Weather And Folk Lore Of Peterborough And District Part 6

Married in Grey, you will go far away.

Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.

Married in Brown, you will live out of town.

Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead.

Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl.

Married in Green, ashamed to be seen.

Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow.

Married in Blue, he will always be true.

Married in Pink, your spirits will sink.

Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday the best day of all.

Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Sat.u.r.day no luck at all.

Marry on Sunday so that you cannot repent before the week is out.

ANIMALS.

If a dog howls in front of a house it is a sign of a death very soon. If a woman in the house takes off her left shoe and turns it upside down and puts her foot on it the dog ceases howling. I know of one instance where a dog howled in front of a house, and the mistress seeing and hearing the dog took off her left shoe and put her foot on it. The dog was in the midst of a howl, and he finished it with a yell and turned away and ran from the house as fast as possible, but he returned very soon and howled again. It was very strange, but an invalid visitor was staying in the house, and he died exactly a week after the howling.

To be followed by a strange dog is lucky.

If a cat licks her foot and pa.s.ses it over her left ear it is a sign that a stranger will soon come.

When a cat lies with her tail turned to the fire it is a sign of hard weather.

If a cat licks her tail it betokens rain.

A strange black cat brings good luck into a house.

When a cat is taken to a new home its feet should be b.u.t.tered, and it will stop.

If a cat has a cold and sneezes, all the people in the house will catch it.

When Noah's Ark is seen in the sky it is a sign of much rain.

It is described by Clare as "a long dark cloud stretching across the heavens, broad in the centre and tapering at each end, resembling the figure of the ark, and supposed to foretell great floods. But it depends on the direction of the ark. If it is from south to north it is a sign of good weather, but if from east to west bad weather."

Rain before seven, clear up before eleven.

Rain water collected as it falls on Holy Thursday is very good for diseases of the eye.

If it rains on St. Swithin's day it portends a good crop of apples.

Rain in the east, three days at least.

You should always wish when on strange ground.

If you shiver someone is walking over your grave. This means someone is talking of your death.

If you have a toothache you don't love true.

Wounds and corns aching are signs of rain or frost.

Left cheek burning someone is speaking well of you, Right cheek burning someone is speaking ill of you.

But if you bite your finger when your cheek burns the person speaking ill of you will bite his or her tongue.

Right cheek, left friend, Left cheek, right friend.

It is unlucky for a man to meet a cross-eyed woman, but the ill-luck is broken if he spits on the opposite side to that by which he pa.s.ses her.

To lay an umbrella on a bed is to bring disappointment to the occupant.

If a shirt, or any other garment, is put on inside out, it must remain so all day and so avoid bad luck.

A Caul or Kell is the thin membrane which sometimes covers the face of an infant at its birth, and is supposed to betoken good fortune.

Sometimes they are sold, and the general price used to be about three guineas. Seafaring men would buy them as preservatives from drowning, and also for good luck. In 1862 a poor woman wanted to sell one to my mother for my welfare, and all sorts of good luck and fortune were to belong to the possessor, but my mother would not speculate, so I lost the chance.

When p.r.i.c.ked by a thorn, and to prevent the wound from festing, the following verse should be repeated:

Our Saviour was of a Virgin born, His head was crowned with a crown of thorn, It never cankered or festered at all, And I hope in Christ Jesus this never shall.

When a wise woman, or anyone, is called in to attend and charm anyone, the person to be operated upon must have an earnest belief that a cure will be effected, and the words "Please" and "Thank you" must not be used or the charm fails. In some cases the charmer blesses or hallows cords or leather thongs which the patient wore tied round the neck.

WHOOPING COUGH.

On the 22nd January, 1908, two women were talking together in Long Causeway. One asked the other how her child was? (It was suffering from whooping cough). The mother replied, "No better. The other day Mrs. ---- told me to steal a bit of raw meat from a butcher's and cut a hole in it, and put a lock of my hair in the hole and give it to a dog to eat. I did it, but it is no better." I had previously heard this, but with the difference that it should be a lock of the child's hair.

WASHING.

They who wash on a Monday have all the week to dry, They who wash on a Tuesday are not so much awry, They who wash on a Wednesday not so much to blame, They who wash on a Thursday wash for shame, They who wash on a Friday wash in need, But they who wash on Sat.u.r.day are s.l.u.ts indeed.

It is unlucky to wash on "Good Friday." The legend says:--"A woman who was washing when Our Lord was pa.s.sing on his way to be crucified threw some dirty water over him."

Two persons washing together in the same basin or bowl, or drying themselves with the same towel, will very soon quarrel, but this may be prevented by each making the sign of a cross with their finger-tips on the surface of the water.

If, when washing, the soap slips from your hands and falls on the ground you will hear of a death before the week is out.

If a woman has a fine day for washing the first time after Michaelmas Day, she will have fine washing days all the year.

SNEEZING.

Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger, sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger, sneeze on Wednesday get a letter, sneeze on Thursday, something better, sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow, Sat.u.r.day, see your true love to-morrow.

To sneeze three times in succession, is a sign of a gift.