Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/371

 Collectanea. 317

Translation. Ancient Customs.

1. On entering a room it was always considered good manners to hold one's hat in one's hand and say, — "Bless you," "Bless your work," and " Bless your meal," the answer to this being, — " God bless you," or also " God's peace be upon you," with the answer, "God's blessing." Then one asked, — "How is it with you? "and then, without troubling oneself to say more, — "It is well."

2. If anyone brought a greeting from someone else, it was the custom in the sixteenth century to say, — "I am to wish you good-night so many times."

3. If anyone came into the room and complained of the severe weather, he was answered as follows, — "Yes, it is not pleasant to be out in unpleasant weather."

4. When people met on the road one always said, — " Well met," whereupon the other greeted him by saying, — " W^ell met again." If the pastor was met on the high road (to Romfo), he received the following friendly greeting, — " God dwell with thee."

5. He who first came into the farm in the New Year and saw the housewife at her spinning wheel, always received a hank of thread, which was called Juletraad ("Yule thread"), and he was greeted as her Rokkemand {^'' i^vaxvxwg wheel-man"). If he happened to be the pastor, gi-eat were the rejoicings.

6. If anyone came into the room where there was a new-born, unbaptized baby, his hat was hidden, and could only be regained by means of a silver coin as godfather's gift.

7. If the pastor had not been a parish priest before, on entering each - church he received an offering which was called Kjoleoffer ("the gown gift").

8. The first time the pastor visited a farm he received a present as Nyboling ("new dweller's gift"), consisting of a ham, a tub of butter, a pair of new stockings, and a four-mark piece. This was never forgotten, even when many years passed before the visit w^as paid.

- There are two churches in the parish, which the pastor visits on alternate

Sundays.