382 Collectanea
dying he gave his wife a key to put in his coffin, to open the door of heaven for him when he reached it.
Can Irish folklorists give any information about this? Where are such keys to be procured ? and by what means are they endued with their power? Or are they in reahty amulets, which are properly connected with pious aspirations rather than with actual entrance into the heavenly abode ?
Kirton-in-Lindsey. Mabel Peacock..
The Headless Horseman.
In a Kachchhi ballad about the battle of Jhara in Cutch, fought in 1762, we have the familiar statement that when a warrior's head was cut off the trunk went on fighting. Then is added the curious statement, new to me, that it did not stop fighting till it was addressed by a woman, when it, too, fell dead.
The verse runs :
" Matho chhanyo pat-te Khodh te viry& Jade istri galayo
Tade chhani pat peo."
" The head dropped on the ground, The trunk continued fighting. When a woman addressed it, Then it, too, dropped and fell upon the ground."
G. A. Grierson.
Superstition regarding Chimnev-Sweeps.
Sitting in front of two women on top of an omnibus yesterday I heard one remark in excitement to the other, " Look, there is a sweep ! " and the other replied, " Yes — and there are two more ! We are in luck ! " Then each speaker bade the sweeps good- morning, and as the omnibus bore them past the sweeps one remarked, "We shall get something to-day — or perhaps we shall make some wonderful bargains at the sales."
In our family we always say good-morning to a sweep, the idea being that doing so ensures a present during the day.
D. C. Haverfield.
