Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/451

 Catalogue of Brand Material.

4^7

Myrtle blooms at midnight locality.

on Christmas Eve - - ? Hants.

(c) Insects.

Bees sing in their hives at midnight on Christmas Eve

Bees sing the looth Psalm {d) Animals.

Sheep call " Bethlehem " Cattle stand up and low Cattle kneel

Northumbd. (Earsdon), Cumbd. (Whitbeck), Staffs. (Standon),\Vorc. (Alvechurch), "Wilts.

Lanes., Westmd.

Cheshire, Staffs.

Berks.

Cumbd. (Whitbeck),

Lanes., Wore. (Droit- wich), Glos. (Dean Forest, 1822, St. Briavels), Somerset, Northants, S.W.Wilts., Hants.

Norfolk (Tostead).

- Cheshire, Staffs.

Cheshire (Didsbury). (Mr. S. O. Addy.)

Cattle and horses kneel Dangerous to enter cowhouses

lest one should see them

kneeling - AH animals eat, drink, and talk Oxon. (Kinsham,

years since). Cocks crow all night to scare

ghosts - If a dog howls, he will go mad

during the year If you whet a scythe in a field

on Christmas Day all the

moles within hearing will

depart - - - - (Locality ?).

{e) Human Beings.

Children born at midnight on

Christmas Eve can see spirits Lines. Children born on Christmas

Day can see spirits - Children born on Christmas

Day cannot see spirits

[50

North Lines., Sussex.

(Denham, ii. 76, quoting Grose.)

" A child born on Christmas Day is fair and wise and good and gay "

2 D

Devon.