Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 5, 1894.djvu/195

 F^irt her Notes fro7)i Co2mty Leih'im. . 187

custom by careful folk to quench a turf from the fire and sew a bit on the child's bib. This was left there for nine days, and then sewn tightly up in a piece of cloth with a cross made on it, and placed under the child's head to prevent it being overlooked.

WEDDING CUSTOMS.

Nearly all the old wedding customs have gone. The bridecake is sometimes broken over the head of the bride, and the " band-beggars" come an odd time, but otherwise the proceedings do not call for much remark. I have, however, collected the following notes on customs which I am told were formerly observed. My informant, a middle- aged woman, lived for some years with aged relatives, who were probably the sources of her lore on the subject. The customs, generally, seemed quite unknown to others in the district : —

Before going to church the bride had two ribbons pinned in a cross on her dress behind her, and if she returned with- out them good luck would attend her.

The groom had the besom thrown at him as he went to church, and if it fastened on to any part of his clothing it was considered lucky.

Before they went each to church the bride's mother used to give the bride a shilling, and the groom's father gave him a five-shilling piece. They each hid it in the stones at their hearth in the sleeping-room with a harrow-pin, saying they buried their bad luck.

The groomsman used also to give the groom a crooked sixpence, and the latter, having killed a magpie, slit the bird's tongue with the coin, and, leaving it therein, buried the bird with a horse's shoe under the hearth iron. This was done for good luck.

Before going to church the groom used to tie a straw on the chimney crook, and if it was all burnt before he started it was considered a bad omen.