Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-21

cider containing broken roasted apples is
carried into the orchard. Each member
of the family then takes cup of the ci-
der, drinks portion, and casting the re-
mainder 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
Pecduls, bushel-bagfuls!''
This nature-worship, which had so
prominent part in the customs of an
cieat 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 paats of Eng
land. But the olden fires of Baal still
burn brightly along the entire Cornish
coast on the eve of June "a These mid
summer fre-festals, though corrupted by
long usage, are undoubtedly of Druidic
origin, and bear every evidence of remain
ing lasting relic of the pagan Irish Beal-
tina, of whose extraordinary celebrations
at Taillten (now Telltown) near Tara, be-
fore the introduction of Christianity in
Erin, there are preserved the most exact
and fascinating records. All of the idola-
trous features of these orgies, such as the
fire ordeal for the cure of disease, and
leaping through head high flames to pre-
SS4 fO A4OA4 cN IL oNA3AsS cuCScclllR year
have been eliminated: but not so long ago
that those yet living have forgotten them.
The scenes now witnessed at Penzance and
other west-Cornwall towns are chiefly in
teresting from a certain awe which the
huge bonfres always compel among the
peasantry, and the exultant ch-dancing,
occasionally almost reaching a species of
frenzy, which may always be observed.
Analogous to this, and singularly indica-
tive of the preservation of medieval rites.
are the Peter-tide fires, which ALWAYS
flame from the circling shores of Mounts
Bay, above Narration and Penzance, and
are challenged by responsive flames
wreathing the castellated head of somber
St. Michael's Mount
Of the more modern and wholly quaint
and innocent customs of Cornwall a few
pleasant illustrations may be cited. The
fish-wives of ancient st. Ives are an incor-
rigible lot. Should you visit the town at
the height of pilchard- fishing, and enter
the dark cellars where hundreds of women
and girls are engaged in "bulking," or
salting the fish, scores of grinning Anna
IONS will rush at you, and the fieetest one
will daub your shoes generously with the
odorous fsh-oil which has drained from
The piles of curing fish. This is called
'wiping the shoe" and if You do not re-
spond with tribute of at least a half crown
for luck of the ''fair maids that feed and
clothe the poor" that is, the pilchard fish
es, your subsequent ''hustling' by these
savory wenches will certainly cost you a
new suit of clothing. The same custom,
save that the daubing is done with
miners clay" prevails within the mines,
where the stranger is expected to pay
something for his initiation into their
weird mysteries.
Cornwall is not blessed in being an ex-
ception to other regions in the matter of
shrewish wives; and Cornish shreys are
the most eloquent of all women in their
profusion and exuberance of bitter house
hold curses and spiteful nicknames. In
many parts of Cornwall where the ;'wo-
man that owns" Jack or Jan has become
sufficiently notorious as a scold, the neigh
bors organize what they call 'stang
courant," proceed to the house of the ter
magant, and scatter wheat-chaff upon her
door sill. This hint usually sufices; but
if it prove insufficient to bride her tongue
then "riding the stang" is resorted to-
This consists of constructing an efigy of
the scold, mounting it on a deal board or
pole, and exhibiting it in front of the wo-
mans cottage to the lugubrious accompan-
iment of bells and horns
The delightful custom of "harvest-
home" suppers, which unfortunately is
dying out among American farmers, is
universal in Cornwall There is also q
custom of very ancient origin of celehra-
ting the finishing of work in any particu-
lar harvest-feld, especially in completing
the labor of stocking" or shocking, y
the sheaves of grain into ''arrishmows "
The custom is called ''crying the neck. "
and consists in elevating small sheaf of
the best heads of grain three times in the
air, among the harvesters, who thereupon
cry at the top of their voices, ''The neck!''
finally changing this shout to eve yen,
We yen!"-meaning Eve end" the harvest
ing of this field. This is followed by q
good deal of boisterous though harmless
jollity, TO which the lips of maidens pay
tribute in proportion to their lack of phys
ical prowess. The clergy of all denomi-
nations in Cornwall benefit from a CHEEKY
harvest custom of long standing. The
parsons grain is all gathered by voluntary
offerings of labor. Every person whom
he employs in any capacity during the
year-the butcher, painter, carpenter,
cobbler, saddler, sexton, and all his own
servants-come together when desired and
gather the "passon's" crops. Their only
| reward consist in rousing supper in his
kitchen, where his wife, daughters and al
| female members of his domicile Hospitality
serve those who have served them
Two other curious and interesting Gus
| toms should not be omitted. These ar,
| the annual "Furry-day" of Helston anc
| ''Taking Sunday" with its attendant pc
| culiarities. at Clowance Park, in Clowa1
parish. The origin of the Cornish Furry
| day is unquestionably found in the "Flo
ralia" anciently observed by the Romans
| on the fourth of the calends of May. 1
| IL,
wall by little home and neighborhood par
ties, and at Helston, from time immemori
| al, as festivity peculiar to that place, or
| the eighth day of May. Long before day
| light happy groups of lads and lasses star
| in every direction for the country lane:
and hedges singing,
| For we were up as soon as any day, o.
And for to fetch the summer home,
The summer and the May, o.
For summer is a-come. o,
And winter is gone, O.
| or dozen other ballads of similar import
| the refrain of which is,
ION the eight of May
We ali set Of a-dancing:'
And indeed do they. At every farm
house there are mad rushes of these mer
ry-makers to be first to hang tw;g o.
SLOANE" blossoms upon the latch: for sucl
| for centuries have been entitled to q por
| ton of bread and cream. The blossom!
of the sloane" kind of cherry, ar,
gathered everywhere, with all precious
buds and blooms of spring. Garlandet
with these the floral troopers return I,
Helston, when the festivities of the da,
really begin. The old town is fairly EN-
bedded in spring blossoms and garlands
This completed. all classes join in uni
versal carnival of dancing. Every doc
in Helston is thrown open to the merr,
marauders. Arm in arm, and usual,
four abreast, thousands, dancing to sor
of quickstep time and accompanied b,
May-day songs, pass in the front doors o
houses and thence from rear to front o
other houses: and from dawn to darl
weave serpentine threads of blossom, odo
and song through and through the oil
Cornish town.
Taking Sunday" in Clowan parish
not only the precursor of Mazard Fair a
Praze, but also of numberless life-lon
joys and pathetic miseries In Clowanc
Park, on the noted st. Aubyu's estate, is
magnificent MALL bordered with some G
the noblest beech trees in all England
On the afternoon of the Sunday two week
before Mazard Fair-which derives il
name from the mazard cherry fair annua
ly held at Praze in the latter part of june
when tons of this luscious fruit are dii
posed of by the farmers of the surround
inr country-ten thousand Cornish youth