The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-09
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CREATED THE ISLE OF MAN
Angry Giant Threw a Handful of Earth and
Tlade the Island.
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to like it.
II was an old custom to keep frc
burning in the house during the night
so that the fairies might come I'm ana
enjoy it, If anyone were rash enough
not to do this or to abuse them in any
way he would be sure 70 suffer for it
il was also CustOInar. ave Soma
bread out for the fairies and to fill the
/ water crooks with clean water for them
/ before going to bed. This water was
never used for any other purpose. but
+ was thrown out in the morning. The
ManX women formerly would not spin
on saturday evenings as this was
deemed displeaSing 10 the fairies. and
al every baking and churning a small
bit ot dough and butter was stuck on
the wall for their consumption. Be
sides keeping on good terms with the
/ benevolent fairies there are various
other methods of defesting the macbi-
nations OF the maievolent ones. Among
these are the incantations and herbs
got from men and women who had ac-
quired the reputation of being fairy
doctors or charmers.
The cruel but curious custom Of
hunting the wren on Stephens feast
day, Dec. 70, IS still kept up in some
parts Of the island. This stOning of
the wren, however. if NaIdron is TO
DO believed. seems to have taken place
on Christmas morning $50 years ago
aS ne says. ION the 2fth of Deem
ber toward evening, all the servants
IN general have a holiday. they go not
to bed all night. but ramble about tin
the bells ring in ali the churches. which
Is at y o'clock. Prayer being over.
they so to hunt the wren and after
having found one of these poor birds
they kill her and lay her over a bier
with the utmost solemnity, bringing
her 20 the parish church and burying
her with a whimsical kind of sOlem-
nifty singing dirges over her in the
MdnN language. which they call her
Enell, after which Christmas begins"
The origin of the pastime of hunting
the wren is founded OF a tradition that
in former times a fairy Of uncommon
beauty eSeTted such influence over the
male population that she at various
times seduced numbers to follow her
footsteps till by degrees she led them
INTO the sea, where they persisted. This
barbarOus exercise Of power had con-
tinued for a great length of time when
a kllght-errant sprang up who dis,
covered the means OF COUntervaIine the
Cherms used by this siren and even
laid a plot for her destruction, which
she only esCa ped at the moment Of ex-
IRENE hazard by taking the form Of a
wren. But, though she evaded instant
a spell was cast upon her
which she was condemned on every
New Years da yto reani-
mate the same form, with the definite
sentence that she must ultimately per
ish by a human hand.
In consequence of this legend on the |
specified anniversary, the men and
boys Except those who have thrown /
of the trammels Of superstition de- /
vote the hours between sunrise and
sunset to eXtirpaUug the fairy, ard /
woe be 70 the individual birds of this 4
species who show themselves on this
fatal DAY to the active enemies of their ,
race They are pursued, pelted fired /
~ and destroyed without mercy. and /
heir feathers are preserved with re-
igioUS care, it being an article of 1
.aitA that every one of the relics gath
red in this laudable pursuit is an eff /
ectdal preservation from shipwreck
or one year. and that a fisherman
would be considered as extremely fool
hardy who would enter upon MS occu-
patton without such a safeguard
Kelly says: 1T is the custom of the
inhabitants Of the several parishes to
'aJch a wren on this day and parade
With flags flying and music with the
wren fixed upon the point Of a long
'ole. and they oblige every person they
meet 10 purchase a feather and to
wear 1t in their hats for the day. In
he evening they inter the naked body !
vith great solemnity and conclude the
.vening with wrestling and all manner
# sports.
Writing OF the custom Of killing the
eren, William Harrison says. 1T is
tent up on st. Stephens day Chiefly by
'oys, who at early dawn sally out
Tmed with long sticks, beating the
pushes until they fnG one of these
.irds- when they commence the chase
With great shOutings, following it from
ush to bush, and when killed it is
uspended in a garland of ribbons.
lowers and evergreens. The process
ion then commences, carrying the
dng OF birds as the Druids called it.
rom house to house. soliciting Contri-
utlons and giving a feather for luck.
'hese are considered an eaectual pres
rvauon from shipwreck and also 1
gain5t WitChCTaft.