Mention of the White Bird of Oxenham

The White Bird of the Oxenhams - In Baring Gould 1908 by JAMES OXENHAM [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

"...The portrait, painted by the hand of a spectre, and the phantom, whose occasional appearance on earth is mysteriously connected with that terrible portrait, and whose kiss is the signal of death to every successive member of the family to which it belongs, are manifest improvements on such traditions as those of the White Lady of the house of Brandenburg, the Fairy Melusine, whose appearance used constantly to prognosticate the recurrence of mortality in some noble family of Poitou; the White Bird which, as Prince records in his Worthies of Devon, was in the habit of performing the same office for the worshipful lineage of Oxenham."

Extract from - PHANTASMAGORIANA; Ou Recueil d'Historics a? Apparitions, de Spectres, de Revenans, Fantomes, ect. Traduit de FAUemand, par un Amateur. Paris. 2 tomes 12mo. TALES OF THE DEAD, PRINCIPALLY TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.

In Blackwood's Edingburgh Magazine 1818

Map - Oxenham Arms
Map - South Tawton

The Cock-crow stones of Cornwall

The Cheesewring at St Cleer is on the left of the photo.     Image by © Copyright Eric Foster and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

"A ROCK of white marble (?) with many rock basins on its surface lies in Looe harbour, under Saunder's Lane, and is now -covered by every tide. This stone once stood on the top of an elevated rock near it, and when in this position, whenever it heard a cock crow in the neighbouring farmyard of Hay, it turned round three times.

The topmost stone of that curious pile of rocks in the parish of St Cleer known as the Cheesewring is gifted in like manner. Even now the poultry-yards are very distant, but in ancient days the cocks must have crowed most lustily, to have produced vibrations on either the sensitive rock or the tympanum of man."

Hunt 1903

Map -  Looe Harbour.  (I cannot find Saunders Lane or Hay farmyard)
Map - Hay Lane, Looe
Map - The Cheesewring

Jan Pook, a Moretonhampstead Folksong (part one)

Leat on the road between Two Bridges and Princetown - by Tom Jolliffe [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"The following, which appeared in a recent number of the Western Morning News, is from the pen of the late Dr. Puddicombe, of Moreton. The subject, Jan Pook, was post boy at the Saracen's Head, Two Bridges, Dartmoor. The poem gives a clear idea of the habits of the convivial souls who inhabit and divert themselves in that neighbourhood.

 

JAN POOK.
 

JAN Pook wuz a post-boy,
The vokes where he stapped
Zed a hardier 'osebird,
There nivver wuz drapped.
He ciide laugh, he cude zing,
He cude smoke, he cude tell,
And whativver he diied,
He alwes diied well.
He wuz loved by his guv'ner,
Samuel Cann,
Of " The White Hart," in Moreton,
A merciful man,
Who trated his 'osses,
And customers, too,
And trated Jan Pook,
When he'd nort else to do.
Jan Pook druv a party
To Princetown one day,
Returning wherefrom,
On his empty post shay,
To the " Saracen's Head,"
He pulled up for a wet,
Refreshment 'es zel
And his osses to get.
Jan drinked wey some miners
Until, as he zed,
The liquor he drinked
Had got into his head.
When he started again,
To his home to return,
What arterwards happened,
You'll presently learn..." [cont...]

Hewett 1900

The True Lovers (or Lord Lovel) - a folksong mentioning Kenton (possibly the Devon one?)

Kenton Church, Devon, 1982 - from John Salmon [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"Lord Lovel he stood at his own castle gate,
Combing his milk-white steed,
When up came Lady Nancy Bell
To wish her lover good speed speed speed,
To wish her lover good speed.

" Where are you going, Lord Lovel ?" she said,
" Oh, where are you going ?" said she,
" I'm going my Lady Nancy Bell,
Strange countries for to see see see,
Strange countries for to see."

" When will you come back, Lord Lovel ?" she said,
" When will you come back to me ?"
"In a year or two, or three at most,
I'll return to my Lady Nancy cy cy,
I'll return to my Lady Nancy ?"

But he hadden been gone but a year and a day
Strange countries for to see,
When languishing thoughts came into his head
Lady Nancy Bell to see see see,
Lady Nancy Bell to see.

So he rode, and he rode on his milk-white steed,
Till he came to Kenton town,
When he heard St. Andrew's Church bells ring,
And the people all mourning around round round,
And the people all mourning around.

" Oh, what is the matter ?" Lord Lovel, he said,
"Oh, what is the matter ?" said he,
" A Lord's Lady is dead," an old woman said,
" And some call her the Lady Nancy cy cy,
And some call her the Lady Nancy."

So he ordered the grave to be opened wide,
And the shroud to be turned down,
And then he kissed her clay-cold lips,
Till the tears came trickling down down down,
Till the tears came trickling down.

Lady Nancy died as it might be to-day,

Lord Lovel he died as to-morrow,
Lady Nancy, she died out of pure, pure grief,
Lord Lovel, he died out of sorrow sorrow sorrow,
Lord Lovel he died out of sorrow.

Lady Nancy was laid in the cold churchyard,

Lord Lovel was laid in the choir ;
And out of her bosom there grew a red rose,
And out of his a sweet brier rier rier,
And out of his a sweet brier.

They grew and they grew to the church steeple top,

And then they could grow no higher,
So there they entwined in a true-lovers-knot,
For all true lovers to admire mire mire, 

For all true lovers to admire.

Sung by Mr. Ted Ward, at a harvest supper, September, 1893."

Hewett 1900

Map - Kenton

[Some tunes and words exists here, Roud No. 48, one from Sabine Baring-Gould's manuscripts, that looks the same.  It is also Child Ballads N° 75. A good rendition is found here, though 'Kenton Town' is now 'Fair London Town'.  The Kenton here could well be the Kenton in Devon, by Berry Pomeroy Castle, seeing as Hewett collected her stories in Devon, and especially in this area - However Kenton church is dedicated to All Saints, and not specifically to Saint Andrew - it could be the Kenton in London!]

Devon / Westcountry weather lore - Plant lore and the weather

Beans in Flower - if you want to use my photos please attribute this blog.

"When beans are in bloom brew not your ale.

When elder is white, brew and bake a peck.

When elder is black, brew and bake a sack.

When the sloe-tree is white as a sheet, sow your barley whether it be dry or wet.

Ash before oak, there will be a soak,

Oak before ash, there will be but a splash."

Hewett 1900

Devon / Westcountry weather lore #9 - February

Sourton, Devon, in February

"If a storm comes on February 2nd, spring is near ; but if that day be bright and clear, the spring will be late.

When drops hang on the fence on February 2nd, icicles shall hang there on March 14th.

There is always one fine week in February.

When it rains in February it will be temperate all the year.

All the months in the year curse a fine Februeer.

or,

If in February there be no rain,
The hay won't goody, nor the grain.
All other months of the year
Most heartily curse a fine Februeer.

February fill dyke, be it black or be it white ; but if it be white, the better to like.

If bees get out in February the next day will be rough and rainy.

When the cat in February lies in the sun, she will creep under the grate in March.

If the eighteen last days of February be wet, and the first days of March, you'll see that the spring quarter, and the summer too, will prove to be wet, and danger will ensue.

February and be ye fair,
The hoggs will mend, and nothing pair ;
February and be ye foul,
The hoggs will die in the pool (Scotch)."

Hewett 1900

[Yet again I find myself cursing, for Hewett has failed to say where any of her lore comes from (other than the book is about Devon lore) and has thrown in "Scotch" in brackets. Hopefully all she meant was that the pronounciation was somewhat Scotish, rather than that she has simply added the odd Scotish proverb to pad it out!]

Devon meathod of transfering warts to a stranger

Warts - By RaffiKojian (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

"Take as many small stones from a running stream as you have warts, put them tightly into a clean white bag, and throw them into the highway or street. Then wash each wart in strong vinegar seven successive mornings. Whoever picks up the bag of stones will get a transfer of the warts."

Hewett 1900

Devon charm to cure Ringworm, Barngun, or skin eruptions such as shingles

Shingles on a back - By Timepants (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

"Barngun is cured by blessing, and the outward application of clotted cream, thus : Take three locks of
wool one white, one grey, one black dip them into a basin of clotted cream, and when thoroughly saturated,
take each lock and rub in succession each infected spot on the skin. Hang the wool on sprigs of white thorn against the wind to dry. Repeat this process five, seven, or nine times, as the case may require. While lubricating the sores chant in monotone the following : 

There were three angels come from the west, 

to cure Simon Fluke (or other) of the barngun, 

white barngun, red barngun, black barngun,
aching, sticking, pricking, barngun, 

all sorts of barngun,
barngun-biibee, 

ill will I prove 'e. 

I stick thee
up on thees yer thorn, 

there thou shalt die, 

and never come near'n no more, 

in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen."

Hewett 1900 

[This charm is very similar to other Devon charms for other ailments in the opening and closing lines, and in the use of colours (take note: there are three colours - 3 is a very frequently used number in folklore). Also note the hypnotically intensifying rhythm.]

Devon Charm to regain money

Coins from:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonanamary/328238859/sizes/l/ Some rights reserved by jonanamary

"A white witch professed to be able to restore a lost sum of money by the following incantation.

Flibberty, gibberty, flasky flum,
Calafac, tarada, lara, wagra wum.
Hooky, maroosky, whatever's the sum,
Heigho ! Presto ! Money corne !
In the name of the Father, the Holy Ghost, and Son. Amen ! Amen !"

Hewett 1900

Devon charm to determin weather your fiance will be true

Sheep and Butcher - Some rights reserved by laurakgibbs   http://www.flickr.com/photos/38299630@N05/3679542239/sizes/o/in/photostream/

"Procure from a. butcher a bladebone of a shoulder of lamb divested of all the meat. Borrow a penknife from an unmarried man, but do not say for what purpose it is required. Take a yard of white ribbon, and having tied it to the bone, hang it as high in your bedroom chimney as you can conveniently reach. On going to bed pierce the bone with the knife once, for nine successive nights, in a different place each night, repeat while doing so, the following :

Tiz not this bone I means to stick,
But my lover's heart I means to prick,
Wishing him neither rest nor sleep,
Till unto me he comes to speak.
 

At the end of nine days your sweetheart will ask you to bind a wounded finger, or to attend to a cut which he will have met with during the time the charm was being used."

Hewett 1900

Toad based Devon charm for curing skin disease.

Left: Bufo bufo (Common Toad) and Right: Bufo calamita / Bufo viridis (Natterjack Toad) - The Natterjack toad is a very rare toad found in Devon. - By derivative work: B kimmel (talk) Guruin_parotoideak.jpg (Guruin_parotoideak.jpg) [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

"Place the poison found in a. toad's head in a leathern bag one inch square : enclose this in a white silk bag, tie it round the neck, allowing the bag to lie on the pit of the stomach. On the third day the patient will be sick. Remove and bury the bag. As it rots so will the patient get well."

Hewett 1900

Charming, striking and blessing in Devon

The Love Potion - Evelyn de Morgan (1855–1919)

"The mode of applying charms and medicaments has been handed down to us from the remotest ages. The witch doctor cured through the imagination. "Conceit will kill and conceit will cure," said a celebrated Harley Street physician to a medical student who one day applied to him for advice. It certainly is the case with regard to talismans. Playing on a patient's will and feelings, has stronger power in curing disease than we are inclined to credit. To the powerful influence of strong-minded, unscrupulous persons over those of weaker constitution may be attributed the success of the nostrums prescribed. Added to the physical presence of the charm, the hypnotic persuasion of the operator compels the patient to believe that a cure has been effected through the charm.

Pinches of powdered plants, scraps of inscribed vellum, dried limbs of loathsome reptiles, juices of poisonous herbs, blood, excrements, and gruesome compositions all blend together to make up the witch's charms. Who among the weak in mind, the uneducated, and the frivolous could resist falling a victim to the seductive attraction of a talisman, whose virtues would secure health, wealth and happiness? Much of a witch's success depended on the unremitting persuasive force she exerted on her patients to stimulate them to believe implicitly in her. This once attained, her influence became unlimited. The degree of strength exerted affected the progress of convalescence. For mercenary reasons the witch took care that a cure was not too quickly brought about.

I have interviewed many a believer in the efficacy of charms, and from them obtained curious examples of miscellaneous articles claiming miraculous powers to heal. Besides the sale of charms the white witch cures diseases by "striking" and blessing."

Hewett 1900

White, Black and Grey Witches

"Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath" 1855, by Théodore Chassériau

"WEST Country people generally, and Devonians in particular, are exceedingly superstitious, in spite of all that has been done for them in the way of higher education, and the enlightening influence of the press. Dwellers in the hilly parts of Devon, on Dartmoor and Exmoor, and in the villages bordering upon them, are as deeply imbued with faith in witches, as their forefathers were in the days when Alfred was king.

According to tradition there are three kinds of witches.

The Black Witch, who is of an intensely malignant nature, and responsible for all the ills that flesh is heir to.

The White Witch, of an opposite nature, is always willing, for certain pecuniary considerations, to dispense charms and philtres, to cancel the evil of the other.

The Grey Witch is the worst of all, for she possesses the double power of either "overlooking" or "releasing." 

In cases of sickness, distress, or adversity, persons at the present time (A.D. 1898) make long expensive journeys to consult the white witch, and to gain relief by her (or his) aid."

Hewett 1900

Map - Dartmoor
Map - Exmoor

Lucky in Devon - 20

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."

Or they may be thus enumerated :

" A gift, a friend, a foe,
A lover to come, a journey to go."

Hewett 1900

Lucky in Devon - 13

A Grey Horse in a Landscape. ca 1650 Aelbert Cuyp

 It is lucky

"To spit over the right shoulder when one meets a grey horse."

Hewett 1900

Horse mane plaiting...

Horse plaiting for decoration only - photo by  Fir0002/Flagstaffotos released under this license.

[This article from the Westermn Morning News caught my eye. 

The basic thrust of it is that the police have been investigating a spate of "mane weaving" - horses having their manes woven without the knowledge of their owners. At first it was thought to be the work of horse theives - but then none of the horese where stolen, despight some having be "plaited" on numerouse occasions.

The police are now putting it down to Pagans practicing "white magic" (most Pagans I know would laugh at the idea of 'white' magic - it is very objective what intentions are 'white' and what are 'black' - just like any other human action.  Is wishing for a productive year 'black' or 'white'?). They specifically put it down to 'white witches' practicing 'knot magick' (their spelling).  Maybe they got this from a Wiccan book?

I could also put it down to children (probably girls?) stopping by their favorite horse and playing with its hair.

However it also reminded me of all the old tales of pixies riding horses and knotting their manes ('fairie styrups') such as this one.

Some owners where criticising the practice, saying it may have influenced some of the horses characters, and with children's horses this could be dangerous. To me this sounds a little like scare mongering to keep people away from their horses!

The report says that it was occurring mainly around Hemyock, Culmstock and Clayhidon, the Culm Valley and Exeter.  When I mentioned it on Facebook a friend from the Chagford area said that it happens there to. 

Anyway - a good story!]

Map - Hemyock

Map - Culmstock

Map - Clayhidon 

Map - Culm Valley

Map - Exeter

Map - Chagford

The strong willed wife

Horses at Wembury, Devon - Joan Vaughan [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"In Devon, when a. wife is of stronger will than her husband, the people say, "Aw ess, the grey mare in thickee 'ouze is the better 'oss," and ascribe her masterfulness to her having visited and drank of the water of the well of St. Keyne, in Cornwall."

Hewett 1900

The White Bird of the Oxenhams of South Tawton - Part 1

The Oxenham Arms in South Zeal, near South Tawton -
  © Copyright Lewis Clarke and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1412429

"There exists in the family of the Oxenhams a tradition that a bird with a white breast is always seen fluttering over their beds, previous to the death of a member of their family.

The Oxenhams were an ancient family of considerable influence and importance, occupying and possessing
large and valuable properties in the vicinity of Okehampton. But the glory of the house has departed, though there are still branches of it at the present time residing at South Tawton, who still retain the tradition of the white bird. Very recently (1892) an Oxenham has said that the bird appeared to him, and very shortly afterwards his father died. It therefore appears that this bird of ill-omen is a legacy in perpetuity, bequeathed at an ill-starred moment to his descendants by some unfortunate ancestor. There are numerous records of the appearance of this bird prior to 1700, but the most interesting is that which describes its visit to Sir James Oxenham, on the eve of his daughter Margaret's nuptials.

The full text of a poem giving details of the appearance of the apparition, is given in " The Report and Transactions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature, and Art," for 1896, which was sent by Miss E. Gibbs, of South Tawton, who copied it from the housekeeper's commonplace book at Oxenham House...." [cont.]

Hewett 1900

Bird Lore in Devon

The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) -  By Keven Law [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"There is a strong belief that the robin, raven, magpie, owl, and a nameless white bird, by the manner of their flight, and other peculiarities of action, foretell the approaching dissolution of some member of the household which they visit. A robin sitting near a window, uttering a plaintive weep, weep, weep, presages sickness and death ; if he flies into an occupied bedroom, then, death is near at hand."

Hewett 1900

Recipe for making a Dumb Cake

This fireplace is from Dolgoch Youth Hostel in Wales, not Devon!  - If you want to use my images, please do, but I would appreciate it if you attributed this blog

"IN the preparation of a dumb cake, if perfection be desired, it is imperative to observe strict: silence, and to follow these instructions closely.

Let any number of unmarried ladies each take a handful of wheaten flour, and place it on a sheet of white paper, then sprinkle it with as much salt as can be held between the finger and thumb ; then, one must put as much clear spring-water as will make it into dough, which being done, each of the party must roll it up, and spread it thin and broad, and each maid must, at some distance apart, make the first letters of their Christian and surname with a large new pin, towards the end of the cake ; if more christian-names than one, the first letter of each one must be made. Then set the cake before the fire, and each girl must sit down in a chair, as far from the fire as the room will admit, not speaking a word all the time. This must be done between eleven and twelve o'clock at night. Each person in rotation must turn the cake once, and five minutes after midnight the husband of her who is to be wed first will appear and lay his hand upon that part of the cake bearing her initials. From the Norwood Gipsy Fortune-teller.

If the cake be eaten, strict silence must be observed from the moment a slice is cut. The person walks backwards from the room, up the stairs, and after undressing goes into bed, still backwards. Stumbling and giggling are inadmissible. It is presumed that happy dreams of " the loved one" will occupy the hours of slumber."

Hewett 1900

[This recipe seems to be taken from a publication talking about London, but as "Dumb Cake" is used in one of the previous post I thought it was worth posting. The last paragraph could well be referring to a Devon practice - the area covered by Hewetts book.]