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have “EDITOR’S NOTE” prefixed.




GUERNSEY FOLK-LORE.

[Illustration: SIR EDGAR MACCULLOCH

IN HIS ROBES AS BAILIFF OF GUERNSEY.]




                          GUERNSEY FOLK-LORE

                            A COLLECTION OF

               _POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS, LEGENDARY TALES,
          PECULIAR CUSTOMS, PROVERBS, WEATHER SAYINGS, ETC.,
                    OF THE PEOPLE OF THAT ISLAND_.

                         FROM MSS. BY THE LATE
                SIR EDGAR MACCULLOCH, KNT., F.S.A., &c.
                        _Bailiff of Guernsey_.

                       EDITED BY EDITH F. CAREY.

       _ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS PHOTOGRAPHS OF OLD PRINTS, ETC._

                                LONDON:
                ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
                  GUERNSEY: F. CLARKE, STATES ARCADE.
                                 1903.

    “IN WINTER’S TEDIOUS NIGHTS SIT BY THE FIRE
    WITH GOOD OLD FOLKS, AND LET THEM TELL THEE TALES
    OF WOEFUL AGES LONG AGO BETID.”--K. RICHARD II., ACT V., SC. 1.

    “LA LEGENDE, LE MYTHE, LA FABLE, SONT, COMME LA CONCENTRATION
    DE LA VIE NATIONALE, COMME DES RESERVOIRS PROFONDS OU DORMENT
    LE SANG ET LES LARMES DES PEUPLES.”--BAUDELAIRE.




AUTHOR’S PREFACE.


Of late years the ancient superstitions of the people, their legendary
tales, their proverbial sayings, and, in fine, all that is designated
by the comprehensive term of “Folk-Lore,” have attracted much and
deserved attention. Puerile as are many of these subjects, they
become interesting when a comparison is instituted amongst them as
they exist in various countries. It is then seen how wide is their
spread--how, for example, the same incident in a fairy tale, modified
according to the manners and customs of the people by whom it is
related, extends from the remotest east to the westernmost confines
of Europe, and is even found occasionally to re-appear among the wild
tribes of the American Continent, and the isolated inhabitants of
Polynesia. The ethnologist may find in this an argument for the common
origin of all nations, and their gradual spread from one central
point,--the philosopher and psychologist may speculate on the wonderful
construction of the human mind, and, throwing aside the idea of the
unity of the race, may attribute the similarities of tradition to an
innate set of ideas, which find their expression in certain definite
forms,--while the historian and antiquary may sometimes discover
in these popular traditions, a confirmation or explanation of some
doubtful point. Lastly, he whose sole object is amusement, and whose
taste is not entirely vitiated by the exaggerated and exciting fiction
of modern times, will turn with pleasure to the simple tales which have
amused his childhood, and which are ever fresh and ever new.

Much of this ancient lore has already perished, and much is every
day disappearing before the influence of the printing press, and the
consequent extension of education. This would scarcely be regretted,
if, at the same time, the degrading superstitions with which much
of these old traditions are mixed up could disappear with them, but
unfortunately we find by experience that this is not the case, and that
these popular delusions only disappear in one form to re-appear in
another, equally, if not more, dangerous.

A desire to preserve, before they were entirely forgotten, some of the
traditional stories, and other matters connected with the folk-lore of
my native island, induced me to attempt to collect and record them,
but I have found the task, though pleasant, by no means easy. The last
fifty years has made an immense difference here as elsewhere. The
influx of a stranger population, and with it the growth and spread of
the English tongue, has changed, or modified considerably, the manners
and ideas of the people, more particularly in the town. Old customs
are forgotten by the rising generation, what amused their fathers
and mothers possesses little or no interest for their children, and
gradually even the recollection of these matters dies away. There are
good grounds for supposing that, although the belief in witchcraft
attained its greatest development in the century which succeeded the
Reformation, and was as much the creed of the clergy as of the laity,
other popular superstitions were looked upon with disfavour, and
especially all