72 CORNTTBIANA. 



(1). St. John's Day in Jutland — Mr. Charles Edwardes in his 

 interesting book " In Jutland with a cycle," gives this description: 

 — " An early dusk was upon Skagen when I reached the Catte- 

 gat shore of the town. The revels of St. Hans (St. John) had 

 begun here as well as by the wood. Excited lads and lasses 

 were rearing bonfires, and lighting them .... Four or five of 

 the fires had got famously alight, and through the flames the 

 children jumped, and scurried one after another with shouts. 

 One had evoked great admiration by crawling on his hands and 

 knees" (pp. 152, 153.) This extract is peculiarly interesting to 

 me, because many years ago I wrote an article to show that the 

 bon-fires on Midsummer Day — if even Baal-fires had become 

 transferred to St. John (the Jutland St. Hans) — were not 

 confined to Celtic districts, and the above extract emphasises this 

 in a very clear manner. It is also clear from an examination of 

 the above account how affinities may be traced between races far 

 removed in every respect, for the above account recalls the 

 proceedings at Penzance on St. John's Day at no distant period, 

 when bonfires were kindled in the streets, and gangs of boys and 

 maidens would career madly though the flames. This custom was 

 formally abolished several years ago by the mayor and corpo- 

 ration, and alas, the custom of igniting vast bonfires on 

 Tregoning and other hills has entirely died away, and last year 

 (1898) not even a single miniature one was to be observed — the 

 first time within my remembrance. 



(2). It seems extremely strange that a very striking 

 resemblance between the colour of the ordinary man's working 

 coat in parts of West Cornwall, and that of the natives of 

 Normandy and Brittany, has been so far unnoticed. In both 

 countries blue is the colour used. Probably the reason why 

 the resemblance has not been noticed is that the stranger has 

 confused the light working coat worn by the West Cornwall 

 native with that of the butcher, so common in other parts of 

 England. To the native, it is unnoticed because so usual. This 

 lightish-blue colour in the material of the jackets worn is most 

 noticeable, and one might almost say universal. Some few years 

 ago the usage seemed to be dying out, but now (1899) it has 

 recovered new life, and is more common than ever. Has the 

 colour lingered on from the blue woad of the ancient Britons ? 



