St Martin’s little summer

11 November

Lore and belief

St Martin’s little summer was the name for the spell of fine days that sometimes breaks into the usual stormy weather about the beginning of November. Hone points out that Shakespeare knew it: Joan la Pucelle promises ‘St. Martin’s summer, halcyon days’ in Henry VI, and Prince Hal calls Falstaff ‘All-hallown summer’ in Henry IV. The name is still used for a mild spell around Martinmas.

St. Martin's little summer is a term for the fine days which sometimes intervene about the beginning of November, upon the usual boisterous weather of the month.

From Hone's Year Book, col. 1344. Read the original

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Folklore from the old calendars

Wroth Silver at Knightlow Cross Still kept WarwickshireBefore sunrise on Martinmas morning the parishes of the hundred of Knightlow paid their wroth silver, or ward money, to the lord of the hundred at the stump of Knightlow Cross near Rugby.
The Martinmas mart No longer kept Northumberland, ScotlandMartinmas was the time to kill beasts and salt them down for winter, so in Scotland and the north of England a fat ox for killing was called a mart.
Martinmas is past and gone at Wooler Lore and belief NorthumberlandA Wooler rhyme lamented that Martinmas had come and gone with Christmas drawing near and no mutton left in the house for the feast.
Martinmas stray-sheep day at Patterdale No longer kept Cumberland, WestmorlandIn the dales round Ullswater nobody went looking for a strayed sheep; whoever found one simply looked after it.
Martlemas beef hung up for Easter No longer kept EnglandAt Martinmas the farmer killed a beast and hung the beef up to dry in the chimney, keeping it until Easter.
Rose garlands and wine for the singers on St Martin’s Day No longer kept LondonThe City church of St Martin Outwich kept its patron's day with bread, ale, wine and rose garlands for the singers.
Young people on the hill at Martinmas No longer kept WiltshireThe antiquary William Stukeley believed that on St Martin's Day the young people of the neighbourhood used to gather on Martinsall Hill for the drinking of healths to St Martin, the Martinalia of the Saxons and Danes.

St Martin’s little summer

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