Customs
Found in 215 Collections and/or Records:
Custom regarding the use of sheep bones, 1884
Custom regarding the use of sheep bones stating that they must not be burnt on the fire and that 'Old men in Uist [Uibhist] highly disapprove of this'. Seileann (sheep lice) must not be put in the fire either or 'sealbh chaorach [flock of sheep] w[ou]ld not attend you'.
Custom relating to fires lit on 29 June, October 1892
Custom relating to fires lit in the south of Ireland on 29 June, which is the eve of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, as mentioned by C. H. Hucheson.
Custom relating to fishermen casting fire into their nets, October 1892
Custom relating to fishermen casting fire into their nets in Speymouth in 1664, noting that if they did so they were considered to be charmers.
Custom relating to La Fheill Brìde [St Bride's Day], 1887
Custom relating to La Fheill Brìde [St Bride's Day] describing how Mrs Major MacLeod also known as 'Major Ann', the daughter of Flora MacDonald, removed the stocking from her foot and pounded a piece of peat on the doorstep while reciting a verse beginning 'An diu[gh] la [Fhe]ill Bride, Thig nigh[ean] Imhair as an toll'. Text has been scored through in ink perhaps to indicate it has been transcribed elsewhere.
Custom relating to 'La nam Bannag' and accompanying song, 17 January 1874
Custom relating to marriage prediction, c1870
Custom relating to marriage prediction which reads 'Salt Herrings were eaten after having been roasted on the fire. The person seen coming to give a drink was the person to whom the girl was to be married.'
Custom relating to 'Uisge-coisneach', 1867
Custom relating to 'Uisge-coisreach' [holy water] probably collected on Miùghlaigh/Mingulay, which reads 'Of 5 boats 2 had this in small stone bottles fixed by a string to the stem stem (sic) inside.'
Customs related to fortune-telling, c1870
Customs related to fortune-telling including putting the white of an egg into a glass of clean water and the drawing out of a stack of a craobh-chorc [oat-tree-stalk] using the teeth. The number of grains remaining indicated the number of children and if the top grain came off, the person died.
Customs relating to cattle herding, 1895
Customs written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula relating to cattle herding, describing how when herding cattle to or from the house a number of cattle were allowed to follow behind the herder to avoid the evil eye. Also, if someone praised the cattle, the herder had to praise the cattle even higher. Text has been scored through in pencil as if transcribed elsewhere.