Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-01-11
WAKEMANS WANDERlNGS
TIE LITTLE MANx ISLAND AND ITS
foLK-lil.

hnd imps froudiy bcthihtu h'h'"'''s
Rather Than scourelng Tyrants.
Copyright, Isgg, by Edgar H. wakcmsnl
DoU0LAs. Isle Of Man, Dec. Sew writ.
ers ever troubled themselves Mt all about
the MINK people Those have invariably
set them down as extraordinarily super
stitlous." Then they have gallopcd away,
leaving the Manxncn In mist aud their
readers 10 mystery.
a truer statement regarding these In.
tcrcsting and sturdy people would be that
they have emerged from bouudlcss super
stition. Everywhere one mas 50 Ia MnnN
land are found evidences II that extreme
antiquity which 40 impresscs and ~ times
appalls the student In Ireland aud Corn
wall. Coming to later though still re
mote period. one cannot escape the con
vlction that the first Celts " ireland and
the west OF England and the first people Of
Mainland were not only Of common stock.
but for centuries were, while pagau-. u
people Of common language, customs and
interest.
But have gradually come 10 know that,
however grim visaRcd the face Of the one
eonhding the weird assertion Of uncanny
belief, secretly the masses Of the people
scout and nout them nll save those " 70
tender and winsopic character Briefly
ManS folk today reject the essential slny
cry Of superstitlous practice, but unlvtr
sally insist on retaining the pleasure of sub
soriblng TO the supcrstltions themselves.
One illustration out Of many which could
b. given will serve to emphasize this COT
eluslon. In oldcn times 10 was a universal
custom here on retiring at New Years Eve
for the family TO carefully strow ashes
upon the floor IN the expectancy u finding
the next morning the Impression Of fairy
foot. II was rcliglously believed that the
direction OF the foot predicted death II TO
ward the door, and II toward the fireplace
All increase IN tho household by birth OF
marriage. The custom 1, quite ~ unlycr'
sal at the present time, but the element Of
terror Is wholly eliminated.
In tracing MauS mythology there will
be- found precisely. ~ In the Gaelic myth.
ology of Scotland and tho Celtic myth.
ology OF Ireland. two olasses of buRaboo
immortals. One u these consisted Of imps
and demons having the power Of taking
upon themselves the form of man or
woman at will. and by wooing human men
or women, and particularly by holding
out ravishing promises Of immortality.
leading them into fatal unions, through
which the souls Of mortals no deludcd were
endlessly banlsheh from heaven.
The second class comprised scmlimmor
tails aud magiclans wholly devoted to
Druldism and the Black Art. Whether
the latter had existence or were solely
creatures OF the Imagination, centuries be.
hind them some sort OF folk really
existed In ancient Mainland Their won.
derful skill IN the erection Of sepulchral
mounds, stone circles and mcnhlrs and In
the making Of metal ornaments aud deli.
cately formed spear heads was such ns TO
compel from less skllliul aud more war.
like people their gradual dedication.
In the gradual evolution Of Manx fairies,
whose real origin was In the Finnish syl.
vans, satyrs and fauns. that portion Of II,
demonology providing impish spirits Of n
malevolrnt nature has been largely cxtir'
patcd. The IMAM OF the hills" the identi.
cal fellow found Ia the Irish and Scottish
Highlands, was n wicked fellow indeed.
Among the Msnx shepherds OF Snaefell
and North Barrule mountains found "a
few who still firmly believe In his power
for harm.
The banshee, that fateful mother OF
grewsome brood IN all originally Celtic
countries. has given way In Scotland To its
host Of "guid nclbors" or Brownies, NJ
mighty host Of good and III sprites In Ire.
land and In Mainland 20 an intangible
army OF gnomes, elves and spritcs. These
In general possess power Of rowardng the
good and Furnishing for evil. A Wesleyan
clergyman named Corjaig few years ago
undertook to "layn them by stoutly de.
claring from his pulpit that lac saw them
with his own eyes depart In n body from
the bay Of Douglas In empty rum punch,
cons, scudding before the wind In the dircc,
ton OF Jamaica. But the "wce people"
are still safely ensoonsed In tho hearts aud
traditions Of Manxmen aud cannot be de
ported and marooued even by well mean
ing clergymen.
One will still find among the Manx fish
ernen farmers clear traces of exact con
gen-rs Of tho ancient water bulls and
horses Of the misty north OF Scotland lochs
The ''tarroo ushtey" Is the wild water bull
aud the "glnshtin" the furious water hors,
OF Mainland. The former destroyed cattle
the latter left the sea TO chase Manx ponie,
over the mountain ciAgs TO destruction
These have no terrors now for Manxmen
but II III befalls kline or horses these cren
lures OF the misty days always return II
the fireslde banter and gossip
These folks have ouc remarkable frienf
among the elves. lie is called the "phyn
noddcree,n For some form OF mlsdemennO
he was banishcd from clllnd and beonm,
satyr with shaggy hair. Those who hav,
seen him assert that he has feet like al
elk, with prttruding spearlike horn
where the fctlock should be, enabling hin
to scale walls and mountains at will On
good old lady Of ninety whom ! founi
among the glcns Of sinnefoll remember
distinctly nm encounter with the "phyunud
deree" when she was still In her teen,
She was "yardpd Is, legally made
servant ut neighboring estRte-and wa
set to carrying peat in u creel 10y erle
master,
She was ill unto death but was drlyel
TO her toll relentlessly. One day she cam
TO the bog, but could not return lnleu, Sh
fell upon the ground and monned her wis
TO die. Then the "phynnoddrrce' nr
peared lie stood beside her shlyerln
with the cold and piieously begged he
for her tartan to prevent him from frerl
ing. Appalled, at the thought OF ans be-
ing suffering more deeply than herself
she instantly complied with his rcqu,,,
Her strength and health at once returned
The next morning all her months tasl
was found TO have been performed by IN
visible hands, aud, better than ALL th
handsomest tartan In Man was found hang
ing beside her bed.
This same handy ELI possesses the innnit
srollery OF the Irish dullaghar. who I
generally found with his head under hi
arm, In his pocket, or where number mr.