Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 3 1885.djvu/386



Superstitions of Yorkshire Fisherfolk.—A correspondent of The Times, writing from Staithes, gives an account of the fishing industry in those parts, and incidentally speaks of the superstitions of the folk as follows:—"The Staithes folk are imbued with all manner of quaint superstitions, which, whatever their origin, convey to-day no meaning, and have no reason for their observance. They have a firm belief in witchcraft, but a debased form of witchcraft of the gettatura order, the witch being wholly unconscious of his or her power of evil. Until quite recently—and I am informed that by some of the older inhabitants the custom is still secretly maintained—it was customary when a smack or coble had had a protracted run of ill-fortune, for the wives of the crew and owners of the boat to assemble at midnight, and, in deep silence, to slay a pigeon, whose heart they extracted, stuck full of pins, and burned over a charcoal fire. While that operation was in process the unconscious witch would come to the door, dragged thither unwittingly by the irresistible potency of the charm, and the conspirators would then make her some propitiatory present. Again, it is of frequent occurrence that, after having caught nothing for many nights, the fishermen keep the first fish that comes into the boat and burn it on their return home as a sacrifice to the Fates. All four-footed animals are considered unlucky; but the most ill-omened of quadrupeds is the pig. If when the men are putting their nets into the boats the name of this innocent and succulent animal is by accident mentioned, they will always desist from their task and turn to some other occupation, hoping thus to avert the evil omen, and in many cases will renounce the day's expedition altogether, convinced that no good could come of it. The sight of a drowned dog or kitten, too, as he goes towards his coble, will always keep a Staithes fisherman at home; and, what is still more curious, if, as he walks to his boat, his lines on his head, or a bundle of nets