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Cornish Feasts and Folk-lore

Chapter 1: PREFACE.
By M. A. Courtney
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About This Book

This work surveys traditional Cornish seasonal and saint-day celebrations and associated customs, combining descriptions of communal meals, special foods such as saffron cakes and figgy pudding, fairs, games and hunts with accounts of local superstitions, charms, and divination practices observed at All Hallows and other occasions. It documents ritual objects and performances including holy wells, apple games, bowling and wrestling, notes regional variations and changing practices, and records oral reports and earlier sources to preserve folk beliefs about witches, blessings, and household rites.

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Title: Cornish Feasts and Folk-lore

Author: M. A. Courtney

Release date: April 30, 2017 [eBook #54637]
Most recently updated: October 23, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project
Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously
made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CORNISH FEASTS AND FOLK-LORE ***

CORNISH
FEASTS AND FOLK-LORE.
BY
MISS M. A. COURTNEY,
AUTHOR OF “GLOSSARY OF WORDS USED IN WEST CORNWALL.”
REVISED AND REPRINTED FROM THE FOLK-LORE SOCIETY JOURNALS, 1886–87.
PENZANCE:
BEARE AND SON, 21, MARKET PLACE.
1890.

BEARE AND SON, PRINTERS, PENZANCE.

PREFACE.

Few Cornish people are probably aware how wide-spread still with us is the belief in charms and charmers, ghosts, and all other superstitions; nor that there are witches in our county, shunned and dreaded by some who fear their supposed power to ill-wish those who offend them, and sought out by others who want by their aid to avert the evil eye, or by their incantations to remove the spells already cast on them and their cattle by an ill-wisher who has “overlooked” them.

Folk-lore is an almost inexhaustible subject. There must be many charms in use here that have not come under my notice; a few are too coarse to record, as are some of the tales.

A book on folk-lore cannot in this century contain original matter; it must be compiled from various sources. I have when quoting from other writers given my authority, and to communications from friends generally appended their names. To “One and All” I beg leave to tender my sincere thanks.

M. A. Courtney.