Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-02-21
wAKEMAN's wASDERIN Gs.
Curious Cornish Customs.
BopMrs, Cornwall,

c.u,iI arc footsteps Of the giants
..rc. Of pagan life, remains OF Cyclic
- bullders In huge monolith, crom
IN and cairn; a noble field for tin
.,a,leut Of antiquity; while the studcn
men will find inhabitlng this reeioi
-. of sturdy folk, old as the Phuni
,.n, almost as Isolate NJ those icon
..nsh,. proud Of their Arthurian blood
',,oog IN noble toll, grudging Of limo
s,,lop. loyal In life aud friendships
holding with brave tenacity 10th,
sr.lore ard all legends, forgivable
.nperlillons and customs which linl,
,1sir work.a.day lives to the dimmcsi
,ausn days into which loyal and
living Cornish fancy may soar
They are flsher.folk, the b'avest ana
mrs, daring known to the sea'swept
.bor,. Of the British Isles. They are
,,,nsr the s,unllest aud most manly
On an the world that bring riches from
,hs .arth's depths. They are peasant
srmer, who have wrung from British
l.ndloriisni, through tremendous inde-
,.pdence, something like shining
hsme. and ample comfort. They are
an Cornishmen, whose united roar, ~
10 the old ballad,
@And viii they ,corn Ire, Poi and Pen
And shall TrclAwncy diol
inca twenty thousand Cornish mon
wIi Know the reason why '-
have more than once modified the pur.
no.es OF English parliament and
changed the policies OF English kings.
Their suroriltlons are lnnumerablc
anil oullandlsh; though, 60 far ~ can
nler. they In no wise lessen or ahatu
Coruish religious zeal and loyalty.
Tbey neither hinder nor detruct from
devolt lives. hut, ~ nearly NJ ] can
eenue them, they arc % transiuscd and
mol unwelcome herodlty OF paganistic
myths to which u simple and far from
intellectual people cling as pfldeiuk
prooi u their own extreme antiquity.
Out Of this halffaify, half blnck.nrt,
mythology Of Cornwall have come
uinihcrlels curious Cornish customs,
which all the tclcgfaphs, all the rail.
WAYS, all the newspapers, and Indeed !
all Inc vigorous Wesleyan Mcthodism |
Of England, have 20 far been unable to |
olayr or dispcl, or even modify In any |
marked degree. Miners will pound n
ehurh.bench 10 spllnters from theft
glorious fcryor at "prayer-mceting,"
and In an hour thereafter 20 on tlp-toe
to their all.nighrs labor In the "shift,"
from aO00 tO 5000 feet "bclow grass
f,afing 10 give aiifont by honest noise
from their hOb-nRlled bOpts 10 the
nluccAs or "knOckcrs," those elves
oi the mines whom they sacrcdly be.
neye control their good OF III luck nj
all mine labor. Fishermen vi White
stnd, Marathon, PcnEancc or ancient
st. lyrs, will experience and
exhibit equal spiritual and physi-
Cal elatlon nj prayer or claS-mect.
lug, and, at the turn Of the tide the
sanie night, n they brave death along
lee shore In the bowling Atlantic,
calmly throw u companion overheard,
who might by even whistiing bar OF
"How Vain Il all Beneath the Skios!v
ismfl the maloyolcnt attentions Of
evtfy bucha.b0o and fury Of the sea.
10, TOO, the peasantfarmcrs win hasten
hack from church service 10 engage Ia
the pagan sacrifcc by frs OF bull.
call, that their herds may he relieved
ifon "falry.strokes" ard the various
and vagarous powers OF witches. While
vlllaget- Of all faiths anu works will
walk nin- times around n church.
yard nj midnight 10 have certainty OF
everyday avoidance OF the devil. and
A. I
,oonttT 10 dreaded mugple than be.
eysl lanon, To guari agalnsi the pos
titilliy OF ill.luek.
Iheao rupentlilons are but n hint OF
NE thousands that exist among Cor.
nlsh people. From time immemoflal.
"a man must take the new year iu,' 10
All habilaiions, that Ia, good luck will /,
vnly come 10 woman where man or
70 has INT entered the house on New /,
ltafs day, and all Cornish women :
WI ~ manage malier; the slnplest !
Anl most general method being 10 en-.
roy Toys 10 Elnd their dOor.ateIs. The
An.iloAn custom OF "watchlng the
ON ieaf out ana the New Year In,v
~ ~ Almost prototype among Cornish
mm "a "Watehingn all night for the n
arrival OF May. Day. Immediately
M'et midnight II IA ushcred In with n
sea' uproar OF songs, general hilnrlty,
anu an especial profuslon OF Mi
minnef OF shrlll musical Iusir,,.
inrhr' One Of the most rl0Idlv 4.
preserved Of Cornish rustoms y
mAl The mother Of newly.chrls.
Whed child must bestow a sin ~ mo. y
,o.i Syu"e value To her means aud \
M, w. ulpn the Inst person she may 4
Ten a pom the road, after the cer,s n
a,Suy " chfirtening. At st. Ivea and ~ y,
y' western towns Of Cornwall pro- y
G ,sainnss o. uptoarisus boys on Shroye I,
iy marched through the streets :,
,ng NJ doon with stones tied 10 n
'"V"s eofus,'hc meantime demanding. :,
o. S,m i,i ne pancake, now-now-now. q
:, ''' IN your door VITA ROW tow. tow, !,
iaacakts or ha'pennles are lnyarlnblv Il
I M Apple-trees are stbl, seed I, n
Inv on July 20, 81. James, dny u
a Others At Christmas Tina n
r ,a.a, OF cider containing brolsn c,
a "I.d apples Is carrIeI into ~. n
,yl'suall' Each member OF The r,,,II,, II
,', su mAes cup Of the cider. drlnLa, fr
fvuon' aud casting Inc r,main,ias ii
riOh The tree amid the ,ho,,ts ~ n"n, ii
with, ' "'"i''' 10 the tree u
W,iii,llh lothe good ample trcei IA
p..tl,e beAr, poctctinl., hatfuls =,
'NAials' bushel baginlsf. y
,,a mn nainre.worshlp, which had 40 y,
. naht Part In Tie euston,s ~, A
kept pe,maal e, y IN many other ways bc
The gsnauahently alive In Cornwall. Ii.
maleSsIIn ~, nsay'iay festivities do moi nj
Paris n uiner from those In other 10
otBaal M, ,ghnd' But the olden fires M
tlre Cornisnu urn brightly along the en-. an
a. Thssa oolst, ON the eve Of June pr
thoush ca,, midsummer flre.fystals, M
uniolh,, vSH,tInpled by long usage, are N
bear sys,y o. Druldic origin, and a.