Lancashire Folk-lore Part 22

My maid, who comes from the neighbourhood of Pendle, informs me that an unlucky old woman in her native village, having allowed her fire to go out on New Year's Eve, had to wait till one o'clock on the following day before any neighbour would supply her with a light.[143]

NEW YEAR'S LUCK.

Should a female, or a light-haired male, be the first to enter a house on the morning of New Year's Day, it is supposed to bring bad luck for the whole of the year then commencing. Various precautions are taken to prevent this misfortune: hence many male persons with black or dark hair, are in the habit of going from house to house, on that day, "to take the New Year in;" for which they are treated with liquor, and presented with a small gratuity. So far is the apprehension carried, that some families will not open the door to any one until satisfied by the voice that he is likely to bring the house a year's good luck by entering it. Then, the most kindly and charitable woman in a neighbourhood will sternly refuse to give any one a light on the morning of New Year's Day, as most unlucky to the one who gives away light.

NEW YEAR'S FIRST CALLER.

For years past, an old lady, a friend of mine, has regularly reminded me to pay her an early visit on New Year's Day; in short, to be her first caller, and to "let the New Year in." I have done this for years, except on one occasion. When I, who am of fair complexion, have been her first visitor, she has enjoyed happy and prosperous years; but on the occasion I missed, some dark-complexioned, black-haired gentleman called;--sickness and trouble, and commercial disasters, were the result.[144] [This is at variance with the preceding paragraph as to the favourite colour of the hair, &c. Perhaps this differs in different localities; but of this at least we are a.s.sured, that any male, dark or fair, is regarded as a much more lucky "letter-in" of the New Year, than any girl or woman, be she blonde or brunette.]

In Lancas.h.i.+re, even in the larger towns, it is considered at this time of day particularly fortunate if "a black man" (meaning one of a dark complexion) be the first person that enters the house on New Year's Day.[145]

NEW YEAR'S DAY AND OLD CHRISTMAS DAY.

Some persons still keep Old Christmas Day. They always look for a change of weather on that day, and never on the 25th December. The common people have long begun their year with the 1st of January. The Act of 1752, so far as they were concerned, only caused the Civil and the Ecclesiastical Year to begin together. In Hopton's _Year Book_ for A.D.

1612, he thus speaks of _January 1st_:--"January. New-yeares day in the morning being red, portends great tempest and warre."

AULD WIFE HAKES.

Christmas and New Year's tea parties and dances are called "Auld Wife Hakes" in the Furness district of Lancas.h.i.+re. The word _hake_ is never used in the central part of the county.[146] Can this be from _hacken_ (? from _hacking_, chopping small), a pudding made in the maw of a sheep or hog. It was formerly a standard dish at Christmas, and is mentioned by N. Fairfax, _Bulk and Selvedge_, 1674, p. 159.[147] [To _hake_, is to sneak, or loiter about.]

NEW YEAR'S GIFTS AND WISHES.

It was formerly a universal custom to make presents, especially from superiors to dependents, and _vice versa_. Now the custom is chiefly confined to parents and elders giving to children or young persons. The practice of making presents on New Year's Day existed among the Romans, and also amongst the Saxons; from one or both of which peoples we have doubtless derived it. The salutation or greeting on New Year's Day is also of great antiquity. Pieces of Roman pottery have been found inscribed "A happy new year to you," and one inscriber wishes the like to himself and his son. In country districts, the homely phrase is: "A happy New Year t'ye, and monny on 'em." In more polished society, and in correspondence, "I wish you a happy New Year," or "The compliments of the season to you."

SHROVETIDE.

This name, given to the last few days before Lent, is from its being the custom for the people to go to the priest to be _shriven_, _i.e._, to make their confession, before entering on the great fast of Lent, which begins on Ash-Wednesday. _Tide_ is the old Anglo-Saxon word for time, and it is still retained in Whitsuntide. After the people had made the confession required by the ancient discipline of the church, they were permitted to indulge in festive amus.e.m.e.nts, though restricted from partaking of any repasts beyond the usual subst.i.tutes for flesh: hence the Latin and continental name _Carnaval_,--literally "Carne, vale,"

"Flesh, farewell." In Lancas.h.i.+re and other Northern counties, three days in this week had their peculiar dishes, viz.: "Collop Monday," "Pancake Tuesday," and "Fritters Wednesday." Originally, collops were simply slices of bread, but these were long ago discarded for slices or rashers of bacon. Fritters were thick, soft cakes, made from flour batter, with or without sliced apples intermixed. Shrovetide was anciently a great time for c.o.c.k-throwing and c.o.c.k-fighting, and indeed of many other loose and cruel diversions, arising from the indulgences formerly granted by the church, to compensate for the long season of fasting and humiliation which commenced on Ash-Wednesday. As Selden observes--"What the church debars us on one day, she gives us leave to take on another; first we feast, and then we fast; there is a carnival, and then a Lent."

SHROVE-TUESDAY, OR PANCAKE TUESDAY.

The tossing of pancakes (and in some places fritters) on this day was a source of harmless mirth, and is still practised in the rural parts of Lancas.h.i.+re and Ches.h.i.+re, with its ancient accompaniments:--

"It is the day whereon the rich and poor, Are chiefly feasted on the self-same dish, When every paunch till it can hold no more, Is fritter-filled, as well as heart can wish; And every man and maid do take their turn And toss their pancakes up for fear they burn, And all the kitchen doth with laughter sound, To see the pancakes fall upon the ground."[148]

Another writer gives this injunction:--

"Maids, fritters and pancakes enow see ye make, Let s.l.u.t have one pancake for company's sake."[149]

c.o.c.k-THROWING AND c.o.c.k-FIGHTING.

c.o.c.k-fighting was a barbarous pastime of high antiquity, being practised by the Greeks and Romans. In England it may be traced back to the twelfth century, when it appears to have been a childish or boyish sport. FitzStephen, in his description of London in the time of Henry II., says: "Every year, on the morning of Shrove-Tuesday, the schoolboys of the city of London, and of other cities and great towns, bring game c.o.c.ks to their masters, and in the fore-part of the day, till dinner-time, are permitted to amuse themselves with seeing them fight."

The school was the c.o.c.k-pit, and the master the comptroller or director of the pastime. The victor, or hero of the school, who had won the greatest number of fights was carried about upon a pole by two of his companions. He held the c.o.c.k in his hands, and was followed by other boys bearing flags, &c. c.o.c.k-throwing was a sport equally cruel; but only one c.o.c.k was needed. The poor bird was tied to a peg or stake, by a string, sometimes long, sometimes short, and the boys from a certain distance, in turn, threw a stick at the c.o.c.k. The victor in this case was he whose missile killed the poor bird. Amongst the recognised payments by the boys at the old Free Grammar Schools, was a penny yearly to the master for the privilege of c.o.c.k-fighting or c.o.c.k-throwing on Shrove-Tuesday. The statutes of the Manchester Free Grammar School, made about 1525, show a creditable desire to abolish these barbarous sports.

One of these statutes, as to the fees of the master, provides that "he shall teach freely and indifferently [not carelessly, but impartially]

every child and scholar coming to the same school, without any money or other reward taking there-for, as c.o.c.k-penny, victor-penny," &c. Another is still more explicit:--"The scholars of the same school shall use no c.o.c.k-fights, nor other unlawful games, and riding about for victors, &c., which be to the great let [hindrance] of virtue, and to charge and cost of the scholars, and of their friends." At a much later period, however, the scholars seem to have been allowed, on Easter Monday, to have archery practice at a target, one of the prizes being a dunghill-c.o.c.k; but this was abolished by the late Dr. Smith, when high master.

c.o.c.k-FIGHTING ABOUT BLACKBURN.

About thirty years ago c.o.c.k-fighting formed a common pastime about Mellor and Blackburn. A blacksmith, named Miller, used to keep a large number of c.o.c.ks for fighting purposes. He was said to have "sold himself to the devil" in order to have money enough for betting; and it was remarked that he rarely won! If the practice is still followed, it is done _in secret_; but the number of game-c.o.c.ks one sees kept by "sporting characters" can scarcely admit of any other inference.

c.o.c.k-PENNY AT c.l.i.tHEROE.

In the c.l.i.theroe Grammar School an annual present at Shrovetide is expected from the scholars, varying in amount according to the circ.u.mstances of the parents. With the exception of this _c.o.c.k-penny_, the school is free. The origin of this custom it is now difficult to trace. Shrove-Tuesday, indeed, was a sad day for c.o.c.ks. c.o.c.k-fighting and throwing at c.o.c.ks were among its barbarous sports. Schoolboys used to bring game-c.o.c.ks to the master, and delight themselves in c.o.c.k-fighting all the forenoon. In Scotland, the masters presided at the fight, and claimed the runaway c.o.c.ks called "forgers" [? 'fugees] as their perquisites. The "c.o.c.k-penny" may have been the subst.i.tute devised by a less cruel age for the ordinary gratuity.[150]

c.o.c.k-FIGHTING AT BURNLEY.

The head master of Burnley Grammar School used to derive a portion of his income from "c.o.c.k-pence" paid to him by his pupils at Shrovetide.

This has been disused for half a century. Latterly it degenerated into a "clubbing together" of pence by the pupils for the purpose of providing themselves with materials for a carouse. This was, therefore, at last prohibited.

SHROVETIDE CUSTOMS IN THE FYLDE.

Shrove-Tuesday was also called "Pancake Day," pancakes being the princ.i.p.al delicacy of the day. At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, the "pancake bell" rang at Poulton church, and operations were immediately commenced. Great was the fun in "tossing" or turning the pancake by a sudden jerk of the pan; while the appet.i.tes of the urchins never flagged. Amongst the sports on Shrove-Tuesday, was pre-eminently c.o.c.k-fighting; though bull and bear baiting were also among the rude and savage pastimes of the season.[151] In Poulton, on Shrove-Tuesday, the pancake bell still warns the apprentice to quit his work, not indeed to go to the confessional and be _shriven_, but to prepare for the feast of the day.[152]

LENT.--ASH-WEDNESDAY.

The forty days' fast at the beginning of spring, in commemoration of the temptation and fast of our Saviour in the wilderness, was called Lent, from the Saxon name for Spring, _lengten-tide_. The fast, as prescribed by the church, consisted in abstaining from flesh, eggs, preparations of milk, and wine, and in making only one meal, and that in the evening.

Fish was not forbidden, though many restricted themselves to pulse and fruit. Ash-Wednesday, the first day in Lent, was one of severe discipline in the Roman church; and to remind the faithful, at the beginning of the long penitential fast, that men are but "dust and ashes," the priest, with ashes of the wood of the palm-tree, marked the sign of the cross on the forehead of each confessing wors.h.i.+pper; whence the name. Since the Reformation the observance of Lent by fasting is not general in Lancas.h.i.+re.

MID-LENT SUNDAY, OR "MOTHERING SUNDAY."

The fourth or middle Sunday between Quadragesima (the first Sunday in Lent) and Easter Sunday. It was of old called _Dominica Refectionis_, or the Sunday of Refreshment, from the gospel of the day treating of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand. It was originally called "Mothering Sunday," from the ancient usage of visiting the mother or cathedral churches of the dioceses, when Lent or Easter offerings were made. The public processions have been discontinued ever since the middle of the thirteenth century; but the name of Mothering Sunday is still retained, a custom having been subst.i.tuted amongst the people of Lancas.h.i.+re, Ches.h.i.+re, Yorks.h.i.+re, and other counties, of those who have left the paternal roof visiting their natural mother, and presenting to her small tokens of their filial affection, in money, trinkets, frumenty, or cakes. In some parts of Lancas.h.i.+re, the particular kind of cakes have long been fixed by old custom, being what are called "simnels," or, in the dialect of the district, "simlins;" and with these sweet-cakes, it was, and in places is still, the custom to drink warm, spiced ale, called "bragot." Another viand especially eaten on Mid-Lent Sunday was that of fig or f.a.g-pies.

SIMNEL CAKES.

In days of yore, there was a little alleviation of the severities of Lent permitted to the faithful, in the shape of a cake called "Simnel."

Two English towns claim the honour of its origin,--Shrewsbury and Devizes. The first makes its simnel in the form of a warden-pie, the crust being of saffron and very thick; the last has no crust, is star-shaped, and the saffron is mixed with a ma.s.s of currants, spice, and candied lemon. Bury, in Lancas.h.i.+re, is almost world-famous for its simnels and its bragot (or spiced sweet ale), on Mothering Sunday, or Mid-Lent. As to the name, Dr. Cowell, in his _Law Directory or Interpreter_ (folio, 1727), derives _simnell_ (Lat. _siminellus_), from the Latin _simila_, the finest part of the flour: "_panis similageneus_," simnel bread,--"still in use, especially in Lent." The English _simnel_ was the purest white bread, as in the Book of Battle Abbey: "Panem regiae mensae apsum, qui _simenel_ vulgo vocatur." (Bread fit for the royal table, which is commonly called _simenel_.) Dr. Cowell adds that it was sometimes called _simnellus_, as in the "Annals of the Church of Winchester," under the year 1042, "conventus centum _simnellos_" (the convent 100 _simnels_). He also quotes the statute of 51 Henry III. (1266-7), which enacts that "bread made into a _simnel_ should weigh two s.h.i.+llings less than wastel bread;" and also an old ma.n.u.script of the customs of the House of Farendon (where it is called "bread of symenel"), to the same effect. Wastel was the finest sort of bread. Herrick, who was born in 1591, and died in 1674 (?) has the following in his _Hesperides_:--

TO DIANEME.

A Ceremony in Gloucester.

I'll to thee a _Simnell_ bring 'Gainst thou go'st a _mothering_; So that when she blesseth thee, Half that blessing thou'lt give me.

Bailey, in his Dictionary (folio 1764), says _simnel_ is probably derived from the Latin _simila_, fine flour, and means, "a sort of cake or bun, made of fine flour, spice, &c." It will thus appear that _simnel_ cakes can boast a much higher antiquity than the reign of Henry VII. (Lambert _Simnel_ probably taking his name from them, as a baker, and not giving his name to them), and that they were not originally confined to any particular time or place.[153]