Little Devil Doubt and the pace-eggers

Easter Sunday

Still kept

In the north of England groups of lads went pace-egging at Easter, singing at doors for eggs and strong beer and promising not to come again until the next year. Their visit could include a short play, and Brand’s editor owned a printed chapbook of it called the Peace Egg, with woodcuts. It ended with the entrance of Little Devil Doubt, who threatened to sweep the household out unless he was given money. Pace-egg plays are still performed in parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Here come I, little Devil Doubt, If you do not give me money, I'll sweep you all out

From Brand's Popular Antiquities, vol. 1, p. 176. Read the original

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Folklore from the old calendars

The Easter sacrament ring Lore and belief BerkshireIn Berkshire it was a popular belief that a ring made from a silver coin given at the communion would cure convulsions and fits of every kind.
Dancing for the cake in Westmeath No longer kept LeinsterSir Henry Piers wrote in 1682 that in most parishes of Westmeath, on the patron day and at Easter and Whitsuntide, the country people met in the afternoon on a convenient spot near the alehouse to dance for the cake, with a piper always in attendance.
Sunshine at Easter and Whitsun Lore and belief EnglandAn old country saying held that the weather of Easter Day foretold that of Whit Sunday seven weeks later, so that if the sun shone at Easter it would shine at Whitsun too.
Clearing the winter hearth on God’s Sunday No longer kept EnglandMedieval sermon books say Easter Day was called in some places God's Sunday, and describe a household custom that went with it.
Tansies at Easter No longer kept EnglandA tansy was a pudding or cake of eggs, cream and sugar flavoured with the young leaves of the herb tansy, and it was the dish of Easter.
Eggs and green sauce at Gray’s Inn No longer kept LondonDugdale records that the gentlemen of Gray's Inn who came to breakfast on Easter Day, after the service and communion, were given eggs and green sauce.
Buckles and spurs at Ripon No longer kept YorkshireA Yorkshire clergyman told Brand that on Easter Sunday the young men of the villages took the girls' shoe buckles, and on Easter Monday the young women took the men's shoes and buckles in return.
New clothes for Easter Still kept Dorset, EnglandEveryone was supposed to wear at least one new thing on Easter Day, or have no luck all year.
The red herring on horseback No longer kept OxfordshireIt was said that at Queen's College, Oxford, the first dish brought to table on Easter Day was a red herring riding away on horseback.
Sugar-cupping at Dropping Tor No longer kept DerbyshireNear Tideswell in the Peak, children and young people used to go on Easter Sunday to the Dropping Tor, a spring that dripped from the rock.
The Twickenham Easter cakes No longer kept MiddlesexTwickenham once divided two great cakes among its young people in church on Easter Day.
The Lostwithiel prince No longer kept CornwallEach Easter Sunday the freeholders of Lostwithiel chose one of their number in turn to play a prince.
The sun dancing on Easter morning Lore and belief England, IrelandIn the middle districts of Ireland a fat hen or some bacon was put in the pot on the evening of Holy Saturday, and nobody dared taste it before cock-crow.
Pace eggs Still kept Cheshire, Lancashire, ScotlandThe pace or pasch egg, once given at Easter all over Christendom, was still handed out by children and country people in Lancashire in Chambers's day.

Little Devil Doubt and the pace-eggers

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