462 HEPORT — 1897. 



218. Balmaghie. — At Hallowe'en the children carried one lantern 

 made of a hollowed-out turnip, and called at the houses and got apples, 

 hazel-nuts, money (which was divided), potatoes, mashed, with a sixpence 

 among them (this last at a cotman's house). The sixpence was divided. 



[It may be mentioned that in Forfarshire the children sang, swinging 

 the hollow neij^, or turnip : — 



Hallowe'en, a night at e'en, 

 A candle an' a kail-runt ! ' ] 



The visits lasted from 7 to 9 p.m., and covered a dozen houses. Some 

 locked the door, but usually the people were glad to see them. 



The Moon. 



219. Kirhnaiden. — 'Faul ' is a name for a halo round the moon. The 

 weather proverb is, ' A far-afF faul is a near-han' storm.' 



220. A halo round the moon is called a ' broch.' There is commonly 

 an opening in it, which is called the ' door.' The weather proverb is, ' A 

 far-off broch, a near shoor.' 



221. Borgue, Dairy, Kirhnaiden. — The spots on the moon are formed 

 by the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath. He was transferred to 

 the moon, with his bundle of sticks on his back, as a punishment for 

 Sabbath-breaking. 



222. Fortlogan. — The mairt used to be killed when the moon was on 

 the increase. 



223. Kirhnaiden. — If a hen is set when the moon is on the increase it 

 is believed that the birds are hatched a day earlier than if she is set 

 during the time of waning. 



224. Fortlogan. — A sow brings forth as many pigs as the moon is old 

 at the time she conceives. 



225. Kirkmaiden. — Flax had to be steeped at such a time as that the 

 moon would not change while it lay in the 'dub,' or 'lint-dub.' It was 

 believed that if a change did take place the mucilage became thick and 

 the fibre was injured. To counteract this evil a piece of iron was thrown 

 into the ' dub ' among the flax. 



226. On seeing the new moon for the first time an unmarried woman 

 repeats the M'ords : — 



All hail to the muin, all hail to thee ! 

 I pray thee, guid muin, come, tell to me 

 This night who my true love's to be. 



Without speaking a word [afterwards] she goes to bed. She dreams of the 

 lover that will wed her. 



227. Dairy. — The first time a woman sees the new moon, she has to 

 curtsey to her. 



228. Mochrur)%, Dairy. — It is unlucky to see the new moon for the 

 first time ' through glass,' i.e., through a window. 



229. Balmaghie.— li the new moon is lying on her back 'the rain does 

 not get through,' and so there will be fair weather. If she stands straight 

 up and down all the rain runs ofij and so the weather will be wet. 



' Kail-runt = cabbage-stalk. 



