If the fishing is not successful with a crew, one or more of them go to a woman who is reputed to be "canny," and to have good luck in her gifts, and ask something from her. Thus, when the fishing was not prosperous in the village of Colliestone, Slains, Aberdeenshire, the fishermen used to go to "Aul' Bawby," the wise woman, and get from her some trifle—a rose, or a flower, in summer—to bring them luck.
"The first fit"[1] is always a matter of much weight. In St. Combs it used to be the custom to bolt the door when the lines were being baited, in case one with an unlucky foot should enter, and it was not unusual, if one saw an unwelcome visitor coming, to go into the house, and bolt the door. When the visitor came to the door, and asked admission, the answer was, that the lines were being baited, and the visitor went away quite satisfied.
If, in making ready a line, one with an "unlucky fit" did find his way into the house, the end of the line was drawn through the fire. (St. Combs.)
If one reputed as carrying bad luck was met when going to the boat to put to sea, the fisherman lighted a match—"crackit a spunk"—and threw it after the misfortune-bearer. (St. Combs.)
In hauling the line a hook at times gets fixed in a stone or in the rocky bottom. It is supposed to be held by some one that had been met when going to the boat. The man who hauls, lifts any little bit of sea-weed or piece of shell that may be lying in the boat, spits on it, throws it overboard, and again spits to counteract the power of the ill-wisher. (St. Combs.)
A good many years ago in St. Combs an old man with two deaf-and-dumb sons formed the crew of a little fishing-boat. When the line struck on the bottom in hauling he said, "Lat this twa peer dum' men awa, an they winna cum back again."
It was accounted very unlucky, and with some it is still accounted so, to be asked where they were going when proceeding to sea. Various answers were given to such a question. Here is one a St. Combs man gave: "A'll speed the better it ye've speert;" or the answer
- ↑ Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland, p. 198.
