This little hand book deals with the curious customs and traditions, chiefly in West Kerry, in common with other parts of Ireland. It is the fourth book issued by the author on Corkaguiny, of a series designated to present to the reader all essential historical, curious customs, and traditional information, relating to the County of Kerry.

In undertaking the toils of this particular volume, the principal object the writer has in view is first and foremost to destroy the hatcheries of all objectionable remains of foreign superstitions, customs, fraudulent practices, and like diseases imposed upon us, and which may still be found here and there lingering in the district. By discriminating between truth and falsehood, giving reason and common sense for what is nonsensical and discreditable, the author expects to weed out of the minds of the future manhood of this locality the superstitious poison of foreign countries, handed down to us through "wise, sensible and truthful" old women, and instead thereof he is endeavoring to kindle in the breast of every young man the spirit of being reasonably fearless in supernatural affairs, self-reliant, careful, truthful and just in other matters.

The second aim of the author is to record a few of the most important curious customs and traditions of the people in the past. This is done both for the amusement and the information of the coming generation. However, it is well to remember that this is not a complete list. The author left behind him sufficient materials for others to follow on the trail which he is the first to "blaze" in those parts.

Writers and tourists visiting West Kerry and reading this book, might be inclined to go away under the impression that the people of Corkaguiny are exceptionally superstitious and peculiar, as compared with those of other portions of the United Kingdom and the world. If we will but calmly examine the records and customs of the world, we will at the first glance see that even in our darkest hour we were far in advance of many of them in that respect. About the Thirteenth or Fourteenth Century, superstitions began to creep in amongst Christians. They increased in many forms immediately. In Ireland slight traces of the old Pagan superstitions lingered amongst the people, but between 1580 and 1736 in England, no less than thirty thousand persons were publicly hanged for being witches, and most of the poor innocent creatures were burned at the stake. The most learned judges of the English courts declared from their benches that witchcraft existed, and that persons in one league with the devil could raise storms, destroy life and property, by no further act than taking off their stockings and steeping them in soap and water. They even went so far as to force their victims to believe and confess that they were witches. Only that England was so much engaged in hounding to death the Catholic priests, Heaven knows how many more would have fallen.

In 1716 it appears one Mrs. Hicks and her little daughter were hanged for selling their souls to the devil, and their accusers charged them with raising a storm by soaking stockings in a lather of soap.

Scotland was buried in superstition. Calvin and Luther, both the great heads of the Protestant Reformation, believed in witchcraft, and the King of Scotland, when he ascended the throne of England, by tongue, pen and fire, advocated the rack for the witches.

I believe Italy, Spain and France, three Catholic countries, were the first to reject witchcraft. Germany, although at first very slow to believe in witchcraft, burned them by the thousands, and that in a most barbarous manner. The Puritan fathers of New England had the hangman's rope pretty busy in Boston Common with the witches of Salem, Massachusetts, and the Quakers of other parts of the State. If a man did not believe in witches, he was classed worse than a heretic.

Public execution of witches in England was stopped by law, I believe about the year 1736. During all that time Ireland was trampled under the heels of superstitions. Anglo-Norman lords were a party to the laws which caused so much innocent blood to flow as divine perfume from 1600 to 1736, in cases of witchcraft and "Papists," both in England and her colonies. Naturally, their castles in Ireland had the foul air of superstition and adoration about them. In Ireland they suppressed education, and tried to make themselves the only lords which the people had to serve and adore on earth or in heaven. They abused their powers, and the Irish people at last refused to have those false Gods, and now they are almost driven out of the country.

Irishmen were not ever very much inclined to marry their daughters to those degenerated "false gods," bearing a British or foreign title. They usually left such honors to the ladies of other countries, many of the latter unfortunate vain-minded creatures afterwards returning to their native lands bringing, in addition to a costly bought title, a decree of divorce. It ought to be remembered that even today, notwithstanding England's proud boast of democracy, it is probably the worst country in the world for rank, title and blue-blood lords—one class looking down with contempt on the other. In the House of Lords you have dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, bishops and barons. They cannot understand that "all men were created equal," only when they want the common people to fight their battles.

Notwithstanding the isolated and backward state of Ireland under alien rule, yet as far as the author can ascertain the Irish people never demanded a single life to be sacrificed in cases of witchcraft, and if any individual fell, it was at the command of the foreigner and to satisfy his craving for blood and sacrifice. Ireland appears to be much cleaner from superstition than her neighbors in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries of the Christian era.

The writer is not finding fault with the people of those countries which honestly believed in the existence of witches, but he is protesting against those who leave the very dens of superstition and come to Ireland to magnify trifles, at the same time pretending that they have none of their own. Every country has had people some of whom are more or less superstitious. It is not even confined to any one religion. In many houses in America for good luck you will find the horseshoe nailed inside over the door. There are locomotive engineers in the New England States who will not very willingly take out a train engine bearing the number "thirteen." Persons traveling with me refused to sleep in the next vacant room to me in Seattle, Washington, because the number of it was "thirteen." Among the first who followed the trail of the "forty-niners" to California, were persons who would not start on any part of their journey on a Friday, and through superstition carried the feet of rabbits with them in their pockets.

A lady in one of the New England States in the East, who proudly boasted of her forefathers crossing the Atlantic in the "Mayflower," objected in my presence to rocking an empty cradle because it would bring misfortune to the house.

As late as December, 1910, I saw persons within Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts, watching patiently for the resurrection of Mrs. Baker Eddy, the head of Christian Science. These and many of her followers firmly believed she would reappear and deliver a message from the dead to the living. However, the learned lady is still sleeping in silence. What would the English press say if this happened in Ireland?

With regard to Irish kings, they were not inferior to the latter-day kings of England. King John of England in 1204 imprisoned Jews, plucked out their teeth and eyes and slaughtered them. He was excommunicated by the Pope. King Henry VIII murdered four of his wives and ripped one of them open on child's birth to have a son succeed him to the throne. Englishmen ought to read the sad story of the Tower of London before opening their lips on ancient Irish kings.

Then, as to morals, the author believes Ireland will be found as clean from the scarlet plague of the "red-light district" as any country in the world. Look at the British soldiers who boasted that they were going to "defend the Catholic nuns in Belgium from the Huns," destroying the women of their own land by the thousands before leaving for the front!

Now, as to curious customs, you will find boys and girls "courting" in Ireland, "bundling" in Wales, "spooning" until midnight in the United States, and for three long years a young man with window bars between him and his sweetheart is "playing the bear" in Mexico, before he is admitted into her room, even in presence of members of her family. In England, every third county has had a different custom, and many of them are considered pretty objectionable.

The original intention of the author was to have his work printed in Ireland, for Irish readers, but that horrible war in Europe, which has caused the most widespread pain, misery and suffering ever inflicted upon the human race, made him change his plans, and print the book in the United States, but the cost will be much more and the price of each copy proportionately higher.

By the campfires of California, and in the sandy desert of Nevada, over five thousand miles away from his native land, this book has been written by the author during his spare hours. Therefore, the writer knows that faults will be found with the work, and errors discovered therein. However, he is confident that it is free from serious errors. Apart from the honest critic, of course, there will appear the natural-born "fault-finder." To men of the latter disposition the writer has no apology to offer, and it is his intention to take no notice of anything said or written by such persons, further than to express his regret that they did not undertake the work themselves, and, whenever his rights shall expire, they will have an opportunity to improve, alter, or amend his plans—probably about forty-four years' time.

This work is not expected to satisfy all classes. The author has no intention whatsoever of giving offense to any person, religion, race or nationality, but it is to be feared that in his effort to establish truth and equity passages may appear herein which will displease some individuals. If so, the writer very much regrets it, but at the same time the reader should remember that it is his duty to record those regrettable events and set them in a true light for the judges of the future world.

In style and arrangement of this book there is a slight departure from the plans of his previous works, namely, that each subject set forth herein will be found in alphabetical order. This he trusts will prove satisfactory to the reader.

AUTHOR.

Dated in the State of Nevada, this 4th day of July, 1915.

All Fools' Day.—This falls on the first of April, when it is customary to play tricks upon each other. The young people find great diversion in sending persons on errands which end in disappointment for the sendee and merriment for the sender, the laugh at all times being in proportion to the trouble given.

Among some of the tricks played was at a very early hour in the morning to knock at a window and call a farmer out of bed, telling him that cattle had destroyed his potatoes and corn fields. He would run with all his might, sometimes half undressed, to find no cattle before him.

Pieces of paper would be pinned onto the tails of a coat and valuable looking packages containing a stone or a piece of iron would be left in the track of a passerby so that if he kicked it he would remember it. Sometimes a stiff purse would be placed on the road or footpath with a string attached to it, and it would be jerked away by those hiding behind a fence, gate or doorway when the fool would be in the act of grasping for it. Probably this custom originated in France and was borrowed by England, to whom we are indebted for it.

Ancient Crossroads and Burial Customs.—At funerals to the west of Dingle, a custom prevails of lowering the coffin containing the remains at certain ancient crossroads and praying for the dead. This is not practiced on the Castle Gregory side of Brandon Mountain, but there, on lowering the coffin into the grave, the nails are drawn from the cover of the coffin.

The custom of lowering the coffin at crossroads is a very ancient one, not alone in the Dingle district, but in other countries outside of Ireland. The origin of it was due to persons who committed suicide not allowed to be interred in consecrated ground, were buried upon the nearest crossroad thereto, i. e., at the junction of four roads.[12] Whenever a funeral passed by, the corpse was lowered, people knelt and prayed for the soul of the persons buried at the crossroads.

In the course of time the custom of burying dead bodies on the crossroads went out of practice, and the names of the persons buried there were forgotten, but the habit of lowering the dead body continued and a prayer was offered to God for both those buried on the crossroads and also for the soul of the person whose funeral then took place. Then when the penal laws were enforced, with military in Dingle, the religious rites which should be said at the graveside for the deceased were recited at the old crossroads.[12] Praying for the dead at ancient crossroads nearest the graveyards, therefore, is an act of piety and charity of an old standing.

Ancient National Dances.—The most common dances[13] in our locality were jigs, reels, hornpipe and country dance, or Reencafadah. These were followed by a form of dance called "sets," and the German "waltz" was transmitted to us by the English. Movable platforms for dancing upon them were placed on the country crossroads, and boys and girls danced in the open air in the afternoons on Sundays. The clergy took a dislike to all dances, with the result that open-air dancing was almost suppressed, but of recent years it was revived by the Gaelic League.

Ardnane.—Carding, spinning and story telling by night is now gone out of fashion—newspapers are driving away the latter.

Banshee.—This is supposed to be a fairy visitant in the shape of an old woman whose wailing around the home of a sick person foretold death. Of course, it is superstition to think that an old woman dead and gone will return from the grave wailing or calling for her victim, or carry off a member of any family.

Nevertheless, there must be something of an unknown nature existing in the shape of a wireless telephone, electric feeling or otherwise in the blood, flesh or nature of certain Celtic families whereby some relative of a sudden feels, pictures and imagines death, trouble or misfortune approaching without apparently any means of knowing it at the time. I hope science will soon more clearly solve the cause of this and thereby strip off all superstition and uncertainty.

Begrudging.—Persons admiring beasts or individuals and praising them without saying "God bless them," if they died or became sick the blame would be laid onto them, and some would say such a person possessed an "evil eye" and his visits thereafter would not be very desirable. However, this superstition can be found as bad in other countries.

Bellman.—The bellman with his hand-bell still survives in Dingle. He usually announces sales by public auction. Missing or impounded cattle, also property lost or found, money lost about thirty-three years ago and found by another, were nearly always recovered by giving a shilling or one shilling and sixpence to the bellman. I am sure this was due to the moral influence of the clergy over the people.

The most notable bellman at the end of the last century was Markim. He was succeeded by Michael O'Sullivan.

Blind Fiddlers and Flute Players.—The custom of blind fiddlers and flute players, accompanied by members of their families, going on a quarterly circuit among the villages has now fallen into disuse. Formerly, when one of them entered the village he would be entertained, given two or three nights' lodging and a collection started for him. The boys and girls of the surrounding villages would assemble and these would be dancing until cock-crow in the morning.

Boats and Canoes Haunted and Made Useless.—A great trick to make a boat or canoe useless was to pretend to see it on sea with some mysterious persons in it, and that on approaching the boat or canoe for the purpose of speaking to its occupants, they disappeared suddenly as if the "earth, sky or sea swallowed them." If the crew were at home and not fishing that night, and the tale was told by a respectable person or corroborated by one who was not a notorious liar no person would venture into the boat or canoe forever after.

One-third of these visions were imaginary; two-thirds were founded by jealous neighbors and malicious persons who saw themselves outstripped by the success of some local families or crew as fishermen, consequently this superstition more rapidly died out.

Bodach.—This is represented by parents to children as the figure of an old beggar-man, at night looking through windows and making horrible faces against panes of glass, carrying a big sack and prepared to take with him children who he might find crying without cause or wandering out into undesirable places in the dark.

Children ought to be told the truth, namely, that faces made against the windows are done by members of the family in order to frighten them. These false impressions created in the minds of innocent children at such an early age make their lives so miserable to them in after years that they imagine every bush that shakes after dark is a ghost or a fairy.

Bone Fires.—The custom of lighting bone fires on St. John's Eve is very much on the decline in this peninsula. In Castle Gregory boys and girls used to remain awake all night, dancing around them for amusement. Bone fire is said to be derived from the Canduaoin "baun fire," a beacon fire. A bone fire might mean a fire of bones, a fire of corpse, a funeral pile or a fire for destroying heretics, but whatever be the origin of it, one thing is certain, that bone fires existed long before the dawn of Christianity.

Bone Setters.—These were persons who made it a practice to set broken bones, but the dispensary doctor quickly sent them out of business.

Brack-an-Tobar.—All the holy wells in the country are supposed to have enchanted fish which never grew larger or smaller, and some believed that water containing the fish, if taken from the well, would never heat nor boil until both water and fish were returned. People of the present day treat this as a fish story.

Brandon Mountain's Western Slope Held Sacred.—For a long time the inhabitants treated the western slopes of Brandon Mountain so sacred through reverence for St. Brandon and his monks as not to allow any living animal to be killed thereon except fish caught in the rivulets of Feoghanagh and Shaunakyle and given to the poor or taken by them as charity. The fish taken from these streams had to be eaten at once and could not be kept beyond the second night without eating. Birds within that sacred ground were nearly tame and hares when pursued by the hounds following in their tracks, as soon as the hares crossed the River of Feoghanagh, the hounds were stopped by the hunters. Cattle, wild deer, boars and all like animals therein were protected. I believe "Park Garrive" was about the last place here wherein hunting was strictly forbidden.

Brendon (Saint) Feast.—This was held on the 22nd of March, but from time immemorial is gone out of practice.

St. Brendon died on the 16th of May.

Changelings.—Fairies at one time were supposed to steal or spirit away a fine, rosy-cheeked, healthy-looking child or young person and take him off to Teer-Na-Oge, leaving a very thin, pale-faced, silent weakling instead of the person stolen behind them who in the dead of night changed into a withered crone. Medical science has proved this change to be done by consumption and other like causes, therefore the fairy thief is disappearing here faster than in other countries.

Charms.—Not very long since, "respectable" people went to "wise" old women to seek foolish cures for sickness by means of charms. I believe I heard about one hundred diseases mentioned, each of which I was told could be cured by a charm—consumption and the "fallen" sickness were amongst them. Men also pretended to heal horses and cattle by charms.

One of the most pitiable cases to come under my notice was at Cloushguire, Castle Gregory, where an old man at a very early hour of the morning was carrying on his performance over an old horse. It surprised me to find in such an enlightened place as Castle Gregory any person guilty of such folly as to believe in curing ailments by charms. Corkaguiny in general, I believe, stands as clean from superstition and charms as any barony in the British Isles, judging by the latter actions in foreign lands. The ignorance and superstitions of the few now amongst us are all nearly melted away before the bright rays of science and education.

Contracts with the Devil.—Some time ago quite a few were to be found who believed that noted card players had attained the art of winning as a result of a contract made by them with the devil, which contract was confirmed at a general meeting of the witches and ghosts over which the devil himself presided and the persons signed the articles of agreement with their own blood. To obtain possession of the soul was the main object of the devil. For a wise spirit like "Old Nick," he used to sometimes make very silly contracts. Then they thought of sleight-of-hand and other tricks. When the country became properly policed, the robbers and thieves, with the ghosts and devils, disappeared.

In England persons were hanged for selling their souls to the devil, and by virtue of the contract raised storms.

Cross Thursday, or La croista na blianna.—In olden times people would not like to start doing anything on Cross Thursday, especially the grandmothers of the present age. Carding, spinning, etc., were sure to be suspended. Ask them why suspend spinning, etc., on that day, and they would only tell you that it was not for them to break an old custom which was accompanied by an old saying that if anything was started on Cross Thursday it would never be completed.

I believe that this day must have been observed at some time as a holiday in Ireland. No doubt but it had a religious origin connecting it with the order given by Herod the Great to murder the children of Bethlehem and its coast in order to cut off Jesus, who was born about the same time. Jesus escaped by being taken by His mother into Egypt.

This day is also known as Innocents' Day.

Death Warning.—The following were considered as sure warnings of impending death if any of them were seen or heard by a relative, namely: Dogs barking at the moon or the ghosts of the living; headless coach approaching; weeping of women; the Banshee's wail; sounds of a carpenter's hammer making a coffin; funeral processions; spots of blood on the floor, ground or roadway.

Of course, there were several others, but the above were most commonly mentioned.

Easter Sunday Sun Dance on Easter Sunday Morning.—That the sun can be seen dancing in the heavens on Easter Sunday morning is a widespread superstition, more or less all around the whole globe. It is quite true that almost every Easter Sunday morning in our parts we have fine, bright sunshine, but this is due to the fact that at that season of the year everything in the ground is springing out fresh and green, and the warm heat of summer is approaching. When I was a little boy of about nine or ten years of age, I was often told that if I got up very early on Easter Sunday morning, I would see the sun dancing with a lamb, a cross, and a bird on its face. I did so, but of course I was disappointed. I dare say that many of those who were telling me then that I could see the sun dance on Easter Sunday thought Lent so dreary and long that they wished to see the Easter Sunday morning sun so that they could be at liberty to dance. Eggs are eaten in no small quantities on this morning.

On Easter Sunday dancing on the old crossroads called "Coughlanes" started. However, if one immoral case or any immodest transaction occurred in a parish, it often happened that dances and dancing schools in the entire district were wholly suppressed by the word of the parish priest and the dancing master turned away.

Sun dancing on Easter Sunday may be traced back to a heathen custom when the spectators themselves danced at a festival in honor of the sun after the vernal equinox.

Eastern, Protestant and Catholic Winds.—A member of the Protestant Episcopal religion came under my notice who made it a practice to remain out on the night of the 31st of December until New Year's morning that he might see with his own eyes if the wind was favorable to the Protestants. If at midnight it blew from the east, it would indicate to him that the Protestants would be very prosperous that year, but if it blew from any other direction he would become restless and uneasy. Should it happen to blow from the west, he would express such words as "God help us poor Protestants; everything is going against us and in the way of the Roman Catholics this year." I have no doubt but some Catholics might then be found possessed of a like superstition.

Fallen Angels.—These were supposed to be in the air, in the house, and everywhere, and had the power "of good and evil." They could use a bush for a horse and ride all over the country. As they were considered pretty active gentlemen by night for hurling persons, standing in their way was not always safe. If they gave you a blow of their hurley on the head, you would not know what happened to you. Physicians now have found a cure for nearly all diseases, consequently such ignorance quickly disappeared.

Funeral Bells.—The custom of tolling bells slowly and solemnly three times for funerals is carried on in Dingle both in the Catholic and Protestant churches.[14] The ringing of a hand bell through the streets of Dingle to summon the people to mass is many years gone out of practice.

Gates of Glory.—These are Gallauns standing at Milltown, Dingle. Probably they were first erected as landmarks. At a later period they served another purpose. Persons amenable to the town court for certain acts, such as debts and the like, were considered outside its jurisdiction when beyond those stones or landmarks. I was told that it often happened orders were obtained against deceased persons who owed money and the body arrested and held without burial up to, but not exceeding, nine days, unless some friend paid the debt. However, if the corpse escaped beyond the "Gates of Glory" the court was unable to follow it and those in the funeral could stone the bailiff. Consequently those stones were designated the Gates of Glory.

Ghosts' Spirits Cannot Cross Running Water.—The reasons for persons believing that a ghost or a fairy will not follow them through any river or stream which is not bridged over or has no stepping stones is because when they with fear suddenly plunge into a deep hole in a river the cold water gives the nerves such a shock that it drives away all terror. If a man was hounded by an enemy and believed his life was in danger, he would quickly forget the ghosts and even hide in a graveyard if he thought that by so doing he would escape from his pursuer.

Glas-Guineach.—This cow was remarkable for giving a large quantity of milk. She belonged to the monks then residing at Kilmalckedor, was well fed and grazed upon the best patches of sweet pasture in the district. A thief attempted to steal her, but was captured in the act. To make an example of him, his finger prints and the impression of the cow's hoofs for future reference and to warn the people of the district to be aware of him were cut or set into the stones by some natural art touching finger prints then known to those monks. The stories of the Glas-Guinach are numerous and interesting. Children inclined to steal were reminded of what happened to the thief who stole the monk's cow.

Gospels.—These are received from a priest, sewn into a piece of cloth, worn on necks of some children.

Haunted Houses.—Three houses in the whole barony of Corkaguiny are all I can discover to have the reputation of being haunted now. Thieves, robbers and persons of fraudulent and dishonest intentions manufactured ghosts and imposed them on their innocent neighbors as haunting certain places, while in other cases where an unnatural death took place, such as murder, suicide or the like, a fear would seize the person finding the corpse or one hearing about it. Children seeing white boys assembled by night in open places and not knowing who they were prolonged the belief in the ghosts and fairies.

Headless Coach Stories.—These are wicked lies which were told on winter nights at the firesides by old people and imposed upon children as real truth. To make it more serious, the storyteller would put on a long, solemn face and speak in whispers. He would start and describe in detail the make, appearance and movements of the headless coach, thereby terrorizing the very lives in us children, so much so that we would not willingly come home after dark unless accompanied by another. There never was such a thing as a headless coach in our parts, and some old people there are guilty of a very serious crime in poisoning and destroying the minds of young children with such horrid tales.

Hold Out the Hand and Split the Difference.—In selling or buying horses, cattle, sheep and hogs at fairs and markets a peculiar custom prevails. When the buyer and seller are within a few shillings of a bargain a friendly neighbor asks them to "split the difference" and places their hands together. Another habit is for a buyer, when making an offer which he expects will be accepted by the seller, to ask the seller to open his hand. This being done, he slaps the open hand in token of an agreement as he makes what he pretends to be his last bid.

Holy Water Bottles in Canoes.—There is a custom among fishermen to the west of Dingle of carrying very small bottles containing holy water tightly corked and fastened by a strong string to their canoes when going to sea.

Holy Wells (See "His. Co. Kerry"—Corkaguiny).—Pilgrims to holy wells leave rags, copper coins and other quite valueless tokens behind them in paying rounds, at Brandon Mountain shrine and other like places.

Horn Dance.—This peculiar dance was introduced into these parts by persons of foreign descent in gentlemen's houses, and it disappeared with them. In dancing, they wore horns and had bells on their feet.

Horseshoe Nailed Over the Door.—This class of superstition I find more common in the United States of America than elsewhere. Of course, it is brought by Europeans into the country, chiefly by Jews.

Hurley.—In former times this was considered a very fine play in those parts but now is altogether extinct. Two men courting the same girl often challenged each other to a hurling match in front of the girl, and the man successful claimed her affection.

I Usga Bagha, i. e., the Water of Life.[15]—This was the name applied to whisky. A custom of hanging a bush, a jug and a glass in front of a house having spirits for sale, and such notices as refreshments for man and beast, disappeared with the enforcement of the license laws and were replaced by the show card.

Judges Bringing Bad Weather to Kerry.—Many persons believe that the judges of the assizes in their circuit bring with them bad weather to the County of Kerry, due to so many false oaths being sworn before them and therefore so much wrong done in the name of justice. Consequently, apart from any other reason, their lordships are considered very undesirable visitors to the county by most of the people outside of the legal profession. It is quite true that at nearly all times in the last century when the assizes were held in Tralee it was either raining or the sky was dark and gloomy and the weather bad. This probably was due to the season of the year in which the assizes were usually held. However, more noticeable was the weather on the mornings of the executions in Tralee Jail of persons condemned to death by judges and packed juries, but innocent in the minds of the people.

Lady Day.—This was the patron day of Dingle. It was held on the 8th of September.

Leprachawn.—This is the name given to a shoemaker appearing in several fairy tales. He is supposed to be a very rich little gentleman and a native of Teer-Na-Oge, who appears very often amongst briers, bushes and boulders. He is not more than six inches in height, is often dressed in a nice green coat ornamented with gold and silver lace, wears knee breeches and a red cap. They tell me he works very hard at mending shoes. His shelves are covered with stacks of gold coin, and in addition he has many crocks of this precious metal. While he is working it is very easy to steal upon him and catch him. I am told that whenever you lay your hands upon him you should seize him quickly and, although his shrill screams will be heart-rending, do not loosen your hold, and at the same time you must not take your eyes off the gold, for if you do he will surely change it into brown leaves and pay you off with a half-sovereign. I fear that most of those who saw the Leprachawn were paid off with brown leaves. If a remarkably poor person became suddenly rich, and was anxious to keep his neighbors in the dark as to the source of his changed position, he was sure to tell them that he captured a Leprachawn.

Lycanthropy.—Here is another wicked superstition, viz., that persons in league with the devil can assume other forms, such as a dog, etc. I am very glad I cannot now find one person to credit such tales.

Marriages and Weddings.—Many of the peculiar customs attached to marriages and wedding feasts are slowly but surely changing for the better. Imitations of the false standards of "decency" set up by the middlemen of the previous centuries are fast disappearing. However, the people, both in town and country, are still too extravagant with their marriages and weddings, and in some instances the marriage fees are unreasonably excessive when compared with the offering made for a like ceremony in other countries. Rare cases of this kind unfortunately rob the marriage of its sacramental appearance and bring it to the level of a civil contract. The practice of making a collection amongst the parties attending a wedding feast and offering it to the curate and clerk is now almost out of fashion.

May Day.—The superstitions connected with May Day were numerous and widespread. That day people watched their cattle. Bad women with their wooden milk gallons placed under their aprons watched for an opportunity to steal upon their neighbors' cows to milk them. Witches were believed to go about as hares. These superstitions, I am glad to say, are now very rare.

Mistletoe.—Kissing under the mistletoe was a custom which is now almost dead and gone, at least in West Kerry. In our part of the county it was a very innocent amusement, and I never heard of a single instance in which it was abused. The custom was this: At Christmas a piece of mistletoe was hung up over the doorway leading into the kitchen or some other favorable place, and whenever a young girl stood under it a young man claimed—and nearly always exercised—a right to kiss the girl and pluck off a berry for each kiss. Sometimes in the town of Dingle two or three young men would stand on a street corner having a piece of mistletoe with them and would kiss every girl that happened to come their way. A girl who would make persons believe that she was running away trying to avoid being kissed by the boys was sure to be hunted until caught; then the mistletoe would be held over her head until she was given at least a half-dozen kisses by each of her captors.

Although it is the relic of pagan days, the mistletoe was hung up in churches during Christmas, but because young people, instead of praying and assisting properly at mass, were kissing, courting and rehearsing the marriage ceremony over eligibles, thereby causing the whole congregation to pass from one uproar of laughter into another, both the mistletoe and the kisses were abolished, and the holly, with its numerous thorns, substituted for the mistletoe, thereby warning them of the fact that going through marriage was like drawing them through a thicket of holly and briars, the thorns of which might pierce them to the quick.

Mother Carey's Chickens or Stormy Petrels.—This was the term applied to flocks of small web-footed birds about the size of a chicken or even smaller than blackbirds. Their appearance is neat and they are always on the wing. They are found pretty numerous at times in the Blasket Islands and Skellig Rocks, but their whole time is spent on the ocean. The reason they are called "Mother Carey's Chickens" is because fishermen and local sailors say they are the first and most reliable birds to give sailors warning of the approach of a storm by rushing in flocks towards them whistling "Wee, wee!" But I do not know how correct that can be, for I find that their greatest delight is in rough weather and storms. The meaning of the expression, "Mother Carey," is said to be "Mother Dear," and is intended for the Virgin Mary, due to the fact that she was considered the patroness of sailors.

In the daytime these birds never seem to swim, but while on the wing allow their feet to touch the water, and naturalists say from its walking appearance upon the waves like the Apostle Peter, the name "Petrel" was applied to them.

Whenever superstitious sailors of other countries see a flock of these merry sea birds following their ship, they try to kill them, owing to the birds' delight in storms. They believe bad luck follows their trail, that they cause storms, and they call them the "devil's birds," but the truth is that as they don't appear to dive like other sea birds they more easily pick up their food from the surge than in calm water. (See my "History of the Skellig and Blasket Islands" for an account of these birds.)

Mug.—The large wooden mug, cups and gallons are now out of use. However, a few can still be found in country homes.

Mugs.—A name given to a party of striplings who went around first kissing the pretty girls and making mouths at the coarse and older ones. In course of time, rough and ignorant characters joined in and became such a nuisance that the girls protested against them and called them "Mugs," no doubt after the Muns of England, who carried on much the same practice with the breaking of windows, wrenching of knockers added. The latter too was extended to those parts by the rowdy element.

Pagan Wells, Lises and Fairy Tales.—Lises are found everywhere in the barony. They were erected within view of each other, so that in event of an attack on one lis or a fort a fire kept burning would be extinguished as an alarm signal. These forts are surrounded by the best quality of land in their immediate vicinity. Fairy tales are connected with every one of them. Some people frightened the lives in little children with fairy tales and ghost stories. Those stories had this much of a foundation in our locality: In the beginning of the Eighteenth Century when the British law prohibited the exportation or sale of wool to any other country but to themselves, farmers became engaged in smuggling wool to France, where they received as high as two shilling, sixpence (sixty cents) a pound from France. Cutters brought wines and brandies with them, which were often hidden in specially prepared chambers in forts, lises and cahirs, near the sea coast. To keep children away so as not to give information, they told them that the men seen in those forts and lises were fairies. This helped to prolong the life of the old tales. Every cave to the west of Dingle was filled with wool, trying to smuggle it to a convenient place for loading it into ships. The French pretended they were carrying from Ireland emigrants called the "Wild Geese," i. e., Catholics who were forbidden by law to live in Ireland. The magistrates who were supposed to stop it were engaged in this illicit trade. Amongst the most objectionable was their description of the headless coach leaving a burial ground going in the direction of some dying person and returning with its victim, the Banshee's lonely wail, the appearance of a golden-haired woman courting with fairy pleasure some fine young man trying to take him into fairyland. However, worse still were their representations of dances at the ancient crossroads by young men and maidens years in their graves, long funeral processions of the dead at night through certain roads in which a living companion of the dead would pretend to see and recognize some of his dead neighbors and at the same time he would order those in his company who could see nothing wrong to step aside and let the dead pass.

The least objectionable fables are the mermaids and their enchanted capes and the enchanted music of the dead, how St. Patrick tricked the snakes and serpents, the appearance of strange and mysterious ships at sea leading sailors and fishermen to their doom, the Broack-an-rubber, Feon Macoal, Diamond and Grana, chieftains clad in white armor riding on horses shod with gold shoes galloping through the country every May morning and serpents in lake.

Pagan wells, too, were deemed sacred because old Druids washed and dressed the wounds of soldiers and persons injured in them.

Patron Days.—These are held where Christian churches were erected, consecrated and dedicated to that particular saint whose festival falls on or about the day on which the patron is held. It was so very hard to overthrow pagan celebrations, which continued for a long time after the dawn of Christianity in Ireland, the clergy, and wise Christians, too, admonished the people to abandon the custom of attending pagan meetings in mountains and other like places and started sports on patron days close to their churches, and in this manner completely exterminated the adoration of idols.

In the middle of the last century, excessive drinking and an occasional street fight tended to degrade them. Long ago they served their purpose and at present no objection could be held against them if they were held completely dry.[16]

Penitent Pilgrims of the Cat-Brack.—Catholics attending Protestant Bible classes, reading their literature or listening to a funeral service during the fearful religious quarrels of what is known as the "Souper campaign," as a part of their penance had to go from Dingle to Killarney, a distance of over forty miles. Some very old men did the journey on foot. Amongst the reasons for taking exception to a funeral service was that Protestant writers, in boasting of the success of their mission, classed Roman Catholics standing around the coffin while the funeral service was read at the graveside as "converts" to Protestantism. The result was that Catholics attending the funeral of a Protestant neighbor or relative would accompany the corpse no further than the gate to the graveyard or burial ground or keep a reasonable distance away until the religious services were ended.

Racing at Weddings.—The custom of men riding saddle horses, racing with each other to see who would be the first to reach the newly married girl to bring her home to the wedding, is now almost dead and gone, but the spirit survives.

Red Lighted Coals of Fire Given Out of the House.—Old women in country villages prevented fire to be given out of their houses, and insisted on all men smoking extinguishing all the fire in their pipes before leaving the house was, I believe, the most ignorant superstition I ever saw practiced. A farmer's wife feared that if you should carry a lighted pipe from their house into another, it would enable the person carrying same to transfer milk and butter from one farmer to another, and he could do many other things.

Rounds.—Paying rounds around holy wells and shrines are very much on the decline.

Shea-Hated by the Mermaids of the Sea.—It is almost impossible for persons bearing the name of Shea or O'Shea to obtain partners to join them fishing in any harbor in the barony, due to the fact that people are afraid that if they had an O'Shea or Shea in their boats or canoes they would be drowned. For this belief a thousand reasons are sometimes given. However, after setting aside tales appertaining to mermaids, spirits of the deep, legends and superstitions, the striking fact remains that of the names of persons drowned in this peninsula within the last century the surname of Shea or O'Shea outstrip all others, and this is the more remarkable when taken into consideration that through fear in storms very few of them will take the risks of their fellow fishermen. Possibly when caught in sea trouble the want of confidence arising from superstition may have something to do with it.

Snap Apple Nights, or All Hallow Eve.—This night falls on the 31st of October. Up until near the end of the last century, it was a night of sport by young people in those parts by trying to extract fun and prophecy from fruit and beans. Amongst other things, they place beans together in pairs in the ashes close to the heat of the fire for the supposed lovers, one named for the boy and the other for the girl. If the beans burn brightly and quietly together, it indicated that the young man and the young girl so indicated would be married, but if they cracked and jumped apart from each other they would never be married. From the ashes many a strange tale would be foretold. After one pair jumped apart, another pair of beans would be tried and some other likely lovers named for each.

Young persons also would dip for apples in tubs of water and endeavor to bring one up in the mouth by pressing it against the bottom of the tub. Sometimes an apple would hang from a cord and they would try to catch it with their mouths while in circular motion. In catching apples, hands should not be used.

I knew of one girl who privately melted lead several times and each time threw it into water, in hopes that she could foresee her future husband to be a ploughman possessing horses, cattle and ploughs. I know that she got married to a farmer, not because the lead and water conveyed anything of the kind, but her heart and mind was set on having a farmer as her husband.

This is a superstitious practice handed down to us from the Druids. Formerly these things were a ceremony of belief, but with few exceptions in our parts this superstitious belief has disappeared and now they have become things of pure sport. Other nationalities in Europe are still found quite superstitious about All Hallow Eve.

Steel-Pen Coats.—These steel-pen frize woolen coats and knee-breeches ornamented with brass buttons and commonly worn up toward the last quarter of the last century are now nearly extinct in those parts.

St. Martin's Eve.—It appears that St. Martin was buried on the 11th of November. In some country homes amongst farmers I noticed that on St. Martin's Eve some animal was killed, such as a goose, a duck, a hen or a cock, and that the outside threshold of the door was sprinkled with the blood of the animal killed for St. Martin. Some went as far as to sprinkle the four corners of their dwelling houses with blood. I believe this had a Christian charitable origin and in the course of age lost its true meaning and character. Whether Christian or pagan, it is a very curious custom, and I see no good in it for the present age.

St. Patrick and the Snakes.—Are there any snakes to be found in Ireland? Did St. Patrick banish them? These are questions which Americans ask me daily. My answer to the first question is that I never saw nor heard of any snake living in Ireland since the days of St. Patrick. Ireland does not produce any venomous reptile. The following are not to be found there, viz., snakes, tortoises, scorpions or dragons. Leeches, lizards and frogs are numerous, but these are harmless. I am told that snakes brought over to Ireland will die or lose their venom before they land. Sailors who say they have tried it tell me that as they were drawing near the land the snakes died. Circuses will not attempt to cross the Irish Sea from England with their snakes for fear of losing them. People living in Ireland never saw a snake. The reasons given by some naturalists for snakes not living in Ireland are not identical.

Now, with regard to St. Patrick banishing the snakes and all other poisonous reptiles out of Ireland, both tradition and legend says he did it but it is not supported by historical documents. According to ancient writings, snakes were found in Ireland before the Christian era. There is full and clear evidence that some of the people adored idols made into the imitation of snakes, and also dead snakes, and that these were collected and delivered up by newly converted Christians to St. Patrick and with their full accord the idols were destroyed by him and thrown into a lake. Beyond that I cannot go, and I regret to say here I must leave the reader to draw his own conclusions.

The very early Catholic Church historians in Ireland did not mention a word about St. Patrick's connection with the snakes. St. Patrick left behind him a written document called his "Confession," and in this there is no mention of the snakes. However, many years after his death—some centuries—Irish historians stated clearly that it was St. Patrick who banished the snakes. English historians up to the Twelfth and Thirteenth centuries agreed with the Irish historians of that period, and, for the reason that snakes would live in the Isle of Man, they (the English) classified that island as more properly belonging to England.

If St. Patrick had nothing to do with the live snakes—and I suppose he had not—there must be something very strange in the air or soil of Ireland. It is more remarkable still when we consider that if snakes which live in the British Isles will die on their arrival in Ireland, and many of them, it is said, before they ever touch the Irish soil, and that science so far has not discovered any means to overcome it. It is also said that if pure Irish earth was scattered in a garden snakes would become scarce.

St. Stephen's Day.—As everybody knows, this day falls on the 26th of December. A peculiar custom connected with this day still lingers in those parts. Men dressed in straw or like women, wearing masks with face blackened, carrying flags, a bush with a wren fastened to it, and having a fife and drum band playing about them, parade the streets. They dance and make merriment and are always followed by a big crowd. One of the company carries a white hobbyhorse, which is an imitation of a horse made of wood and covered with white calico. Under the hobbyhorse the party are supposed to have one of their best dancers. The under jaw of the hobbyhorse is to work with a string so that it cracks in time with his step and also the steps of all the dancers. This part of the program is not easily done and therefore is often neglected. After dancing a little, they change the performance and the hobbyhorse, carrying a ladle in its mouth, is sent around to collect contributions while a purser enters the horse beating every person with bladders tied onto the end of a stick.

It appears these sports originated at the Feast of Fools in the Christian churches and monasteries of other countries from whom we borrowed them. St. Stephen's Day was specially set aside for deacons and other orders of the clergy who were not able to enjoy Christmas owing to the extra religious labors cast upon them.

Coupled with this came the mistletoe, and, to act in the plays, laymen, too, were admitted. Whenever it was necessary to raise funds for the repair of some church, dances were performed in the churchyard on Sundays. The surplus of the funds, after paying for the repair of the church, went to the support of the poor. In the course of ages abuses set in and now the performers have the proceeds themselves.

Sunburst of Erin.—In pagan days most of the Irish people looked towards the east for the rising sun and adored it. The most ancient flag of our country known was, I believe, a sky-blue field with a sunburst. In a field belonging to Mr. P. Lynch is a large stone bearing an ancient sunburst emblem upon it. (For Ogham's inscribed stones, see History County Kerry.)

Toothache Cure.—The cure given by some old women for toothache was to have the sufferer in person enter a churchyard burial ground, find a dead man's finger or coffin nail and place it in his mouth, pressing the tooth several times into it. This practice was long ago abandoned.

Witches (Witch Hare).—When I was a little boy I found a few old women possessed of a horrid superstitious belief to the effect that an old witch (a woman) could change herself into a hare, and as such would go about lises, forts and like haunted places and therefrom enter fields and milk cows dry.[17]