Transactions. 77 



labours of tlie cliurners. Spitting, again, would seeiu to liave 

 been regarded with favour as a means of averting witchcraft, and 

 the practice of spitting in the hand is still followed by rustics, 

 both when they bargain and when they vow eternal friendship 

 an interesting example of custom sur\4ving long after its original 

 signiticance has been forgotten. Coming to speak of elves or 

 fairies, we realise that we have to deal with a class of beings very 

 ditferent from the witches and the warlocks. The latter, as the 

 accredited emissaries of Satan, were looked upon with mingled 

 feelings of hatred and fear. The fairies, on the other hand, 

 would almost seem to have enjoyed positive favour. They were 

 admittedly capricious and resentful, however, and as their wrath 

 once aroused was terrible to behold, it became the constant study 

 of the gudewife of the house to propitiate them by every means 

 in her power. Tlius, some simple refreshment, such as bread and 

 cheese, was frequently laid out for them in places they were sup. 

 posed to frequent, and it was an article in tlie popular creed that 

 those who thus befriended them were liberally rewarded in some 

 way or other for their kindness. We append a narrative com- 

 municated by a Moniaive lady, in which gratitude for a favour 

 and resentment at an insult are curiously blended : — Two men 

 were ploughing down in Closeburn parish, wlien they both felt a 

 strong smell of burning cake ; one of them said in an otl'-hand 

 kind o' way, " Yere cake's burnin'." " Make us a spurtlo tae 

 turn it wi', then," said a voice apparently close at hand. The 

 man good uaturedly did as directed, and laid tlie article down on 

 the ground. On returning to the spot he found the spurtle taken 

 away, and bread and cheese left in its place. He partook of 

 both, and likewise gave some to his horses, but his companion 

 would neither taste himself nor allow his horses to taste. An 

 atiVont of this kind could not be overlooked, and he had not gone 

 many steps until he dropped down dead in the furrow. All- 

 Hallow's Eve was universally recognised as the fairies festival 

 and on moonlight nights bands of the " little folk " were to be 

 seen dancing in circles on the sward, and the merry tinkle-tinkle 

 of fairy bridles heard as the little equestrians journeyed on their 

 gaily caparisoned steeds to the place of rendezvous. Local recog- 

 nition seems to have been given to at least four kinds of appari- 

 tions, viz., the water kelpy, the goblin, the wi-aith, and the ghost. 

 In Glencairn we tind people who still avow not only that these 



