Nov. 2.]

ALL SOULS’ DAY.

All Souls’ Day is set apart by the Roman Catholic Church for a solemn service for the repose of the dead. In this country the day was formerly observed by ringing of the passing bell, making soul-cakes, blessing beans, and other customs. Various tenures were held by services to be performed on this day. The nut and apple omens of Hallow Even were continued on this day. Soul-mass cakes were given to the poor; and at Hallowasse frankincense was newly provided.—Timbs, Something for Everybody, 1861, p. 115.

Cheshire.

From All Souls’ Day to Christmas Day, Old Hob is carried about; this consists of a horse’s head enveloped in a sheet, taken from door to door, accompanied by the singing of doggerel-begging rhymes.—Jour. of Arch. Assoc. 1850, vol. v. p. 253.

Derbyshire.

Formerly, at the village of Findern, the boys and girls used to go every year in the evening of All Souls’ Day to the adjoining common, and light up a number of small fires among the furze growing there, which they called Tindles.—Gent. Mag. 1784, vol. iv. p. 836.

Herefordshire.

In this county and also in Lancashire it was in days gone by usual for the wealthy to dispense oaten cakes, called soul-mass cakes, to the poor, who upon receiving them repeated the following couplet in acknowledgment:

Shropshire.

In this county the inhabitants set on a board a high heap of small cakes, called soul-cakes, of which they offer one to every person who comes to the house on this day, and there is an old rhyme, which seems to have been sung by the family and guests:

The same custom is mentioned, and with very little variation, by Aubrey in the Remains of Gentilisme; see N. & Q. 4th S. vol. x. pp. 409, 525.

WALES.

The people of North Wales have a custom of distributing soul-cakes on All Souls’ Day, at the receiving of which the poor people pray to God to bless the next crop of wheat.—Pennant.

SCOTLAND.

In the county of Aberdeen on All Souls’ Day, baked cakes of a particular sort are given away to those who may chance to visit the house where they are made. The cakes are called “dirge-loaf.”—N. & Q. 3rd S. vol. ii. p. 483.