Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/286

 258 Some Characteristics of Irish Folklore.

Friday, because it goes down into Hell seven times before it comes up. I have also references to a few harvest customs,^ but, taken as a whole, there is a lack of agricultural folklore. Possibly weather conditions have some share in determining this, economic certainly have had.

The origin of this paper was a conversation with my friend, Miss Burne, who asked me if I could account for the singular lack of Calendar Customs in Ireland. The alleged lack surprised me. Of all parts of the — still — United Kingdom I imagined my own island — where folk-memory is amazingly long — would provide the richest harvest for the Brand Com- mittee. I mentioned the puzzle to a fellow-countrywoman, " And are there none ? But I'm sure we could invent some," said she, and therewith furnished me with a peg for Charac- teristics of Irish Folklore. The remark was so entirely characteristic. Here was a Sassenach wanting informa- tion. It was up to Ireland to supply it. Such supply was demanded by politeness, and for the honour of the old country it must be forthcoming. Calendar Customs are presumably desirable things — unlike snakes — therefore the chapter thereon in the new Brand must not resemble the proverbial one on snakes in Irish Natural History.

It is an old trouble : age old.

To explain it is to explain centuries of misunderstanding between the two peoples — to analyse it is a nice problem for the student of psychology and metaphysics. Here it suffices to say that, as in all things Irish, the reasons are both complex and contradictory: something of good nature, a measure of disdain, much pride, a touch of despair, genuine curiosity, and a leavening of wit. It was curiosity largely that led me to plunge into a study of what has been written on the subject. I thought, and herewith to my present conclusions — for I still think — that there must be "lashings

'Hall, iii. 247. Andrews, Ulster Folklore, ch. ii. "Winning the Churn." F.-L. xvi. 185-6.