Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/29

Rh trace back to heathen days, is to this effect: The village suffered from a dearth of water, when the inhabitants were advised by their priests to pray to the gods for water, whereupon the water sprang up spontaneously in a meadow about a third of a mile above the river, in an estate now called Rydon, amply sufficient to supply the wants of the place, and at present adequate, even in a dry summer, to work three mills. A lamb, it is said, has ever since that time been sacrificed as a votive thankoffering at Whitsuntide in the manner before mentioned. The said water appears like a large pond, from which in rainy weather may be seen jets of water springing up some inches above the surface in many parts. It has ever had the name of "Fair Water".

Analysing this, we get the following results:—

Now, let us turn to a parallel custom in the same county. At the village of Holne, situated on one of the spurs of Dartmoor, is a field of about two acres, the property of the parish, and called the Ploy Field. In the centre of this field stands a granite pillar (Menhir) six or seven feet high. On May-morning before daybreak the young men of the village used to assemble there, and then proceed to the moor, where they selected a ram lamb, and after running it down, brought it in triumph to the Ploy Field, fastened it to the pillar, cut its throat, and then roasted it whole, skin, wool, etc. At midday a struggle