Folklore

Friday 1 January

Folklore from the old calendars

The Falkirk Guisards No longer kept StirlingshireIn the Daft Days around the new year, bands of guisards went from house to house in Falkirk acting a short play in which Galgacus, the Caledonian chief, fights and kills Jack, a doctor haggles over his fee and raises him, and Judas comes round with the bag for money.
The Hutton Conyers Pie Court No longer kept YorkshireThe lord of the manor of Hutton Conyers held his court on the first day of the year, when the shepherds of six townships around the moor came to keep their right of sheep-walk.
Riding the Stang on New Year’s Day No longer kept Cumberland, WestmorlandA writer in the Gentleman's Magazine of 1791 reported that in Westmorland and Cumberland crowds gathered early on New Year's morning carrying baskets and stangs, or stout poles.
First-footing in Edinburgh Still kept Midlothian, ScotlandIn Scotland the new year was let in at midnight with a hot pint of spiced ale and spirits, carried from house to house in a kettle.

Folklore from the old calendars

The Walsall Penny Dole No longer kept StaffordshireThomas Moseley gave lands in Warwickshire in trust for the town of Walsall in 1453, and on Twelfth Night eve, the anniversary for his soul and his wife Margaret's, the bellman went about calling on everyone to kneel and pray for them.
The Sieve of Candles No longer kept LeinsterSir Henry Piers, describing County Westmeath, wrote that on Twelfth Night eve the people raised a sieve full of oats as high as they could, with twelve candles set round it and a larger one in the middle, all lit.
Twelve Fires and the Ox’s Cake No longer kept Gloucestershire, HerefordshireOn Twelfth Night eve Herefordshire farmers and their servants lit twelve small fires and one large one on the highest part of a wheat field, drank old cider and hallooed, and fifty or sixty other fires might be seen at once across the country.
Wassailing the Apple Trees Still kept DevonOn Twelfth Night eve the Devon farmer took his men into the orchard with a pitcher of cider, and they circled one of the best-bearing trees and drank to it three times with a rhyme wishing it hats full, caps full and sacks full of apples.