A Righte Merrie Christmasse Part 29

In Chambers's _Book of Days_ we find that, "In consequence probably of the feeling of horror attached to such an act of atrocity, Innocents'

Day used to be reckoned about the most unlucky throughout the year, and in former times no one who could possibly avoid it began any work, or entered on any undertaking on this anniversary. To marry on Childermas Day was specially inauspicious. It is said of the equally superst.i.tious and unprincipled monarch, Louis XV., that he would never perform any business or enter into any discussion about his affairs on this day, and to make to him then any proposal of the kind was certain to exasperate him to the utmost. We are informed, too, that in England, on the occasion of the coronation of King Edward IV., that solemnity, which had been originally intended to take place on a Sunday, was postponed till the Monday, owing to the former day being, in that year, the festival of Childermas. The idea of the inauspicious nature of the day was long prevalent, and is even not yet wholly extinct. To the present hour, we understand, the housewives in Cornwall, and probably also in other parts of the country, refrain scrupulously from scouring or scrubbing on Innocents' Day."

At the churches in several parts of the country m.u.f.fled peals are rung on this day, and with the Irish it is called "La crosta na bliana," or "the cross day of the year," and also, "Diar daoin darg," or "b.l.o.o.d.y Thursday," and on that day the Irish housewife will not warp thread, nor permit it to be warped; and the Irish say that anything begun upon that day must have an unlucky ending.

A writer in _Notes and Queries_ (4 ser. xii. 185) says: "The following legend regarding the day is current in the county of Clare. Between the parishes of Quin and Tulla, in that county, is a lake called Turlough. In the lake is a little island; and among a heap of loose stones in the middle of the island rises a white thorn bush, which is called 'Scagh an Earla' (the Earl's bush). A suit of clothes made for a child on the 'Cross day' was put on the child; the child died. The clothes were put on a second and on a third child; they also died. The parents of the children at length put out the clothes on the 'Scag an Earla,' and when the waters fell the clothes were found to be full of dead eels."

Here is a good carol for Innocents' day, published in the middle of the sixteenth century:--

A CAROL OF THE INNOCENTS.

Mark this song, for it is true, For it is true, as clerks tell: In old time strange things came to pa.s.s, Great wonder and great marvel was In Israel.

There was one, Octavian, Octavian of Rome Emperor, As books old doth specify, Of all the wide world truly He was lord and governor.

The Jews, that time, lack'd a king, They lack'd a king to guide them well, The Emperor of power and might, Chose one Herod against all right, In Israel.

This Herod, then, was King of Jews Was King of Jews, and he no Jew, Forsooth he was a Paynim born, Wherefore on faith it may be sworn He reigned King untrue.

By prophecy, one Isai, One Isai, at least, did tell A child should come, wondrous news, That should be born true King of Jews In Israel.

This Herod knew one born should be, One born should be of true lineage, That should be right heritor; For he but by the Emperor Was made by usurpage.

Wherefore of thought this King Herod, This King Herod in great fear fell, For all the days most in his mirth, Ever he feared Christ his birth In Israel.

The time came it pleased G.o.d, It pleased G.o.d so to come to pa.s.s, For man's soul indeed His blessed Son was born with speed, As His will was.

Tidings came to King Herod, To King Herod, and did him tell, That one born forsooth is he, Which lord and king of all shall be In Israel.

Herod then raged, as he were wode (mad), As he were wode of this tyding, And sent for all his scribes sure, Yet would he not trust the Scripture, Nor of their counselling.

This, then, was the conclusion, The conclusion of his counsel, To send unto his knights anon To slay the children every one In Israel.

This cruel king this tyranny, This tyranny did put in ure (practice), Between a day and years two, All men-children he did slew, Of Christ for to be sure.

Yet Herod missed his cruel prey, His cruel prey, as was G.o.d's will; Joseph with Mary then did flee With Christ to Egypt, gone was she From Israel.

All the while these tyrants, These tyrants would not convert, But innocents young That lay sucking, They thrust to the heart.

This Herod sought the children young, The children young, with courage fell.

But in doing this vengeance His own son was slain by chance In Israel.

Alas! I think the mothers were woe, The mothers were woe, it was great skill, What motherly pain To see them slain, In cradles lying still!

But G.o.d Himself hath them elect, Hath them elect in heaven to dwell, For they were bathed in their blood, For their Baptism forsooth it stood In Israel.

Alas! again, what hearts had they, What hearts had they those babes to kill, With swords when they them caught, In cradles they lay and laughed, And never thought ill.

CHAPTER XXVIII

New Year's Eve--Wa.s.sail--New Year's Eve Customs--Hogmany--The Cl[=a]vie--Other Customs--Weather Prophecy.

New Year's eve is variously kept--by some in harmless mirth, by others in religious exercises. Many churches in England have late services, which close at midnight with a carol or appropriate hymn, and this custom is especially held by the Wesleyan Methodists in their "Watch Night," when they pray, etc., till about five minutes to twelve, when there is a dead silence, supposed to be spent in introspection, which lasts until the clock strikes, and then they burst forth with a hymn of praise and joy.

The wa.s.sail bowl used to hold as high a position as at Christmas eve, and in Lyson's time it was customary in Gloucestershire for a merry party to go from house to house carrying a large bowl, decked with garlands and ribbons, singing the following wa.s.sail song:--

Wa.s.sail! Wa.s.sail! all over the town, Our toast it is white, our ale it is brown, Our bowl it is made of a maplin tree; We be good fellows all, I drink to thee.

Here's to our horse, and to his right ear, G.o.d send our maister a happy New Year; A happy New Year as e'er he did see-- With my wa.s.sailing bowl I drink to thee.

Here's to our mare, and to her right eye, G.o.d send our mistress a good Christmas pye: A good Christmas pye as e'er I did see-- With my wa.s.sailing bowl I drink to thee.

Here's to Fill-pail (cow) and to her long tail, G.o.d send our measter us never may fail Of a cup of good beer, I pray you draw near, And our jolly wa.s.sail it's then you shall hear.

Be here any maids? I suppose there be some, Sure they will not let young men stand on the cold stone Sing hey, O maids, come trole back the pin, And the fairest maid in the house let us all in.

Come, butler, come bring us a bowl of the best: I hope your soul in heaven will rest: But, if you do bring us a bowl of the small, Then down fall butler, bowl, and all.

Until recently, a similar custom obtained in Nottinghamshire; but, in that case, the young women of the village, dressed in their best, carried round a decorated bowl filled with ale, roasted apples, and toast, seasoned with nutmeg and sugar, the regulation wa.s.sail compound. This they offered to the inmates of the house they called at, whilst they sang the following, amongst other verses:--

Good master, at your door, Our wa.s.sail we begin; We are all maidens poor, So we pray you let us in, And drink our wa.s.sail.

All hail, wa.s.sail!

Wa.s.sail! wa.s.sail!

And drink our wa.s.sail.

In Derbyshire, on this night, a cold posset used to be prepared, made of milk, ale, eggs, currants, and spices, and in it is placed the hostess's wedding ring. Each of the party takes out a ladleful, and in so doing tries to fish out the ring, believing that whoever shall be fortunate enough to get it will be married before the year is out. It was also customary in some districts to throw open all the doors of the house just before midnight, and, waiting for the advent of the New Year, to greet him as he approaches with cries of "Welcome!"

At Muncaster, in c.u.mberland, on this night the children used to go from house to house singing a song, in which they crave the bounty "they were wont to have in old King Edward's time"; but what that was is not known.

It was a custom at Merton College, Oxford, according to Pointer (_Oxoniensis Academia_, ed. 1749, p. 24), on the last night in the year, called Scrutiny Night, for the College servants, all in a body, to make their appearance in the Hall, before the Warden and Fellows (after supper), and there to deliver up their keys, so that if they have committed any great crime during the year their keys are taken away, and they consequently lose their places, or they have them delivered to them afresh.

On this night a curious custom obtained at Bradford, in Yorkshire, where a party of men and women, with blackened faces, and fantastically attired, used to enter houses with besoms, and "sweep out the Old Year."

Although Christmas is kept in Scotland, there is more festivity at the New Year, and perhaps one of the most singular customs is that which was told by a gentleman to Dr. Johnson during his tour in the Hebrides. On New Year's eve, in the hall or castle of the Laird, where at festal seasons there may be supposed to be a very numerous company, one man dresses himself in a cow's hide, upon which the others beat with sticks. He runs, with all this noise, round the house, which all the company quit in a counterfeited fright, and the door is then shut.

On New Year's eve there is no great pleasure to be had out of doors in the Hebrides. They are sure soon to recover sufficiently from their terror to solicit for readmission, which is not to be obtained but by repeating a verse, with which those who are knowing and provident are provided.

In the Orkney Islands it was formerly the custom for bands of people to a.s.semble and pay a round of visits, singing a song which began--

This night it is guid New'r E'en's night, We're a' here Queen Mary's men: And we're come here to crave our right, And that's before our Lady!

In the county of Fife this night was called "Singen E'en," probably from the custom of singing carols then. This day is popularly known in Scotland as _Hogmany_, and the following is a fragment of a Yorkshire _Hagmena_ song:--

To-night it is the New Year's night, to-morrow is the day, And we are come for our right and for our ray, As we used to do in Old King Henry's day: Sing, fellows! sing, Hagman-ha!

If you go to the bacon flick, cut me a good bit; Cut, cut and low, beware of your maw.