Glastonbury Walnut Tree

Saint Josephs Chapel, Glastonbury - By Francis Frith (Yale University Art Gallery [1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 

"Collinson, in his History of Somersetshire, vol. ii. p. 265, speaking of Glastonbury, tells us, that, "besides the holy Thorn, there grew' in the Abbey Church-yard, on the North side of St. Joseph's Chapel, a miraculous Walnut Tree, which never budded forth before the feast of St. Barnabas, viz. the eleventh of June, and on that very day shot forth leaves, and" flourished like its usual species. This tree is gone, and in the place there of stands a very fine Walnut-tree of the common sort. It is strange to say how much this tree was sought after by the credulous; and, though not an uncommon Walnut, Queen Anne, King James, and many of the nobility of the realm, even when the times of monkish superstition had ceased, gave large sums of money for small cuttings from the original.""

Brand 1813

Map - Glastonbury

Early translation into English from Kernowec (Cornish) of The Tale Of Ivan - part 2

St Levan Church (Llanlavan is probably Saint Levan - My poor knowledge of Cwmraeg (Welsh) would suggest so anyway, Llan in Welsh being roughly equivalent to a parish area) - image © Copyright Tim Heaton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

[cont...] "...5 And when the end of the year came, his master shewed him the three pounds. Look Ivan, said his master : here are thy wages. But if thou wilt give them me again, I will teach thee a point of doctrine.

6 Give them to me, said Ivan. No, I will not, replied his master, I will explain it to thee. Keep you them, said Ivan. Then, said his master," Take care not to leave the old road, for the sake of a new road."

7 Then they agreed for another year for the same wages : and when the end of the year was come (the same conversation takes place as in Nos. 5 and 6, till the master delivers his second aphorism, which " is), Take care not to lodge where a young woman is married to an old man."

9 10 (The same conversation, &c. takes place for the third year, and the master delivers his third aphorism), " Suffer thyself to be struck twice before thou strikest once, for that is the most prudent quality of all."

11 Then Ivan would not serve any longer, but he would go home to his wife. Not to-day, replied his master ; my wife bakes to-morrow, and she shall make thee a cake to take home to thy wife.

12 And they put the nine pounds in the cake. And when Ivan was about to take his leave, Here, said his master, is a cake for thee to take home to thy wife; and when thou and thy wife are most joyous together, then break the cake and not sooner..." [cont...]

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine 1818

Early translation into English from Kernowec (Cornish) of The Tale Of Ivan - part 1

St Levan Church (Llanlavan is probably Saint Levan - My poor knowledge of Cwmraeg (Welsh) would suggest so anyway, Llan in Welsh being roughly equivalent to a parish area) - image © Copyright Tim Heaton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

THE TALE OF IVAN.
( Translated from the Cornish.)

MR EDITOR, I HAVE sent you the following translation of one of the "Inabinogi," or tales for the instruction of youth, which is chiefly curious, as it is the only tale that I am aware of which is in existence in foe Cornish language; at the same time, it may not be disagreeable to some of your readers, to see how the ancients of the times gone by conveyed their lessons of instruction to the young. It is to be found in the 251, 252, pp. of Llwyd's Archaeologia Britannica, with a Welsh translation annexed. 

Yours, PWY. 

Jesus College, Oxford, 23d April 1818.

1 There were formerly a man and woman living in the parish of Llanlavan, in the place which is called Ty Hwrdh.

2 And (the) work became scarce and therefore said the man to his wife, I will go and search for work, and you may live here.

3 He took fair leave, and travelled far towards the East ; and at last he came to the house of a husbandman (Villanus), and asked there for work to perform.

4 What work canst thou perform ? said the husbandman. I can perform every kind of work, said Ivan, Then they agreed for three pounds as the hire of a year..." [cont...]

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine 1818

Wise money - a poverty proverb from Somerset

""Money is wise, it knows its way." - Somerset

Says the poor man that must pay as soon as he receives."


Ray 1768

Proverb about paying - Somerset

"If you touch pot you must touch penny" - Somerset

(Pay for what you have)

Ray 1768

Somerset Proverb of financial loss

"'Twill not be why for thy." - Somerset

Of a bad bargain or a great loss for little profit.

Ray 1768

Devon / Westcountry weather lore #17 July (part 1)

Oak tree on Exmoor near Pool Bridge Campsite, in July - if you wish to use my photos please attribute this blog

"If July 1st be wet and rainy, it will continue so for four weeks or more.

He, who in July the cuckoo's voice doth hear,
Will die before he comes next year.

A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly.

If it rain on July 10th it will rain for seven weeks.

Ne'er trust a July sky.

All the tears St. Swithen can cry (July 15),
St. Bartlemy's mantle can dry (August 14th).

St. Swithen's day if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain na mair,
St. Swithen's day if thou be'st fine,
For forty days it will remain. 

St. James' day gives oysters,

St. Swithen's day gives rain.

He who eats oysters on St. James' day will lack money to the year's end..." [cont.]


Hewett 1900

Luck money / Earnest money exchainged when selling animals or taking on a servant in Devon

Bampton Fair 2005, where some horses are still sold - By Martin Bodman [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"IN old fashioned markets it is customary to give luck money on an animal being sold by the farmer himself.

The practice is gradually dying out, as auctions are taking the place of private contracts. In some places a penny merely passes from the seller to the buyer, a practice arising, probably, from some superstitious belief. In some districts a shilling or half-a-crown is given as luck-money. In others again, a man will deal and give a certain sum for a cow or a horse with the proviso that five or ten shillings shall be returned for luck or chap money. The origin of this custom is unknown. Sometimes, when engaging a servant, a shilling is given to clench the bargain. This is called earnest money."

Hewett 1900

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

Unlucky in Devon - 25

Red Spider Mite - By Trancelius (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -

"To kill a small red spider, because this insect is supposed to bring money in its track, hence it is often called the "money-spider."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 2

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

It is unlucky-

"To buy a broom in May
For it sweeps all luck away."

Hewett 1900

Unlucky in Devon - 1

Empty pocket - By Dvortygirl (Own work)[see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons

It is unlucky -

"To have an empty pocket (even a crooked coin keeps the devil away)."

Hewett 1900

Lucky in Devon - 12

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

Tregeagle haunting - part 1

'Another correspondent to whom I am much indebted for valuable notes on the folk-lore of the Land's End district, sends me the following version:

You may know the story better than I do; however, I 'll give you the west-country version. A man in the neighbourhood of Redruth, I think (I have almost forgotten the story), lent a sum of money to another without receiving bond or note, and the transaction was witnessed by Tregagle, who died before the money was paid back. When the lender demanded the money, the borrower denied having received it. He was brought into a court of justice, when the man denied on oath that he ever borrowed the money, and declared that if Tregagle saw any such thing take place, he wished that Tregagle would come and declare it. The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Tregagle stood before him, and told him that it was easy to bring him, but that he should not find it so easy to put him away. Tregagle followed the man day and night, wouldn't let him have a moment's rest, until he got all the parsons, conjurors, and other wise men together, to lay him. The wise ones accomplished this for a short time by binding the spirit to empty Dosmery (or Dorsmery) Pool with a crogan (limpet-shell). He soon finished the job and came to the man again, who sent for Parson Corker, of Burrian, who was a noted hand for laying spirits, driving the devil from the bedside of old villains, and other kinds of jobs of the same kind...' [cont.]

Hunt 1903

The Demon Tregeagle - part 4

'...Involving, as this did, large sums of money--and indeed it was a question upon which turned the future well-doing or ruin of a family--it was fought by the lawyers with great pertinacity. The legal questions had been argued several times before the judges at the assizes. The trials had been deferred, new trials had been sought for and granted, and every possible plan known to the lawyers for postponing the settlement of a suit had been tried. A day was at length fixed, upon which a final decision must be come to, and a special jury was sworn to administer justice between the contending parties. Witnesses innumerable were examined as to the validity of a certain deed, and the balance of evidence was equally suspended. The judge was about to sum up the case and refer the question to the jury, when the defendant in the case, coming into court, proclaimed aloud that he had yet another witness to produce. There was a strange silence in the judgment-hall. It was felt that something chilling to the soul was amongst them, and there was a simultaneous throb of terror as Tregeagle was led into the witness-box.


When the awe-struck assembly had recovered, the lawyers for the defendant commenced their examination, which was long and terrible. The result, however, was the disclosure of an involved system of fraud, of which the honest defendant had been the victim, and the jury unhesitatingly gave a verdict in his favour.
The trial over, every one expected to see the spectre-witness removed. There, however, he stood, powerless to fly, although he evidently desired to do so. Spirits of darkness were waiting to bear him away, but some spell of holiness prevented them from touching him. There was a struggle with the good and the evil angels for this sinner's soul, and the assembled court appeared frozen with horror. At length the judge with dignity commanded the defendant to remove his witness.

"To bring him from the grave has been to me so dreadful a task, that I leave him to your care, and that of the Prior's, by whom he was so beloved." Having said this, the defendant left the court...' [cont.]

Hunt 1903