042 
By way of evidence, 1 may refer to the Sheriff's Court at 
Peebles, year by year. Probably the rustic ceremony of 
Plough Monday may be referred to the same source, as it 
occurs in January, between the autumn and spring plough- 
ings, and cannot therefore be referred to agricultural usage. 
The old English custom of Christmas, or Yule (or Yeul) 
" logs," was derived from the same origin, especially as the 
orthodox plan was to save a portion of each year's log to 
light the log of the following year. 
So also a custom, now almost lost, of Christinas candles, 
i.e., each member of a family lighted a candle for himself on 
Christmas eve. 
The very name "Yeul" seems to be derived from the 
sun. In Sanscrit, "Heii;" Greek, "Helios;" Welsh, "Haul;" 
Armorican, " Haul " and " Heol ; " Cornish, " Houl " and 
" Heul." 
The most remarkable remains of Baal worship are the 
Baalfires which a few years ago were very generally lighted 
on May-day, or May-eve ; and from this circumstance May- 
day is still called Bheall-tainn, the "fire of Baal." It is a 
common saying " o' Bheall-tainn gu Samh-uinn," i.e., "from 
Whitsuntide to Hallow-een;" referring to the two grand 
DruidicaJ feasts, viz., Baal's fire and the fire of peace. The 
latter of these was on Hallow-een, when the Druids went 
round on circuit, as Samuel did, to judge the people. Every 
fire was extinguished and rekindled by holy fire, kindled and 
consecrated by the Druids. No excommunicate person was 
allowed to have it, and no friend or neighbour dared to 
supply him. He was thus doomed to cold and misery till 
he made peace with the Druids. Hence it was that the 
Druidical tenet of " Hell " was diametrically opposite to our 
own, viz., instead of everlasting fire it was everlasting cold, 
fogs, and damp morasses. It is strange that the Gaelic word 
for hell, even now, bears witness to this notion, being 
