May 26. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



^97 



LONDON, SATURDAY, M^r 2G, 1855. 



THE FOLK LORE OF A COKKISH VILLAGE. 



Having pleasingly occupied my leisure in getting 

 together all that is noteworthy respecUng the past 

 history and present condition of the place of my 

 birth, I have thought that those chapters which 

 treat of its folk lore might find an appropriate 

 place in " N. & Q.," if abridged, and modified to 

 suit its pages. Though the papers in another 

 shape were read some time since before a provin- 

 cial antiquarian society, they have never been 

 published. 



The place, whose popular antiquities are liere 

 to be recorded, is situated on the eminently ro- 

 mantic coast of the south-eastern part of Corn- 

 wall. The bold-blufi' hills resting by the sea-line 

 on a margin of craggy transition slate, alike at- 

 tractive to the artist, and interesting to the 

 geologist, have here, seemingly, suffered some dis- 

 ruption, and in the fissure is dropped the village, 

 its houses resting on ledges in the hills, or skirting 

 the inlets of the sea which forms its harbour. 

 The inland country, for some distance, is a rapid 

 succession of well-cultivated hill and " coomb," 

 for that can scarcely be called valley which is but 

 the acute junction of the bases of opposite hills. 

 The population is part seafaring, part agricultural, 

 and in reference to education as well off as such 

 people generally are. In this quiet corner lurk 

 many remnants of faded creeds, and ancient usages 

 which have vanished from districts more subject 

 to mutation with the circumstances which gave 

 rise to them, as the side eddies of a stream retain 

 those sticks and straws which the current would 

 have swept off" to the ocean. I begin with an 

 account of our fairy mythology. 



Though the piskies, in spite of the prognostica- 

 tions of the poets, have outlived the " grete charite 

 and prayers" of the limitour, and the changes in 

 politics and religion which took place when 

 " Elizabeth and later James came in," it is scarcely 

 to be expected that they will withstand that great 

 exorcist, steam, when it shall make its appearance 

 among us, and there is the greater need that " all 

 the fairies' evidence " should be entrusted to your 

 safe keeping. 



The belief in the little folk is far from dead, 

 though the people of the present generation hold 

 it by a slighter tenure than their forefathers did, 

 and are aware that piskies are now fair objects of 

 ridicule, whatever they formerly were. One old 

 womjin in particular, to whose recital of some of 

 the following tales I have listened in mute atten- 

 tion, was a firm believer in them ; and I remember 



her pettish reply, when a young friend of mine 

 ventured to hint a doubt : " What ! not believe 

 in 'em, when my poor mother had been pinched 

 black and blue by 'em." The argument was con- 

 clusive, for we could not then see its fallacy, 

 though we have since learnt that the poor soul in 

 question had not the kindest of husbands. 



This creed has received so many additions and 

 modifications at one time, and has suffered so 

 many abstractions at another, that it is impossible 

 to make any arrangement of our fairies into 

 classes. 



" The elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes, and groves " 



are all now confounded under the generic name 

 pishy. Some of the later interpolations are of a 

 very obvious character, as will hereafter be pointed 

 out. Our piskies are little beings standing mid- 

 way between the purely spiritual, and the material, 

 suffering a few at least of the ills incident to 

 humanity. They have the power of making them- 

 selves seen, heard, and felt. They interest them- 

 selves in man's affairs, now doing him a good turn, 

 h.nd anon taking offence at a trifle, and leading 

 him into all manner of mischief. The rude giati- 

 tude of the husbandman is construed into an in- 

 sult, and the capricious sprites mislead him on the 

 first opportunity, and laugh heartily at his mis- 

 adventures. They are great enemies of sluttery, 

 and great encouragers of good husbandry. When 

 not singing and dancing, their chief nightly amuse- 

 ment is in riding the colts, and plaiting their 

 manes, or tangling them Avith the seed-vessels of 

 the burdock. Of a particular field in this neigh- 

 bourhood it is reported that the farmer never puts 

 his horses in it but he finds them in the morning 

 in a state of great terror, panting, and covered 

 with foam. Their form of government is mon- 

 archical, as frequent mention is made of the "king 

 of the piskies." We have a few stories of pisky 

 changelings, the only proof of whose parentage was, 

 that " they didn't goodey" (thrive). It would seem 

 that fairy children of some growth are occasionally 

 entrusted to human care for a time, and recalled ; 

 and that mortals are now and then kidnap[)ed, 

 and carried off to fairy land ; such, according 

 to the nursery rhyme, was the end of Margery- 

 Daw : 



" See-saw, Margery Daw 

 Sold her bed, and lay upon straw ; 

 She sold her straw, and lay upon hay, 

 Piskies came and carri'd her away." 



A disposition to laughter is a striking trait in 

 their character. I have been able to gather 

 little about the personalities of these creatures. 

 My old friend before mentioned used to describe 

 them as about the height of a span, clad in green, 

 and having straw hats, or little red caps on their 

 heads. Two only are known by name, and I 



