2"<» S. V. 124., May 15. '58.1 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



391 



are, perhaps, worthy of a note, more especially as 

 they would seem to bear out your correspondent's 

 remark, — " that the sudden revulsion of feeling, 

 from a state of fancied security to the finding 

 himself at the moment in the very instant of the 

 dreaded danger, had caused such a reaction as to 

 bring on the fits which carried him off." 



My informant told me that her father was 

 taken ill about Christmas time. One night he 

 dreamed — or, as he said, " he awoke, and saw " 

 two men fighting together at the foot of his bed, 

 one of whom told him that he would die on the 

 ensuing thirteenth of March. In the morning he 

 related this to his family, and both he and they 

 made light of it. He, shortly after this, recovered ; 

 and when the thirteenth of March came, he was, 

 apparently, in very good health. On the evening 

 of that day he referred to his dream, and ob- 

 served, " I have done the ghost ! " — " Don't be 

 too sure of that," said a foolish old woman who 

 was present ; " it's the New Style now, and ghosts 

 don't know anything about it. They always go 

 by the Old Style ! " and this village oracle told 

 him that it would not really, be the thirteenth of 

 March (by the ghost's calendar), for — if I re- 

 member rightly — twelve days to come. 



The farmer laid this to heart ; took to his 

 bed, and died on the very day predicted by the 

 old woman, who, notwithstanding that he ascribed 

 the calamity to the ghostly warning, would have 

 met her deserts by a summary conviction for 

 " manslaughter." Cuthbert Bede. 



A Candlemas-Eve Wind. — Referring to the 

 east winds prevalent during February and the 

 early part of March, " the oldest inhabitant " (a 

 farmer) of a country parish told me, that it had 

 been observed by him, and by his father before 

 him, that in whatever quarter the wind might be 

 on Candlemas-Eve, it " mainly " remained in that 

 quarter for forty days. Cuthbert Bebe. 



Horseshoes as Charms against Witchcraft. — 

 Can any of your correspondents inform me how 

 far this superstition prevails in foreign countries ? 

 I myself have seen a horseshoe nailed on the 

 threshold of a house at Prague. There is a sin- 

 gular German saying, possibly in some way con- 

 nected with this charm, though more probably 

 referring to a horse stumbling or losing his shoe. 

 A damsel who has had a slip is said to have lost a 

 (horse) shoe : — 



" Ein Miidchen das ein Hufeisen verloren hat." 



J. C. Baenham. 



Norwich. 



Pancake Bell. — A custom has prevailed in this 

 place from time immemorial on Shrove Tuesday, 

 to ring what is called the pancake-bell. 



All the apprentices in the town whose inden- 

 tures terminate before the return of the above 



day, assemble in the belfry of the church at ele- 

 ven o'clock, and in turn toll the tenor bell for an 

 hour ; at the sound of which all the housewives in 

 the parish commence frying pancakes. The sex- 

 ton, who is present, receives a small fee from each 

 lad. Is this custom known in any other parish ? 



H. B. 

 Hedon. 



" Pig's marrow will make you mxtd" and " Pigs 

 milk will give you the scurvy" are common sayings 

 in the Midland Counties. I am told that they do 

 not prevail in the North. Can any of your corre- 

 spondents, versed in folk lore, enlighten me as to 

 the foundation and extent of these notions ? 



S. W. B. 



Folk Lore of the Knife. — The Woi-cester 

 Herald for April 10 contains an account of some 

 marriage festivities that included the presentation 

 of a silver cake-basket and knife to the future 

 bride by the inhabitants of the village wherein 

 was her home. The newspaper account says. 



That " the presentation was made to Miss in the 



presence of her intended husband and sister," by &c. " Al- 

 though usually opposed to superstitious dogmas, Mr. 

 demanded a penny from Miss previous to deli- 

 vering up the silver knife, assigning as a reason for doing 

 so, the old saw against giving anyone a present of a knife 

 lest it should * sever love and acquaintance.' The young 

 lady very goodnaturedly handed over the coveted coin 



to Mr. , who intends to have an inscription engraved 



on the penny, which he will cherish as a keepsake." 



Cuthbert Bebe. 



Folk Lore. — In HoUingsworth's Childe Ercon- 

 wold occurs the following : — 



" Hast thou never read 



When trees in calm air more then speak the dead ? " 



Can any of the readers of '^ N. & Q." inform me 

 whether this superstition is known in any part of 

 England ? 



The Ebitor op Rolling swoeth's Works. 



3. Tichborne Street, W. 



Planting Yew-trees in Churchyards. — A custom 

 common in all parts of Ireland may throw some 

 light on this practice. One of the great ceremo" 

 nies of the Roman Catholic Church is the blessing 

 and distribution of " Palms " on " Palm Sunday," 

 the last Sunday in Lent. In Ireland the branches 

 of the yew are always used for this purpose, and 

 sprigs of yew are worn in their caps and hats by 

 the peasantry for the whole of Passion Week up 

 to Easter Sunday. On entering a peasant's cot- 

 tage or the " room" of a dweller in towns, branches 

 of " blessed palm," i. e. yew, will be seen placed 

 beside the crucifix or at the head of the bed, 

 where they remain till replaced by fresh ones on 

 the next Palm Sunday. Throughout Ireland the 

 yew is called " Palm " by the peasantry, and 

 even by persons of good education, but who were 

 not very familiar with the " woods and fields." I 



