478 REPORT— 1897. 



Marriage Divination. 



476. Kirkmaiden (1). — Two stalks of a plant beginning to flower, 

 but without bloom, are taken, one to represent the ' lad ' and the other 

 the ' lass,' and laid beside each other under a stone. Next morning the 

 diviner makes an examination of the stalks. If both stalks are in bloom, 

 the love will be mutual ; but if only one is in bloom, all the love is on the 

 side of the one whose stalk is in bloom. 



476. (2) The first egg of a ' yearack,' i.e., a hen that begins to lay the 

 year she is hatched, is taken and broken, and the white of it is dropped 

 into a glass filled with water. From the forms made by the white of the 

 egg in the water omens of coming events are drawn. 



477. (3) Take a snail on the morning of May Day and shut it up in 

 any kind of dish. Omens are drawn from the figures made by the slime. 

 The diviners tried to detect the form of letters in the slime marks. 



478. Portlogan (4). — The young woman that divines takes a mirror 

 and stands with her back to the moon, and holds up the mirror to the 

 moon so as to let the moon strike on it. As many images of the moon as 

 are reflected in it, so many years will pass before she is married. 



479. Minnigaff.—li a young unmarried woman eats on Hallowe'en a 

 whole herring, i.e., with scales, bones, entrails, and fins, without speaking 

 a word, and then goes to bed also without speaking, she will see in a dream 

 the man that is to be her husband. My informant has known of this 

 being done. 



480. If an unmarried woman on Hallowe'en goes through the 

 barn, entering by the one door and going out by the other, with a 

 stocking on the wires, she will ' meet her fate,' i.e., she will meet her future 

 husband. My informant knew a young woman who did so. Her master 

 met her. The young woman thought some one had sent him. She went 

 to the dwelling-house and told her mistress, who was lying very ill. All 

 that the mistress said was : ' Mary, he kind to my wee ones.' She died 

 next day. In course of time Mary was married to her master. 



481. Ayrshire. — The first time a young woman sees the new moon 

 she takes her garter and begins to cast knots on it, and without stojDping 

 to keep in mind the number of them, she repeats this formula : — 



This knot I knit _ 

 To see the thing I ne'er saw yet. 

 To see my love in his array 

 As he walketh every day. 

 If that he appears in green, 

 Better his face I ne'er had seen ; 

 If that he appears in blue, 

 His love is ever true. 



If at the end of repeating the formula nine knots have been cast, the 

 wooing will end in wedlock ; but if not, the wooing will end in failure. 



482. Balmaghie. — If an unmarried man or woman is asked to take 

 the last piece of food on the dish, it is an indication of getting a handsome 

 wife or husband. 



483. It is accounted unlucky to hear one's own proclamation of 

 banns of marriage made in church. 



484. Mochrum. — It is unlucky to have the bridal dress fitted on. 



