simile of a Woodcut in Pierre Michault's Doctrinal du Temps Présent, small folio, goth., Bruges, about 1490 |
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 29
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| Common Cuckoo - By GabrielBuissart (self-made, Romelaere, Clairmarais FR.) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
"On hearing the cuckoo's note in April run as fast as possible to the nearest gate, and sit on the top bar to drive away the spirit of laziness. Who neglects to do this will be weak for a year, and have no inclination to work until the ensuing spring when the harbinger of spring again returns."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 28
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| Cuckoo By GabrielBuissart (self-made, Romelaere, Clairmarais FR.) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
"If one hears the cuckoo to the right it portends good fortune, but to hear his voice on the left is a sure sign of impending misfortune."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 27
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| The Common Cuckoo (formally the European Cuckoo) Cuculus canorus |
"On first hearing the cuckoo in spring one should run in a circle three times with the sun, to ensure good luck for the rest of the year."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 26
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| King's Evil, or Scrofula, or lymphadenitis of the cervical lymph nodes associated with tuberculosis. By Dr.J.S.Bhandari, India (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons |
It is lucky -
"To be the seventh son of a seventh son, for he can, by passing his hand over the glands of the neck of a person suffering from King's Evil, cure the disease."
Hewett 1900
Friday, 21 January 2011
Lucky in Devon - 25
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| I know this is not a Westcountry tree, but I couldn't resist it - I think felling this tree could NEVER be lucky! |
It is lucky -
"To fell trees at the wane of the moon, and when the wind is in the North."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 24
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| Francis Drake, putting his right foot first! - painted 1580 |
"To put the right foot first, because it ensures success."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 22
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| We bit our babies nails for the first few months, but then used scissors as she was so wriggly we could only do it while she was breast feeding - if you want to use my images please attribute my blog |
It is lucky-
"To bite a baby's nails before it is a year old instead of cutting them, as it ensures its honesty through life."
[conversely Hewett also states that is unlucky - "To cut a baby's nails or hair before the child is a year old."]
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 21
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| Dragon from my other blog - http://abasketofleaves.blogspot.com/ If you want to use my picture please attribute one of my blogs. |
It is lucky -
"To be born on a Sunday; because you can see spirits, and tame the dragon who watches over hidden treasure."
Hewett 1900
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Lucky in Devon - 20
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| Leukonychia - from nail damage or zinc deficiency - By Keitei (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons |
It is lucky -
"To have white specks on one's finger nails shews that happiness is in store. These specks are sometimes called "gifts".
" A gift on the thumb is sure to come,
A gift on the finger is sure to linger."
A gift on the finger is sure to linger."
Or they may be thus enumerated :
" A gift, a friend, a foe,
A lover to come, a journey to go."
A lover to come, a journey to go."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 19
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| Dead Badger showing teeth - By Andrew Gray (local userpage) (p1140371) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
It is lucky-
"To carry a badger's tooth in the waistcoat pocket : it brings luck at cards."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 18
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No star here!   Some rights reserved by Velo Steve |
"To see a star on the wick of a candle.
" There's a star in the candle to-night,
One bright little spot shining clear,
To make our heavy hearts light,
By shewing that a letter is near.""
One bright little spot shining clear,
To make our heavy hearts light,
By shewing that a letter is near.""
Hewett 1900
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Wassailing this year!
[Old twelfth night, the 16th of January, is when my wife, writer and artist Lunar Hine, and I decided to Wassail our apple trees, as goes the tradition.
After gathering in the house and playing music and drinking mulled cider (and eating yummy Dorset Apple cake made by artist Rima, and my own dried apples) we headed off into the garden to Wassail the apple trees.
The first - the oldest in my garden, though I only planted it last year, was my daughters discovery apple. We drank mulled cider from a wooden bowl and splashed some on the roots.
The youngest child to hand, the son of jeweler Jason of England, hung bread in the branches soaked in cider. We all cheered and tried to make lots of noise. Unfortunately none of us had brought anything really noisy like a pan, so we had to make do with maracas and bells!
Someone gently gave the tree a sake to wake it for the next year.
I said
"Wassail the tree, soes it may bear,
many an apple and many a pair,
soes it may grow, and it may bow,
and it may bring us apples eno'
Huzzar!"
This I had learned off the local Somerset Radio about 10 years ago from an old cider maker.
We then went on to another three orchards, though these where more developed.
One our friends planned to wassail again as they normally did, at the end of the month - so we chose a stunted tree that had produced a good crop for the first time in its life. After all "Wassail" (Saxon for "good health") is really a thank you to the trees (some would have it as the gods of the orchard - or in one case with us "the Pipins" - faeries from Rupert the Bear who lived in apple trees!).
With the other two orchards however it was the oldest and best trees that we chose.]
Lucky in Devon - 17
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| Cricket in my Devon bathroom! - If you want to use my photos please attribute this blog. |
"To have crickets in the house."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 16
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| Some rights reserved by ckaroli |
To rest bars of iron on vessels containing beer in summer. They prevent "souring of the liquor" in thundery weather.
Lucky in Devon - 15
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| Brewing in Devon - Some rights reserved by supermoving |
"To throw a pinch of salt into the mash when brewing, to keep the witches out."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 14
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| Sheep on the road to Avercombe - Ivan Taylor [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
"To meet a flock of sheep on the highway when on a journey."
Hewett 1900
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Lucky in Devon - 13
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| A Grey Horse in a Landscape. ca 1650 Aelbert Cuyp |
"To spit over the right shoulder when one meets a grey horse."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 12
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| By Howard Lake, [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
It is lucky
"To pay money on the first of January, as it insures the blessing of ready cash for all payments throughout the year."
Hewett 1900
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Lucky in Devon - 11
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| Fairies Dance? - Some rights reserved by Number Six (bill lapp) http://www.flickr.com/photos/blapp/387550396/sizes/o/ |
"To see a company of fairies dancing in the adit of a mine, as it indicates the presence of valuable lodes."
Hewett 1900
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On Nocturnal Dance of Fairies "Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus", book 3 by Olaus Magnus 1555 |
Lucky in Devon - 10
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| Hydrangea in my garden - if you wish to use my photos please attribute this blog |
"To plant all kinds of ornamental shrubs on Good Friday."
Hewet 1900
Lucky in Devon - 9
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| Some of my beans this year - still some in the freezer! Didn't plant on Good Friday though. - If you want to use my photos please attribute this blog. |
"To sow all kinds of garden seeds on Good Friday. Beans and peas sown on this day yield better crops."
Hewett 1900
Lucky in Devon - 8
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| A non-Devon Confirmation at St. Jude Roman Catholic Church H.E. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais March 4, 2008 Some rights reserved by Jim, the Photographer http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcapaldi/2316932121/sizes/l/ |
"To receive the right hand of the bishop on one's head at confirmation."
Hewett 1900
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