The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-21
NAKRMAN'S TRAVELS.


tCepwtG@, lsol,l
BY EDGAR L. waterman.
VIII.
Curious Cornish Customs.
Special Correspondence Of he LRtCltgsneeT.
BoDMiN, CORNWALL, Feb. 4. 1884,
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 an
iquity; while the student OF men will
and inhabiting this region a race Of
sturdy folk, old as the Pheniciaas, al.
most as. isolate as those Of Connaught,
proud OF their Arthurian blood, strong
in noble toll, grudging Of innovation,
loyal in life and friendships, and hold
ing with brave tenacity to the folklore
and all legends, forgivable superstitons
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 arc fsher.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 3 depths. They are peasant farm
ers, who have wIuug from British land
lordism, through tremendous indend.
ence, something like shining homes and
ample comfort. They are all Cornish.
men, whose united roar, as in the old
Ballad,
"Aud will they scorn Ire. Pol and Pen,
And shall TrelRWney def
Then twenty thousand Cornish men
VIII know the reason whyl"-
have more than once modified the pur-
poses OF English Parliaments and chang
ed the policies Of English kings.
Their superstitions are innumerable
and outlandish; though 80 far as can
Judge, they in no wise lessen. or abate
Cornish religious zeal and loyalty. They
neither hinder nor detract from devout
lines. But, as nearly as l can define
them, they are trausiused and not I'M
welcome heredity Of paganistic myths
to which a simple and far from intel.
lPc.ual people cling as prideful proof
Of their own extreme antiquity.
Out Of this half.iairy, half blaCk.art,
mythology OF Cornwall have come mum.
peerless curious Cor customs, which
all the telegraphs, all the railways, all
the newspapers, and indeed all the Wig.
orous Wesleyan Methodism OF England
have so far been unable " "lay" or dis.
pei, or even modify in any marked d.
gree. Miners will pound a church.
bench to splinters from their glorious
tervor at prayer meeting" and in an
hour thereafter go on tip.toe to their all
nights labor in the SHIFT" from 5000
to 5000 feet "below grass" fearing to
give atfront by honest noise from their
hob.nailed boots to the "bucCas," or
"knockers," those elves OF the mines
whom they sacredly believe control
their good or iii luck at all mine labor.
Fishermen OF Whitesand, Marszion,
Penzance or ancient st. Ives, will exper.
fence and exhibit equal spiritual and
physical elatlon ut prayer or class. meet-
Ing, and, at the turn Of the tide thesam
night, as they brave death along lee
shore in the bowling Atlantic, calmly
throw a companion overheard, who
might, by even whistling bar Of "How
Vain is All Beneath the Skies" tempt
the maleyolent attentions OF every
bucha.bo and fury Of the sea. So, too,
the peasant-farmers will hasten back
from church service to engaged in the pa
gan sacrifice by fire Of a bull.calf, that
their herds may be relieved from "iairy-
strokes" and the various and vagarous
powers OF witches. While villagers OF
all faiths and works will walk nine times
around churcGyard at midnight to
have certainty OF everyday avoidance OF
the devil; and will on all occasions lit
their hats sooner toa dreaded magpie
than a beloved parson, to guard against
the possibility OF ill.luck.
These supsrstitions are but hint Of
the thousands that exist among Cornish
people, FROM time immemorial, "a man
must take the new year in" to all habita.
lions; that lie, good luck will only come
to woman where a man or boy has first
entered the house on New Year's day,
and all Cornish women will SO manage
matters; the simplest and mott general
method being to employ boys to sand
their door steps. The American custom
of "watching the old Year out and the
New Year In" has almost a prototype
among Cornish folk in watching" all
night for the arrival OF May-Day. In.
msdiately after midnight It Is ushered
in with a great uproar Of songp, general
hilarity, and an especial proEusion Of all
manner Of shrill musical instruments
One OF the most 'rigidly observed o
Cornish customs is that the mother Of {
newly.christened child must beStoW 1
giit, OF proportionate value to her means
and position, upon the first person sh'
may meet upon tho road, after the cere
mony OF christening. At st. Ives ant
other western towns OF Cornwall pro
: Cessions Of uproarous boys on ShrovC
tuesday march through the streets bang
ing at doors with stones tied to stroni
cords, the meantime demanding,
I "Giye me a pancake, now-row-nOw,
! or I'll sous; IN your door with q tOW-tow-
J towl"
! Pancakes or ha'pennies are invariabl
! bestowed. Apple trees are blessed" b
some on July %, ST. James day, and b.
\ others at Christmas time. A painful 9
! cider containing broken roasted apples
| carried into the orchard. Each memoe
! Of the family than takes cup OF tn
cider, drinks a portion, and casting To
I remainder upon the tree amid the shout
Of companions, gives health" to tn
I tree with,
"Heallh 10 the good applet
J Well TO bear. pOckeLiuls, hatiuls,
y ,Peckiuls, buShel'OAgiulS"
\ This nature-worship, which had {
! prominent q part In the customs OF al
! Gent Europe, 10 in many other ways kel
permanently alive in Cornwall. The gel
; eral May day festivities do not material
| offer from those in other parts Of En-
inna Rnt the olden fires Of BAal Ell