480 KEPORT— 1897. 



and bridegroom, were put into the bine [hooped tub {ef. bin)] at once. 

 The water was mixed with cinders and soot. 



500. Mochrum, Dairy. — A bride must always wear something 

 borrowed. 



501. Kirkmaiden. — An oatmeal cake used to be thi'own at the bride's 

 head as she was entering her future home. It was accounted lucky if it 

 struck her and broke. 



502. Dairy. — My informant has seen a farle of oatmeal cake broken 

 on the bride's head as she entered the door of her own house. 



503. Ayrshire. — When the bride came to the door of her new home, 

 an oatmeal cake was thrown over her head. It was accounted lucky if it 

 broke in falling, or when it fell on the ground. 



504. Crossmichael, Kirhiuiiden. — The bridegroom's mother, if alive, 

 often was the one to give the bride the welcome to her own house. 



505. Laurieston. — In villages, as the bridal procession is passing, the 

 children have a custom of calling out ' Ba ! Ba ! ' Coppers are thrown 

 among them. When the bridegroom's party is approaching, the bride's 

 party at times rushes out and meets it. Both parties meet each other with 

 much shouting. 



506. Balmaclellan. — It was not long ago the custom, when the bride- 

 groom's party was within a mile or so of the abode of the bride, for a few of 

 the young men to set out to ' run the broose.' The bride gave a silk 

 handkerchief to the one that reached the house first, and so 'won the 

 broose.' 



507. Laurieston. — The mother is never present at the marriage of 

 any of her children. 



507a. Crossmichael. — The minister commonly cuts the bride-cake. In 

 doing so he hands the ' toorack ' — i.e., the top, to the bride. The part below 

 is given to the bridegroom, and the remainder is cut up for the guests. 

 This custom was followed at the marriage of my informant's daughter in 

 August 1896. 



508. The door is thrown wide open when the bride is entering her 

 new home. 



509. Old folks have told my informant that it was at one time the 

 custom, when the bride presented herself at the door of her future home, 

 for one to take a besom and to sweep the floor of the apartment ; the bride 

 entered towards the sweeper (?), all the time repeating the words— 



' Soop the hoose till the bride comes in,' 



till the bride reached the hearth. 



510. Balmaclellan.- — Sometimes it was an aged woman who welcomed 

 the bride to her own home. She broke bread over her head. This bread 

 was taken by the unmarried folks and placed below their pillows 'to 

 dream on.' 



511. Crossmichael. — When the bride entered her own house it was the 

 custom at times to go right up to the hearth and touch the ' crook.' 



Death Omens. 



512. Corsock, Borgue. — A dog howling at night is a portent of death. 



513. Kirkmaiden.— ^orae years ago one of the gamekeepers at Logan 

 House took ill, lingered for some time, and died. For a good many days 

 before his death the dogs kept up a great howling, generally in the gloam- 



