Catalogue of Brand Material. 419
Hanging sheet over chair, locality.
finding tool or weapon
leaning against it in morning South Yorksh. Tapping on henhouse door,
auguring marriage or single
life from cock or hen
cackling - - - - Devon. To see persons doomed to die,
watch at church door - North Yorksh. ^
(&) Precautionary Practices. •
Crosses chalked at street- ends, straws crossed over doors, to keep out witches and evil spirits (obs.) - Staffs. (Bilston).
Some new garment worn, lest
birds should spoil clothes - Wore. (Alvechurch).^
(c) Things Forbidden, or Unlucky,
during Christmastide. To plough, or work horses - Salop, To spin (the distaff was often
dressed with flowers) - Salop. To keep suds or " buck-lee "
(washing liquor) in the house Salop. To keep wet ashes (the
material for washing-ley)
in the house - - - Wore. To take new shoes, or un-
tanned leather into the
house - . - - Herefordshire, Wore. To give fire or light out of the
house - - - - Wlaitby, Filey. 3 To throw out ashes, or sweep
out dust - - - - Whitby, Filey, Salop. To " give, borrow, or strike "
a light - - - - Salop. To permita squinting, or bare- footed person, or above all
a flat-footed woman, to
enter the house while the
Christmas log is burning - Cheshire.^
^ Cf. Fire Customs, First Foot, etc.
2Cf. Easter.
- See Fire Customs.
- " Anon." in Cheshire N. and Q., 18S4, p. 181.