Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/154

146

In the County of Hereford was an old Custome at funeralls to poor people, who were to take upon them all the sinnes of the party deceased. One of them I remember lived in a Cottage on Rosse-high way. (He was a long, leane, ugly, lamentable poor raskal.) The manner was that when the Corps was brought out of the house and layd on the Biere; a Loafe of bread was brought out, and delivered to the Sinne-eater over the corps, as also a Mazar-bowle of maple (Gossips bowle) full of beer, wch he was to drinke up, and sixpence in money, in consideration whereof he tooke upon him (ipso facto) all the Sinnes of the Defunct, and freed him (or her) from walking after they were dead. This custome alludes (methinkes) something to the Scape-goate in ye old Lawe. Leviticus, cap. xvi, verse 21, 22. "And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goate and confesse over him all ye iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fitt man into the wildernesse. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities, unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let the goat goe unto the wildernesse." This Custome (though rarely used in our dayes) yet by some people was even in the strictest time of ye Presbyterian goverment: as at Dynder, volens nolens the Parson of ye Parish, the  of a woman deceased there had this Ceremonie punctually performed according to her Will: and also the like was donne at ye City of Hereford in these times, when a woman kept many yeares before her death a Mazard-bowle for the Sinne-eater; and the like in other places in this Countie; as also in Brecon, e.g. at Llangors, where Mr. Gwin the minister about 1640 could no hinder ye performing of this ancient custome. I believe this custom was heretofore used over all Wales.

In North-Wales the Sinne-eaters are frequently made use of; but there, insted [sic] of a Bowle of Beere, they have a bowle of Milke.