Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 8, 1897.djvu/90



Staffordshire "Hobthirst" is, no doubt, the Yorkshire "Hob-thrust," a Robin-Goodfellow or Robin-Round-Cap, who resembles the Scotch Brownie on the domestic side of his character, although in other aspects he seems to be a woodland-goblin. According to a lady who is well acquainted with the village spoken of, there is a farm — the Manor Farm — at East Halton, in Lincolnshire, which was popularly said to be haunted by a Hobthrust till three or four years ago, if not at the present time. "Mrs. ——, who lived in the house, used to believe that its appearance was in some way connected with an old iron cauldron in the cellar, which was full of sand and bones. These bones she supposed to be 'children's thumb-bones.' If the bones and sand were stirred, the Hobthrust would show himself at twelve o'clock. What he was like I do not know, nor what he did. When we were children I and my brother used to tell Mrs. —— we were going to the cellar to stir the contents of the cauldron, a threat which always troubled her very much. After Mrs. —— left the farm, the cauldron was brought up from the cellar to be used, and no evil results followed. There is another Hobthrust at Lindholme, near Wroot, but I do not know what the stories connected with him are."

It has been suggested to me that thrust is Anglo-Saxon þyrs, Icelandic þurs, þuss, the giant or goblin of English fable : hence thurs-house or thurse-hole, a rock-cave serving for a dwelling (Kennet in Halliwell, s. v. Thurs-house). So in the Metrical Life of St. Cuthbert, 2178 :

''Dunstan House, Kirton-in-Lindsey. ''