Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 5.djvu/455

 io- s. v. MAY 12, 1906.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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chattered when moved by a string." This noise corresponds to the snapping of the jaws of the horse as described in the account quoted by MR. STONE ; but the circumstance of the horse's head of St. George often appear- ing without his antagonist the dragon, is perhaps owing merely to the horse's skull having been more easily obtainable than a stage dragon. The Kentish band of Hoodeners consisted of St. George, the Dragon, Father Christmas, the Doctor, the King of Egypt, a Turkish Knight, and the Giant Turpin. Mr. Abell leaves it to folk-lorists to decide if the Kentish Giant Turpin be a descendant of Typhceus or Typhon, or Turpin the churlish knight of Spenser's * Faery Queen '; but he was always a prominent member of the party.

According to The Church Times of 2 Jan., 1891, the custom of Hodening was not dead in that year, in at least two Kentish towns Deal and Walmer. " We were warned," says the writer,

"of the arrival of this creature by a very loud clapping noise, and on rushing to the street door saw a horse's head supported on a pole by a man in a crawling position, so as to resemble an animal, and covered in front by a coarse cloth. Nothing was done or sung by the small crowd around ; and the clapping caused by the opening and shutting of the mouth continued till the creature, having been satisfied with money, was driven away." (Vide ' E.D.D.').

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

Accounts of the old custom of "Going a-Hodening" will be found in 'The Kentish Note-Book' (Kentish ' N. & Q.'), by G. O. Howell, pp. 19 and 320-1, which also quotes 4 Relics for the Curious/ 1824, and ' Hone's Every-Day Book,' 1827, as mentioning this custom. It appears to have been observed at Ramsgate, Minster, and all the villages of the Isle of Thanet, as well as at Deal and some places along the east coast of Kent. The custom was discontinued about 1840, in con- sequence of a woman at Broadstairs being so scared by it that her death resulted. One writer, referring to the hand-bells that were used in these grotesque processions, states that there were still families in Ramsgate who were clever hand -bell ringers.

Other places had this custom. It existed in Wales, where it was known as " Merry Lwyd " (see ' Curious Welsh Custom,' 1 st S. i. 173, 258, 315), and also in Cheshire and Oxfordshire. G. H. W.

The querist may possibly be unaware that the curious custom mentioned by him is (or more accurately was) very well known in Wales. ARTHUR MEE.

Cardiff.

THE HARE AND EASTER (10 th S. iv. 306 ; v. 292). MR. HOLDEN MAoMiCBABL speaks of the German custom of hiding the Easter eggs in a sort of nest for the children to find. But some twelve years ago, when we hid the eggs on Easter morning in South Germany (the children being meanwhile locked up in the schoolroom, so that they might not watch us), we were told to place the eggs always in some prickly place in a patch of nettles, or among thorns or holly so that the children might run the chance of being stung or scratched in picking them out. Later in the day some one suggested that this might be a relic of the Prometheus myth the egg, the life-principle, having to be snatched from a prickly or burning place. And the same day we chanced to find, among the children's books, a Japanese fairy tale, in which was a picture of a hare guard- ing two eggs : in the background was a flaming volcano. To us it seemed there might be some connexion between the three incidents. I should like to know if we were correct in supposing that there was, and to hear what other readers of ' N. & Q.' have to say. ROWLAND THURNAM.

Blagdon, Somerset. '

ROPES USED AT EXECUTIONS (10 th S. v. 266, 315). In February, 1886, three men (Rudge, Martin, and Baker) were hanged at Carlisle for murder, newspapers stating that u Berry, of Bradford, was the executioner, and Charles Maldon officiated as his assistant." It soon transpired that "Charles Maldon" was the sobriquet of a distinguished amateur ; see paragraph in The Times of 20 February, 1886. I have seen a bracelet composed of a portion of the hanging rope used on the above occasion, with gold mount inscribed to that effect, and indicating the article as a gift from the individual who "assisted" at the last penalty of the law. W. B. H.

CHEYNE WALK : CHINA WALK (10 th S. v. 245, 312). The terrace of houses by the river- side at Chelsea known as Cheyne Walk was so named, not from the china manu- factory for which Chelsea was famous, but after the Lord of the manor of Chelsea, Charles, Lord Cheyne. The family of the Cheyneys, or de Casineto, or Quercineto, signifying the oak, from its abundance near their ancient residence, says Faulkner, have long flourished in Bucks, and were supposed to have originated from the village whence they assumed their surname. The village of Cheneys, Chenies, or Islehampstead Chey- neys, in South Bucks, is owned by the Duke of Bedford, who has the manor ; but the old