Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/97

Rh poems that refer to older conquests of Man. The first movement was always towards Ireland and then went back to Scotland. In the Isle of Man a great deal is spoken of the "little people", and the little people (as I hear from my daughter and son-in-law, who have visited the Island) are still worshipped there. Many inhabitants go to bed on stormy days to allow the little people to have refuge comfortably. The little people mean doubtless the Iberian aborigines.

As to the instep, I can speak from personal experience. Almost every German finds that an English shoemaker makes his boots not high enough in the instep. The northern Germans (I am from the south) have perhaps slightly flatter feet than the southern Germans.

With regard to the prohibition to carry manure from churchyards, a sanitary idea lingers under it, though doubtless connected with religious ideas as in other cases. In cat-lore, e.g., there is a great deal of scientific knowledge with regard to change of temperature, people having closely observed the manners of cats under different atmospheric conditions, and being able to tell, therefore, whether storm is brewing or fine weather coming on. In certain cases of diseases, such as small-pox for instance, the carrying of manure would certainly become fatal to beast or man.

Horse, mouse, etc., on board ship are held to be fatal, and they must be mentioned under other names. Shetland fishermen will not mention a church or a clergyman (the latter being especially unlucky) on board ship. They use quite other names on board.

A Manx man will not speak of himself as being very well. That superstition is all over the world. The Germans have the expression beschreien. You must not mention a thing too favourably; you are punished for too great exuberance of joy.

It is a mistake to think the Scandinavians did not bring any of their women with them. They are often mentioned in the sagas.


 * With reference to well-superstitions, a very interesting suggestion made by Prof. Rhys is that rags are not offerings, but are put there for the cure of diseases. There is some evidence against that, from the fact that in the case of some wells, especially in Scotland at one time, the whole garment was put down as an offering. Gradually these offerings of clothes became