Food and mirth to you dwelling together,
Peace and love to all, men and women ;
Wealth and distinction, stock and store,
Potatoes enough, and herrings galore ;
Bread and cheese, butter and plenty,
Death, like a mouse, in a barn or haggard ;
Sleep in safety while down you lie,
And the flea's tooth — may it not badly bite."
At present New Year's Day is the time when the qualtagh is of general interest, and in this case he is practically the first person one sees (besides the members of one's own household) on the morning of that day, whether that person meets one out of doors or comes to one's house. The following is what I have learnt by inquiry as to the qualtagh : all are agreed that he must not be a woman or girl, and that he must not be spaagagh or splay-footed, while a woman from the parish of Marown told me that he must not have red hair. The prevalent belief, however, is that he should be a dark-haired man or boy, and it is of no consequence how rough his appearance may be, provided he be black-haired. However, I was told by one man in Rushen that the qualtagh need not be black-haired : he must be a man or boy. But this less restricted view is not the one held in the central and northern parts of the Island, so far as I could ascertain. An English lady living in the neighbourhood of Castletown told me that her son, whom I know to be, like his mother, a pronounced blond, not being aware what consequences might be associated with his visit, called at a house in Castletown on the morning of New Year's Day, and he chanced to be the qualtagh. The mistress of the house was horrified, and expressed her anticipation of misfortunes to the English lady ; and as it happened that one of the children of the house died in the course of the year, the English lady has heard of it since. Naturally the association of these events are not pleasant to her ; but, so far as I can remember, they date only some eight or nine years ago.
