his flight, but solely from his having neglected to make an offering of barley-cake to the rocks. As evidences are found throughout the entire length of the Roman Wall of unlimited belief in local divinities there must linger in these stories traces of ancient traditions coeval with the faith which assigned to mountains, rivers, fountains, woods, and fields, their guardian deities."—Charles Roach Smith's Retrospections, Social and Archæological, vol. i. p. 181.
Well Superstition.—The following piece of folk-lore given by one of the witnesses examined before the Skye Commissioners at Glendale is worthy of a note.[1]
Alexander Ross, crofter and fisherman, Glendale, was [next] called and questioned. . . . .
Was there not a rule on the estate which the factor could enforce for keeping down dogs?—He enforced the rule on my dog by shooting him in a well, and the well has been dry since, although it was formerly one of the best wells in the country.
Cheshire Wedding Custom.—At Whitsuntide of this year I attended the wedding of some relations at Knutsford in Cheshire, and observed that the villagers scattered sand opposite the houses of the bride and bridegroom and of the friends who took part in the ceremony. All sorts of patterns are designed The neighbours appear to have done it as a mark of respect.
Peacocks foreboding ill-luck.—In confirmation of the testimony I was able to afford on this subject lately (ante, p. 93), I may mention that I have just heard of another instance. A Devonshire friend tells me of peacock-screaming being considered to forebode death (just the same as a dog howling), and a notable instance of the fact actually happened a few months ago in his own house.
Barnard Castle—Bewcastle.—Barnard Castle is a town on the Tees in the southern part of the county of Durham. Bewcastle is a
- ↑ Compare Folk-Lore of North-East of Scotland, p. 40.
