School: Clochar na Trócaire, Maghcromtha

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1. Some Old Milk Superstitions (continued)

   

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   of the sacred cows.
   There is an old Celtic superstition well known in Scotland and Ireland that witches in the form of hares, run in among herds of cattle on their way home to be milked and steal milk by sucking the cows teat's.
   Several charms are still used in remote country districts to prevent this happening some of them are very old, such as plaiting hairs taken from the cows tails with straw and tying it round their horns while another piece is hung on the cowshed door.
   This is done in the Shetland Isles during Christmas week to defeat the wicket wiles of the "Traws" evil underground spirits which are supposed to have power over children and cattle for that one week of the year.
   Another charm, an Irish one, is

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Susie Kelleher

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Cúil Liatháin, Co. Chorcaí

   Informant

   Peggy Lynch

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Baile Mheasaigh, Co. Chorcaí