Folklore Snippets
Spare my lambs: In the Scottish highlands on Beltane, herdsmen used to each take a piece of cake - on each were nine knobs dedicated to a deity. Each man broke off a knob, flinging it over his shoulder while saying "This I give to thee, preserve thou my horses," (sheep, cows, etc). After that they used the same rites for the wild beasts: "This I give to thee, O fox! Spare thou my lambs". Afterwards they dined. When they were finished, what was left was hidden, and next Sunday finished.
Penzance May Day: At teh stroke of midnight ushering in the new May Day in Penzance Cornwall, young men traditionally went around town with drums, violins and other musical instruments. They called on farmhouses where they were provided with junket tea and country cake (composed of cream, flour, sugar and currants). Then followed a dance and the gathering of May bush.
Tall Stories: On May 1st at Temple Stowerby, England they traditionally tell tales on the village green. The prizes have long been one grindstone and twenty razor hones, as well as cheap whetstones; all are for the noble art of lying: the more improbable the yarn, the greater honour. Once the Bishop of Carlisle told the crowd "I have never told a lie in my life", when suddenly the crowd threw the grindstone into his carriage.
Welch May Day: In old Wales, in the weeks before May Day, a girl would collect ribbons to give to a boy on the day, and also to decorate a white linen shirt that she would wear. One young person collected watches and silver to make a bright shiny garland which was left either with the most generous donor of silverware, or the town's most generous master.
The cadi: In old Wales, on May Day, folk used to assemble in local taverns. There the chief orator, clown and money collector was called the cadi. He was dressed in petticoats and wore a hideous mask, or blackface with red decorated shirts over their clothes, and decorated hats.
Hitchin May: In Hitchin Hertfordshire, England, on May Days longs ago, people used to march in procession starting at 3am, the men singing the mayers' songs, the second verse of which went:
We have been rambling all this night,
And almost all this day,
And now returned back again,
We have brought you a branch of May.
People used to place branches of May bush on doors of houses in the town. If any servant had given offence to any of the mayers, a branch of elder and a bunch of nettles were left instead, so servants used torise early to look for a May branch.
The mayers were dressed as characters such as black peole, lords, ladies and hunchbacks. A regular couple of costumed characters were Mad Moll and her husband. Moll's husband would chase with a broom anyone who insulted his rag-woman wife.
Milkmaids holiday: On May Day in eighteenth century London, milkmaids used to take about town their garland, (a pyramidal frame covered silver plate rented from pawnbrokers), with flowers and a milk urn, placed on a wooden horse and carried by two men. The maids made music and cried "Milk below" up at the London houses.
Birchen boughs: In old Cheshire on May Day, young men used to place birchen boughs over the doors of their mistresses, but over the door of a scold (virago) they would place an alder bough.
La na Beal tina: Such was the old name of May Day (or, Beltane - day of the god Bel or Beal's fire) in Ireland, where young men and women marched, two abreast, the men dressed in white or gaily-coloured vests and ribbons, the dressed-up young women carry holly bushes. All day long there was teh joyous music of fife, bagpipe, tambourine and drum, not to mention clown, dancing, and plenty of drinking.
The bone-fire: In old Ireland on the ancient pagan Beltane (May Day), boys would collect May bush an dbones from tanneries ad abattoirs, to burn in the bonfires of Beltane, which echoes the ancient Beltane human sacrifices. There is a say, "I will drag you like a horse's head to the bone-fire". At about dusk the boys made their fires, and later jumped through them.
Elf cakes: On May day at Oberberg, Germany, in olden time, people laid beside streams, eggs for the woodland elves, who used them for making cakes, or so it is said.
Cow slapping: In old Westphalia, Germany, cowherds on May Day used to drive their cattle by slapping them with branches of rowan ( which the English and Scottish called the witch-tree because it protected from witchcraft). The cowherds would eat eggs while doing so, and use the eggshells to decorate the branches. Eggs are charms against witches, or, so it is said.
Hens don't sit: In Poland there is an old and strong superstition that chickens born today will be misshappen, so farmers do not set broody hens. In some districts this belief is so strong that it applies for a whole year to the day of the week on which May day fell. In America and England it was customary not to set broody hens at all in the month of May.
Hobby Horse (Obby Oss) Parade, Padstow, Cornwall, UK: Formerly all the respectable people kept the anniversary decorated with the choicest flowers, but some unlucky day a number of rough characters from a distance joined it, and committed some sad assualts on old and young - spoiling all their nice summer clothes, and covering their faces and persons with smut. From that time - fifty years since the procession in formed of the lowest.
Every May day since time immemorial the people of Padstow, Cornwall have enjoyed their Hobby Horse parade. The first written reference to this ancient procession of the Obby Oss was written in 1502. The Hobby Horse might come from ancient fertility rites (horses are a potent symbol: see Epona the Celtic goddess of horses) or from the legend of the Cornish saint, Petroc who led a monster into the ocean as banishment.
Preceded by white-clad men (teazers), is the horse, forty kilos of stick, cloth, and horse's head with big red eyes and snapping teeth. The men prepare for their singing procession for days before and sing an ancient song with special words that change for each household they a re serenading...
Unlucky weddings: From as early as Roman times comes the traditions mentioned by Ovid, and still prevelent in Europe, that May is an unlucky month is which to be married. This is probably because in Rome this was the month for the festivals of Bona Dea (the goddess of chastity), and the feasts of the dead called Lemuralia.
Sproutkale: An old Saxon name for the month of May is Sproutkale, indicating vigorous plant growth in this, the last Spring month inthe Northern Hemisphere.
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