The long survival of remnants of Heathenism—Toleration of the Church—Her severity—Credulity of Martin Luther—Of the Calvinistic Divines—Varied Sources of the Folk-Lore of Great Britain
Day of Birth—Hour of Birth—Border Customs at the Birth of a Child—Unchristened Ground—Unbaptized Children at the Mercy of Fairies—Safeguards for the Child—Folk-Lore connected with Baptism—Cutting of Nails—The Toom Cradle—The Child’s First Visit—The Ash-tree—Weeds and Onfas—Beads of Peony Root—The Caul and Veil—Folk-Lore of Childhood:—Rain Charms—Rainbow Charms—Crow, Snail, and Nettle Charms—Folk-Lore of Boyhood:—School-rites and Customs—The Riding of the Stang—Confirmation—Days for Marriage—Seasons for Marriage—Marriage Portents—Marriage Customs:—On the Borders—In Yorkshire—Throwing the Shoe—Kissing the Bride—The Petting-stone—Hotpots—Rubbing with Pease-straw—Race for a Ribbon—Portents of Death—Whistling Woman and Crowing Hen—Border Presage—The Wraith or Waff—St. Mark’s Eve—Cauff-riddling—Saining a Corpse—Death with the Tide—Discovery of the Drowned—Use of Pigeons’ or Game-fowl Feathers—Carrying the Dead with the Sun—The Passing Bell
With the Horse-knot—Three Pails of Water—Holly-leaves—Yarrow—The Sark—The Willow Branch—Hair-snatching—Hemp Seed—A Glass Globe—A New-laid Egg—Wishing-chairs—Ring and Water—Palmistry
On the Borders—In Durham—At Leeds—From the New Moon—Gift of a Knife—The Spilling of Salt—First Stone taken from a Church—First Corpse laid in a Churchyard—A buried Charm—Auguries from Birds—Rooks—Swallows—Redbreast—Yellow Hammer—Wren—Bat—Raven—Magpie—Gabriel Hounds—Gabble Retchet—Wild Huntsman—Sneezing
For Warts—Ringworm—Whooping Cough—Tooth-ache—Use of South-running Water—Weak Eyes—Epilepsy—Silver Rings—Sacrifice of Animals—Erysipelas—Ague—St. Vitus’ Dance—Bleeding at the Nose—Goitre—Worms—Cramp—Healing of Wounds—Sympathy—Rheumatism—Foul (in Cattle)—Dean and Chapter—The Minister and the Cow—The Lockerby Penny—The Black Penny of Hume Byers—The Lee Penny—Loch Monar—Burbeck’s Bone—The Adder’s Stone—Irish Stones—Calf hung up in Chimney—Need-fire—Dartmoor Charms—Knife and Bone—Salt Spell—Passon Harris—Cumbrian Charm—Yorkshire Spell
In the Borders—Drawing Blood above the Mouth—Witchcraft in Durham—In Devonshire—Witches in Dairies—Elf-shooting—The Evil Eye—Witchcraft in Sunderland—In the West Riding—Changelings—The Blacksmith’s Wife of Yarrowfoot—The Farmer’s Wife at Bollebeck—The Miller of Holdean—The Giant of Dalton Mill—Ronaldson of Bowden—The Farmer’s Wife of Deloraine—Hair tethers—Maydew—Laird Harry Gilles and the Hare—Tavistock Legend—Yorkshire Tales—Witches disguised as Hares—Toads—Cats—Ducks—Auld Nan Hardwick—Nannie Scott—Auld Betty—The Wise Man o’ Stokesley—Willie Dawson—Black Jock—Black Willie—Incantation of a Heart and Pins—Rowan Wood—Pins—Corp-cré—Bible and Key—Riddle and Shears—Billy Pullen—The Hand of Glory—The Lost Watch—Kate Neirns
The Bogle—Brownie—Dobie—Brown Man of the Muirs—Killmoulis—Redcap—Powries or Dunters—Wag-at-the-Wa’—Habetrot—Cowling E’en—Thrumpin—Dunnie—Hobhole Hob—Hob Headless—Hob Thrush—Peg Powler—Peg-o’-Nell——Cauld Lad of Hilton—The Radiant Boy—Silky—Picktree Brag—Hedley Kow Kludde—Oschaert—Padfoot—Barquest—Capelthwaite—Northern Sprites compared with those of Devon—The Evil Spirit—Cloutie’s Croft—The Minister and Satan—The Devil trying all Trades—Praying aloud
Probable Origin of these Legends—Worm of Sockburn—The Pollard Worm or Brawn—The Lambton Worm—The Laidley Worm of Spindleston Heugh—The Linton Worm—Dragons at St. Osyth’s—Deerhurst—Mordeford—Chipping Norton—Denbigh—St. Leonard and the Worm—The Helstone Dragon—Review of the Subject.
Seventh Sons or Marcoux—Twins—Aërial Appearances—The School-boy and Neville’s Cross—Sympathy between Bees and their Owners—Sacred Character of Bees—The Old Woman and Spider—Marks on the Leg of a Pig—The Presbyterian Minister and the Fisher Folk
The Willington Ghost—Maiden’s Castle—Kirkstall Abbey—The Sexhow Farmer and Old Nannie—Mines Haunted—The Old Lady of Littledean—The Bow-brig Ladies—Apparition in Fifeshire—Haunted Spots in Durham—In Yorkshire—Sir Walter Calverley—Dalton Hill Head—Haunted Houses—Appearances at Ripon—Canon Humble’s Narration—Madame Gould—Devon Legends—Sussex Ghosts
Dreams presaging Death—In the North of England—In Ireland—Of the Rev. Jacob Duché—Dead Bodies discovered through Dreams—Visions at Horbury—In Lincolnshire—The Bodach Glas—Second Sight
