Report on the ethnographical survey of the United Kingdom / British Association for the Advancement of Science, Toronto Meeting, 1897.

  • British Association for the Advancement of Science.
Date:
[1897?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the ethnographical survey of the United Kingdom / British Association for the Advancement of Science, Toronto Meeting, 1897. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    19/68 (page 467)
    common harassed a bull were asked for alms by a tramp. Each gave him a little. The tramp turned from his begging, entered into some sort of business, and made a fortune, and so became a ‘ man.’ 295. Another explanation, differing in some respects from this, was communicated by a tailor. 296. Kirkmaiden.—When an apprentice gardener completed his apprenticeship, his companions gave him a ball called the ‘ lowsan ball.’ 297. Dundrennan, Parish of Rerrick.—Weavers did not weave on New Year’s Day. The Clergy. 298. Borgue.—It is unlucky to speak ill of a minister. 299. Balmaghie.—lt is unlucky to speak ill of a minister, or to do him any harm. Once a few men would play a trick on a minister, and they contrived to induce him to take strong drink till he was overcome. This act caused a scandal, and the minister was charged with drunkenness before the Presbytery by libel. The men that had been the cause of his slip were summoned as witnesses. All of them were ill and confined to bed when the trial came on, so that not one of them was able to appear at the court to give evidence. 300. ‘ Nae boddie it centers a minister comes t’ a guid en’.’ 301. ‘Ministers are black craws t’ sheet at.’ 302. ‘ Hae ye a dog, Maister Reid ? ’ asked a man one day of Mr. Reid. ‘ No. Why do you ask ? ’ ‘ It’s an aul story here, the minister’s dog aye barks at them it dinna come aften t’ the kirk.’ 303. Kells.—‘ It is unlucky t’ middle wi’ craws an’ ministers.’ Cattle. 304. Dairy.—In spring the cattle of a farm used to be bled. Part of the blood was baked into a kind of bread (oaten) called ‘bleed scones.’ 305. Kirkmaiden.—About sixty years ago all the cattle were bled in spring. The blood was preserved, and cooked as food. A little was mixed with it. 306. Balmaghie, Crossmichael.—A stone whorl or ‘ bort stone ’ is placed by some over the byre door inside, to keep off witches. 307. Crossmichael.—Cattle were rubbed over with a ‘ bort stone ’ to ward off disease. 308. Penninghame.—A ‘ holt stone,’ i.e., a stone with a natural hole or cavity in it, or ‘ bort stone,’ i.e., a stone whorl, was kept in the water- ing trough of the cattle. Sometimes the guidwife took a besom, whisked it round and round the trough, and then sprinkled some of the water over the cattle as they stood round the trough. 309. In the cattle-watering-trough on the farm of Garchew, in the parish of Penninghame, a ‘ holt stone ’ was kept for the protection and luck of the cattle. It was called ‘ Old Nanny’s mother’s trough stane.’ Old Nanny Wilson died about 1891, at the age of ninety years. 310. Corsock.—Sometimes the nose of a cow, stot, or calf will swell. The animal is said to be ‘ weasel-blawn.’ It is supposed the swelling is caused by the bite of an adder. If there are any feathers in the house, they ai’e taken and placed under the animal’s nose, and set on tire. The B