Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/40

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NOTICES AND NEWS.

window-sill. This is said to bring good luck. A piece of flea-bane used to be placed in harvest-time in the first "arish mow" that was made. Blowing horns before the house of a newly married couple.—An amusing reason has been assigned for this custom in the parish of St. Breage. It is said the inhabitants, finding it impossible to make sufficient noise with the one bell hung in the tower, and not liking to be outdone by other parishes, hit upon the happy expedient of making good the deficiency by using horns. Col-Perra.—John mentions the custom of persons going from house to house, begging a Col-Perra tabban (morsel) on Shrove Tuesday. He does not, however, give the rhyme which is in use on that occasion. It begins Han-cock, Han-cock. On Christmas Eve children demand, and are never refused, from shop-keepers a couple of pins. With this they play at a singular game thus: A cup is placed on the table, round which the children gather. They drop pins over the cup; the child whose pin crosses another wins the game and receives all the pins as a forfeit. Superstitions.—St. Veryan.—There is a belief that if the clock in the church gallery strikes during the time of service a member of the congregation will die during a short period. This is said to have happened in the case of a recent vicar.

The following are the titles of folk-lore notes in Pânjab Notes and Queries:—October: Marriage customs, glow-worm, lucky days, house building, well finding, the goat as a peace-ofi'ering, black a protection against the evil eye, omens, quarters of the compass, jackals, evil-eye, proverbs, bears, wild-dogs, passing holy places, death customs, praying machines, curing maggots in sheep, horns on temples, unicorn, tombs and gravestones, objection to taking life, interment customs, spirits of the hills, fortune-telling, priest-making. November: Birth customs, first-born children, evil spirits, well finding, donkeys, charms against snakes, omens, village boundaries, burning houses to secure male issue, unlucky name, lucky numbers, children clapping hands, proverbs, sacred places, marriage customs, gold finding, ears of grain suspended, annual dance to the gods, plant-lore, votive pillars, votive flowers, votive rags, altar horns, going with the sun, praying machines, pashas of three tails, porcupine unlawful food, wild ass, sheep, cairns, salute on bringing in candles, confusion of creeds.