The record-union., 1891-02-22
CURIOUS CORNISH CUSTOMS.
Brave Fisher-Folk, Sturdy Miners
and Independent Farmers.
Cornishmen Who Have More Than
Once Modified the Purposes and
Policies of English Kings and Par
Iia,oantS
BopMIN fCornwalD. Feb. 4. 1891.

BoDMIN (CornwalD, Feb. 4, 1891.
Everywhere behind the coasts of Corn
wall are footsteps of the giants; relics of
pagan life, remains of Cyclopean builders
in huge monolith, cromlech and cairn, a
noble field for the student of antiquity
while the student of men will find in
habiting this region race of sturdy folk,
old as the Ph9nicians, almost as isolate
as those of Connaught, proud of their
Arthurian blood. strong in noble toll,
grudging of innovation, loyal in life and
friendships, and holding with brave te-
nacity to the folklore and all legends,
forgivable superstitions and customs
which link their work-a-day lives to the
dimmest pagan days into which a loyal
and loving Cornish fancy may soar.
They are fisher-folk, the bravest and
most daring known to the sea-swept
shores of the British Isles. They are
miners, the sturdiest and most manly in
all the world that bring riches from the
earth's depths. They are peasant farm
ers, who have wrung from British land
lordism, through tremendous independ-
ence, something like shining homes and
ample comfort. They are all Cornish
men, whose united roar, as in the old
ballad,
And will they scorn Ire. Pol and Pen,
And shall Trelawney die?
Then twenty thousand Cornish men
VIII know the reason why!
Have more than once modified the pur-
poses of English Parliaments and changed
the policies of English kings.
Their superstitions are innumerable
and outlandish though, so far as l can
judge, they in no wise lessen or abate
1.sr,.N,
neither hinder nor detract from devout
lives. But, as near as | can define them,
they are transfused and not unwelcome
heredity of paganistic myths to which a
simple and far from intellectual people
cling as prideful proof of their own eX-
treme antiquity.
Out of this half-fairy, half black art
mythology of Cornwall have come num-
berless curious Cornish customs, which
all the telegraphs, all the railways, all the
newspapers, and indeed all the vigorous
Wesleyan Methodism of England have so
far been unable TO ''lay" or dispel, or even
modify in any marked degree. Miners
will pound church bench to splinters
from their glorious fervor at prayer
meeting" and in an hour thereafter go on
tiptoe to their all-night's labor in the
shift from 5000 to 5000 feet ''below
grass fearing to give aftront by honest
noise from their nob-nailed boots to the
puccdS, OF knochefS, InoSe ewes OF
the mines whom they Sacredly believe
control their good or i'll luck at all mine
labor. Fisherman of Whitesand, Mara
zion, PenZance or ancient st. Ives, will
experience and exhibit equal spiritual
and physical elation at prayer or class
meeting, and. at the turn of the tide the
same night, as they brave death along a
lee shore in the bowling Atlantic, calmly
throw a companion overheard, who
might, by even whistling bar of "How
Vain is All Beneath the Sea- tempt the
malevolent attentions of every bucha-boc
and fury of the sea. So. too, the peasant
farmers will hasten back from church SER
vice to engage in the pagan sacrifice by
fire of n bull calf, that their herds may be
relieved from fairy strokes and the va
rious and Vagarous powers of witches
While villagers of all faiths and works
will walk nine times around church
yard nj midnight to have certainty OF
everyday avoidance of the devil, and will
on all occasions lift their hats sooner to a
dreaded magpie than beloved parson, to
guard against the possibility of ill-luck.
These Superstitions are but hint of the
thousands that exist among Cornish
people. From time immemorial "a
man must take the new year i'm to all
habitations; that is, good luck will only
come TO woman where man or boy has
first entered the house on New Years
day, and all Cornish women will so man
age matters, the simplest and most gen.
eral method being to employ boys to
sand their door-steps. The American
custom of watching the old year out and
the new year in,n has almost prototype
among Cornish folk in watching" all
night for the arrival OF May Day. I'M
mediately after midnight it is ushered in
with great uproar of songs. general
hilarity, and an especial profusion of all
manner of shrill musical instruments.
one OF the most rigidly pre-
served of Cornish customs is
that the mother of newly-christened
child must bestow gift, of proportionate
value to her means and position, upon
the first person she smay meet upon the
road, after the ceremony of christening.
AT st. Ives and other western towns OF
Cornwall professions of uproarious BOYS
on Shrove Tuesday march through the
streets banging ut doors with stones tied
to strong cord, the meantime demanding,
"Give me pancake, now-now-now
Or I'll souse in your door with n row-tow-
towr'
Pancakes or ha'pennies are invariably
bestowed. Apple trees are ''blessed'' by
some on July 25th, st. James day, and
by others at Christmas time. A painful OF
cider containing broken roasted apples is
carried into the orchard. Each member
of the family then takes cup of the
cider, drinks portion, and casting the
remainder upon the tree amid the shouts
of companions, "gives health" to the tree
with,
Health to the good apple tree!
Well to bear, pocketfuls, hatfuls,
Peclduls, bushel-bagfuls!" J"
The nature-worship, which had sc
prominent part in the customs of an
cient Europe, is in many other ways kept
permanently alive in Cornwall. The gen
eral May-day festivities do not materially
differ from those in other parts of Eng
land. But the olden fires of Baal still
burn brightly along the entire Cornish
coast on the eve of June oath. These mid
summer fire-festals, though corrupted by
long usage, are undoubtedly of Druidic
origin, and bear every evidence of re-
manning lasting relic of the pagan Irish
BedJtiad, ofwhose extraordinary celebra-
tions at TdiitteR (now Telltown) near Ia
ra, before the introduction of Christian
ity in Erin, there are preserved the most
exact and fascinating records. All of the
idolatrous features of these orgies such as
the fire ordeal for the cure of disease, and
leaping through head-high flames to pre-
serve from evil during the succeeding
year, have been eliminated; but not so
long ago that those yet living have for
gotten them. The scenes now witnessed
at Penzance and other west-Cornwall
towns are chiefly interesting from GER
tain awe which the huge bonfires always
compel among the pesantry, and the ex-
ultant torch-dancing, occasionally almost
reaching species of frenzy. which may
always be observed. Analogous to this.
and singularly indicative of the preserva-
ton of medieval rites. are the Peter-tide
fires, which always flame from the cir
cling shores of Mounts Bay, above Mara
zion and Penzance, and are challenged by
responsive flames wreathiug the caStella-
ted head of somber st. Michael's Mount.
OF the more modern and wholly quaint
and innocent customs of Cornwall few
pleasant illustrations may be cited The
fish-wives of ancient st. Ives are an in