The farmers of Fordyce guarded their cattle against witchcraft by putting boughs of rowan and honeysuckle in their cow houses on 2 May. They also tied red threads on the cows to save their milk, and bled a supposed witch to break her charms. Pennant’s third edition added these superstitions to his account of the parish.
Rowan and honeysuckle in the byres on 2 May
2 May · Fordyce, Banffshire
No longer kept
The farmers carefully preserve their cattle against witchcraft by placing boughs of the mountain ash and honey suckle in their cow houses on the 2d of May.
From Pennant's Tours, A Tour in Scotland, 1769, 3rd ed., p. 141. Read the original
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