Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 29, 1918.djvu/169

 Rh against evil spirits. This custom is known in Welsh as "gwisgo'r gorthrwm," which literally means "wearing the oppression." Gorthrwm=gor, an intensifying affix = super, and trwm = heavy, so that the phrase perhaps would be more correctly rendered "wearing the overweight." It is not easy to see the connection between the practice and the idea either of overweight or oppression; still, that was the phrase in common use.

For a similar reason, that is, protection from evil spirits during the hours of the night, it was and is a custom to place two scythes archwise over the entrance-side of the wainscot bed found in many of the older cottages of Anglesey. It is difficult to find evidence of the existence of this practice to-day as the old people no doubt feel that it is contrary to their prevailing religious belief and will not confess their faith in the efficacy of a "pagan" rite which they are yet loth to abandon.

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, who is doing excellent work on the investigation on scientific lines of prehistoric remains in Ireland, has republished from the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (vol. xxxiv. Section C, No. 3) a paper on "The Ancient Sanctuaries of Knockaincy and Clogher, Co. Limerick." Here a cairn commemorates the cult of the goddess Aine, of the god-race of the Tuatha De Danann. She was a water-spirit, and has been seen, half-raised out of the water, combing her hair. She was a beautiful and gracious spirit, " the bestnatured of women," and is crowned with meadowsweet (spiræa), to which she gave its sweet smell. She is a powerful tutelary spirit, protector of the sick, and connected with the moon, her hill being sickle-shaped, and men, before performing the ceremonies, used to look for the moon—whether visible or not—lest they should be unable to return. They used to comb the sheaves on St. John's Eve, carrying lighted wisps to bring luck