POPULAR ANTIQUITIES. 133 



only by the elevation of a bush or a tall pole, on the highest 

 eminence of the stream work. 



The second Thursday before Christmas-day is Pkrous Day, still 

 kept, but with zio other distinctive ceremonies than a supper and 

 much merry-making. The owner of the tin-stream contributes 

 towards this festivity a shilling for each man. I would ask par- 

 ticular attention to the tradition which says that this feast is 

 intended to commemorate the discovery of tin by a man named 

 " Picrous." It would be interesting to know, from other correspond- 

 ents, whether such a belief is held by tinners in other districts. 

 My first impression was that the day might take its name from 

 the circumstance of a pie forming the pihce de resistance of the 

 supper; but this' explanation is not allowed by tinners, nor sanc- 

 tioned by the usages of the feast. What truth there may be in 

 this tradition of the first tinner Picrous, it is now too late to 

 discover ; but the notion is worth recording. It has occurred to 

 me, whether, from some similarity between the names, (not a 

 close one, I admit), the honour of Picrous may not have been 

 transferred to St. Piran, usually reputed to be the patron-saint of 

 tinners. Many more violent transformations than this mark the 

 adaptation of heathen customs to Christian times. Polwhele 

 says : " The tinners of the county hold some holidays peculiar to 

 themselves, which may be traced up to the days of saintly super- 

 stition. The Jeuhivhychi, or White Thursday before Christmas, 

 and St. Piran's Day, are deemed sacred in the mining districts." 

 {Hist, of C, V. I, p. 132, note). In the Blackmoor district, I have 

 never seen the slightest recognition of St. Piran, who seems to 

 have been, like St. Keyne, " no over holy saint " ; and his connec- 

 tion with tinning, as given by Polwhele, has always been received 

 here as a novel piece of information. The Feast of St. Piran is 

 on the 5th of March; to which the nearest of our holidays is 

 Friday in Lide. 



A record of the customs of other tin districts would be very 

 acceptable, as helping to elucidate those strange but very inter- 

 esting antiquities. 



D 3 



