Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-22


laden. She fell upon the ground and
moanel her wish TO die. Then the
"phynnudderee" appeared. He stood
beside her shiyering with the cold, and
piteously begged her for her tartan TO
prevent him from freezing. Appalled,
VI the thought of any being suffering
| more deeply than herself, she instantly
conplied with his request. Her strength
and health at once returned. The next
morning all her months task was found
to have been performed by invisible
hands, And better than all, the hand
soonest tartan in Man was found hang
ing beside her bed; in proof Of which
she produced bit Of the selfsame plaid,
and a handsome one 1t surely must have
been.
This samo handy elf possesses the
infinite drollery of the Irish dullaghan,
who Is generally found with his head
under his arm, in his pocket, or, where
u number are together, flinging il
merrily at some other dullaghan, or
again engaged with it in games of foot.
ball. 1t also possesses the power of
numberless devices and DISCUSSES of that
most exusperatingly impish practical
| joker OF all Irish fairies, the leprachaun,
or "the little imp in green" Everywhere
in little Mainland where liquor is in
and wit is out, where uncouth folly
meets with rctributive humbling, and in
all those sluggish rustic channels of for
| givable mischief and merriment where
| penalties are light as countryside
laughter, the kindly, helpful, avenging
"phynnodderee," is ever ready with a
helping hand.
One traditional spook which repre-
sehts the evil genius of dull despair, of
dumb inevitabiIity and of rank fatalism
| glowers through Slanx tradition as
black and dreadful as the gloom of the
halls of Eblis. This is the MOODY
Dhoo" Tangibly and as crystalized in
tradition it took on the form Of a huge,
voicelesa black spaniel which haunted
ancient Peel Castle, the daring Of whose
satanic power by drunken soldier ter
minated in the tragic death of the latter,
as made famous in fiction and song.
Generalzed, the "hloody Dhoo" is the
sable spirit Of loneliness, OF impending
danger, of irrevocable despair. 70 a
people barren Of book lore, impression
able with q thousand misty shadows
from the past, whose mental activities
are chiefly in contemplation of the sad
dening sea and the keening voices of
mountain winds, some form of a mental
MOODY Dhoo" is logical and inevita-
Bile presence.
have never been able to discover
among the peasants of Brittany, of
England, Ireland or Scotland, the exact
equivalent of a curious sort of elf of
darkness which the Manx people still
possess. IL is called the "doyinney-oie
or nightman. lie meets certain bclated
persons along the highway, or in lonely
spots, foretelling dismal events with
great volubility, but always without
personal malevolence. Indeed his hints
OF impending danger are regarded as in
valuable. He provides the only weather
bureau the Manx people possess, and on
all parts of the coast his weird cry of
"howlaa, howlaa p foretels an ap.
preaching storm.
All EVIL spirits in Mainland are known
under the universal term of "buggane. :"
If the cream fails to "rise,n if the crops
are poor, if the catch of herrings be
worthless, if harm befall the sheep
upon the mountains or the kline and
fowls at home, if love affair goes
wrong, or any i'll whatever betides for
which there is not q present clear and
unquestionable explanation, the bug
game is held responsible. Useless vexa.
ton and anxiety are thus dispensed
with, and, as good Manx dame pleas
antly explained: Jaw, mon, tn bug
game doun't mind aw blame; an its
better n fast'nin' t neebors"
Fairy doctors and hermits are still
popular in the little island. In olden
times the person and home, usually a
cave, of the ManS hermit were SO ven
Grated that the person of mortal enemy
was sacred against harm when in her
mit's presence. These canny old loafera
are no longer proof against skepticism,
but they are well liked by the peasantry
who Hospitality tolerate them. | have
made the acquaintance of several. One
was in quite a respondent mood and
threatened to leave his vocation forever
He admitted that the country side PEG.
pie were friendly enough; but the Liver
pool holiday eXcursionists guyed him
numerically, and the Douglas hotel
landlords, who had engaged him to un.
cxpectedly appear to tourists in lonely
glens, were not prompt about paying
his contract stipend of six shillngs pei
week.
The "evl eye" is still possible to be
cast upon horses and cattle and even
upon children in unfrequented places
, where old superstitions die hardest
/, Fairies also work mischief in butter and
, among the fields. There are still those
, who prepare and sell charms not only
to remedy but to ward off such ills. Al
but the most ignorant Of Manxmen re
I, gard fairy doctors" in jocose spirit il
, its expression emanates from them
, selves. But among the best there lingeri
, genial liberation for all these older
: yagaries; and should foreigner mrs
, offer the skeptical alluslon, the inheren
, stubborn resentment to iconoclasn
would instantly find expression in some
/ thing like: Jaw, mon, safe sides NJ
harms side"
Naturally among people where foil
, lore largely takes the place of book lor
, omeus, portents and what might witt
much exactitude be called "whimsies,
are exceedingly frequent among Man,
. men. The BIRDS of the island and thei
| habits provide us many of these as among
= their Irish neighbors with quicker in
: yention and warmer fancy. A ravei
I lowering near herd of cattle is an un
, welcome sign. The plant Of the lime
, is associated with the cry of lost soul
3 When .he robin will not sing in churcl
' yard trees the place is said to be haunted
A line is still imposed in Man if IL sea
! gull he killed during the fishing season
!, aud the feathers Of the poor wren whiel
is so mercilessly hunted here on ST
/ Stephens day are sold for tritiing sum
/. as charms.
There is throughout the island al