School: Glenahulla, Mitchelstown (roll number 12446)

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1. Old Traditions - Folklore (continued)

   

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   evil doer came to the cowshed of his enemy before sunrise and pasted a substance very like butter on the door. Here the farmer found it and to destroy the effect of the charm the substance of the door had to be burned. Personally I know of a case like the above within the past six months but happily no evil came of it. How ever it goes to show that the superstition still lives. Still many more customs are connected with the farm shed. If a neighbour came into the barn while the churn of butter was being made he or she was supposed to work the separator for a few minutes to prove himself (or herself) a well wisher and meant no evil. It was also the custom to have hair spancels with which to tie cows.
   These were woven from the hair of the cows tail and if one was ever missing it was believed that somebody wished evil from themselves to the man or family concerned. Still another very well known charm is that of snaid-na-péiste.
   This was practised of young calves to cure them of disease. A cord held over the calf was knotted nine times in such a way that when both ends were pulled, the knots untied.
   While this was being done the holder of the twine chanted the following refrain -

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. belief (~391)
         1. folk belief (~2,535)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Máiréad Bean Uí Réagáin

   Gender

   Female

   Occupation

   Múinteoir