The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-08-07
Old Times In the North of Scotland,


A book has recently been published by
Rev. Walter Gregor, entitled can Echo
of the Olden Time in the North of Scot
land" from review of which we take the
following notices of curious superstitions:
"In building the farm house, it seems it
was necessary to begin by RECALLING the
workmen with a .funin pint. This, which
answered to the sacrifices offered to the
gods in heather times under similar cir
cumstances, could not be omitted with i'm
punity. In the case of manse on the
banks of the Spey, tradition tells that the
minister rashly refused to give the usual
funin pint, but the masons avenged them
selves by building into the wall piece of
gravestone. THE consequence was, the
house proved unhealthy, and the ministers
were short lived When removing from
one domicile to another, it may be remark
ed it was accounted unlucky to obtain a
clean house. If the outgoing tenant was
jealous of his successor he swept the house
clean before leaving it; for 'dirt's luck
was proverbial saying. There were two
other methods of robbing house of its
luck. One was to get on the roof and pull
up the crook through the luns, instead Of
removing it in the usual way by the door,
the other was to twist a straw rope from
left to right, and then pull it around the
house contrary to the course of the sun.
Sometimes the outgoer not only carries off
the luck of the house, but he left curse
on its future inmates. If that was suspect
ed, it was thought prudent to fling cat
into the house before the family crossed
the threshold. Where the suspicious were
correct, the cat in no long time sickened
and died.
Among the means employed to light the
farm kitchen in Winter evenings were fir
can'les, thin bog fir splinters, closely re-
sembling the luchind still used for the same
purpose in Russia. These are fixed in
sort of eandlestick called the 'peer-man
or peer page By the light of these prim-
tive candles and of the peat fire the family
pursued their various avocations, the chill
dren coming their lessons, and the grown
up people performing various tasks. Then
the books would be laid aside, and with
story and ballad the long evening would be
whiled away. The stories were listened to
with breathless interest, for they generally
referred to supernatural influences about
which little scepticism existed.
IN tho hirfl, IF q child tho afbar nd
child were 'sained,' a lighted fir-candle
being carried three times around the bed,
and Bible, together with a biscuit, or
bread and cheese, being placed under the
uttered. Among some of the fishing popu-
lation fr-candle, or basket with food in
it, was placed on the bed to keep off FAIRIES;
sometimes pair of trousers was hung up
time the mother went to fetch water, she
carried it back in her thimble, or some
other tiny vessel, to prevent the child's
mouth from continually running saliva
Other precautions also were deemed neces-
sary in the case of newborn babe. If it
became cross and began to divine fears
arose that it might be fairy changeling.
In that case it was placed suddenly before
or over peat fire, when, if really a change
ling, it made its escape by the lun', throw
ing back words of scorn as it Disappeared
1t was never put into quite new cradle.
An old one was borrowed, or else a new
one was deprived of evil influences by a
live fowl being placed into it. A cradle,
moreover, was never sent empty, nor was
it allowed to touch the ground till it reach
ed the house in which it was to be used.
The child was baptized as soon as possible,
for unchristened babes were considered I'M
canny. While in that state their names
were never mentioned, and even at bap-
tism the name was commonly written on
minister When the christening took place
care was taken to prevent the water enter
ing the child's eyes; otherwise they might
be opened to lifelong seeing of ghosts.
If the child rem aimed quiet it was likely to
be short lived, so it is said that if it did
not cry the woman who received it from
the father handled it roughly or even pinch
ed it, If a boy and girl were baptized
together it was held necessary that the girl
should undergo the rite first. For it was
believed that if the boy was baptized be-
fore the girl he left his beard in the water
and the girl got it,
About courtship and marriage the usual
superstitions were prevalent A curious
spell to be employed by girl who desired
to call up the image of her future husband
was the following: She had to read the