Folk-lore of Shakespeare by Thomas Firminger Thiselton Dyer (well read books .TXT) 📕

bleeding of, unlucky, 266, 516. Novem quinque, game of dice, 413. Numbers, odd, 40. Nuptial kiss, 351. Nutmeg, gift at Christmas, 233.   O ho! exclamation, 530. Oak, crown of, a mark of honor, 233; Herne’s, 233. Oberon, king of fairyland, 2, 3. Obidicut, evil spirit, 61. Odd numbers, 40. Olive, emblem of peace, 234. One-and-thirty, old game, 399. Osprey, fascinating influence of, 138. Ostrich, extraordinary digestion of, 138, 139. Otnit, German story of, 3, 14. Ouphe, name for fairy, 9, 17. Our Lady’s smock, 225. Ousel, name for blackbird, 100. Owl, bird of ill-omen, 139; legend concerning, 142. Owlet’s wing used by witches, 141. Oysters, proverb relating to, 468.   Paddock, term for toad, 144, 262. Pageants, 315. Palm, symbol of victory, 234. Palmers, name for pilgrims, 235. Palmistry, 475, 490. Paralysis, 284. Parish-top, 413. Parrot, restless before rain, 143; taught unlucky words, 143. Partridge, 133. Passing-bell, 366. Patrick (St.) drives reptiles from Ireland, 257; his festival, 304; purgatory, 304, 368. Patrons, praying for, 543. Pavan, a dance, 429. Peacock, its proverbial use, 143. Peajock, peacock so called, 144. Pear, 235. Pearls, swallowing of, 392; powdered, thrown over sovereigns, 391; medicinal properties of, 392; legendary origin of, 392. Peas-blossom, name of fairy, 9. Peascod wooing, 235. Peg-a-lantern, 87, note. Peg-morris, game so called, 412. Pelican, feeds young ones with her blood, 144; hatched dead, 145. Periapts, 506. Pheasant, 145. Philip, name for sparrow, 154. Philomel, term for nightingale, 138. Philosopher’s stone, 284. Phœnix, rises from its own ashes, 145. Pigeon, feathers of, unlucky, 367; used as carrier, 146; constancy of, 147. Pike, old name for, 503. Pilgrims, 235. Pillory, mode of punishment, 437. Piskey, Devonshire name for fairy, 6. Pismire, name for ant, 250. Pixy, name for fairy, 6. Pixy-led, misled by fairies, 8. Planets, 78; influence of, 79; irregular motion of, 78. Plantain, its medicinal use, 76, 236; water, 268. Pleurisy, 281. Plica Polonica, 190. Pluck a crow, 110. Plucking geese, a boy’s sport, 119. Poake-ledden, 8. Poison, vulgar error relating to, 286. Polecat, 196. Pomander, 287. Pomewater, name of apple, 207. Pooka, 6. Poor man’s parmacetti, 267. Poperin, name for pear, 235. Popinjay, name for parrot, 143. Poppy, deadly qualities of, 237. Porcupine darts his quills, 196. Porpoise, weather-lore of, 503. Portents, belief in, 516. Posy rings, 388, 389. Potato, 237. Poverty, badge of, 521. Prayers, of Church, morbific influence of, 372; witches say backwards, 40, 41. Press, old torture, 438. Primavista, game at cards, 414. Primero, 414. Primrose, 237. Priser, term for a wrestler, 423. Prison bars or base, rustic game, 397. Prophecy, at death, 362. Proud tailor, name for goldfinch, 119. Proverbs, 444-474. Puck, name of fairy, 5-8, 11, 87. Punishments, 433-443. Push, exclamation, 498; pin, game, 415. Puttock, name for kite, 132.   Quails, 148; fighting, 148. Quarry, term in falconry, 124. Quintam, 415. Quoits, 416.   Rabbit, 196; suckers, 196. Race of horses, term for a stud, 193. Rack, torture of, 438. Racking clouds, 96. Ragged-robin, 213. Rainbow, 91. Rapture, name for trance, 272, 273. Rat, rhymed to death, 197; leaving a ship, ominous, 198. Raven, bird of ill-omen, 149; supposed longevity of, 149; deserts its young, 151; feathers, used by witches, 151. Red blood, sign of courage, 477. Red pestilence, 285. Reed, for shepherds’ pipes, 238. Rere-mouse, name for bat, 162. Rheumatism, 288. Rhyne toll, old manorial custom, 167. Rings, symbolical use, 386; exchange in marriage contracts, 346; death’s-head, 388; running for the, 417; rush, 242; posy, 388; token, 387; thumb, 389. Rivo, an exclamation, 530. Robin Goodfellow, 5-7, 86. Robin Hood, 310. Robin Redbreast covers dead bodies with leaves, 152. Rook, weather-lore of, 153; bird of good omen, 153; deserting a rookery, 153. Rose, associated with “Wars of Roses,” 239, 240; divination by, 318; symbolical use, 238; customs connected with, 238; cakes, 239; water, 239. Rosemary, strengthens memory, 240; symbol of remembrance, 240; at weddings and funerals, 240; for garnishing dishes at Christmas, 241. Roundel, a dance, 429. Rouse, 528. Ruddock, name for redbreast, 153. Rue, divination by, 318. Running, for the ring, 417; the figure of eight, 417; counter, hunting term, 178. Rush-bearings, 242. Rush candle, 242. Rush-ring, 242.   Sabbath of witches, 30. Saffron, its uses, 242, 243. Sagittary, 543. Salad-days, 543. Saliva, medical notion respecting, 289. Salt, used metaphorically, 543; sitting below the, 526. Salutations, 544. Sampson, Agnes, reputed witch, 33. Satyrs’ dance, 430. Scale of dragon, used by witches, 185. Scambling days, 301. Scammell or scamel, 121. Scare-crow, 109. Scrofula, cure for, 279. Sea, source of dew, 90; persons drowned in, 382; eagle, name for osprey, 138; gull, 121; mell or mew, 121; monster, 504. Secondary rainbow, 91. See-saw, game, 417. Seel, term in falconry, 127. Serpent, called a worm, 254; its forked tongue supposed to injure, 255; said to cause death without pain, 255, 256; used by witches, 255; emblem of ingratitude, 256; cures for bite of, 256; driven out of Ireland by St. Patrick, 257; casting of its slough, 257. Serpigo, name for skin disease, 288. Servants, taking oath of fidelity, 544; gold chains worn by, 544; attend bare-headed, 545. Sheep-shearing customs, 317. Sheer ale, 528. Shepherd’s, mill, 413; purse, 268. Shepherd-queen, 318. Sheriffs’ post, 545. Shoe-tye, name for a traveller, 545. Shoeing-horn, 545. Shooting stars, 516. Shore, Jane, 27, 37. Shove-groat, 417; shove-halfpenny, 418. Shrouding-sheet, 380. Shrove Tuesday, 299. Sickness, 288. Sieve, used by witches, 34; toss in a, punishment so called, 441. Sigh, notions respecting, 289. Signatures, doctrine of, 218. Silence before thunder, 93. “Six Worthies,” 316. Skimmington, old ceremony of, 443. Slide, board, or groat, 418, note; thrift, 418, note. Slip-thrift, 418, note. Slough of snake, 257. Slow-worm, 255. Smulkin, evil spirit, 61. Smithfield fair, 321. Snails, charming of, 198; omens of fine weather, 199. Sneak-cup, 528. Sneck-up, exclamation, 531. Snipe, applied to foolish man, 154. Snowballs, 418. Solemn supper, 545. Sop o’ the moonshine, 78. Souls, transmigration of, 50. Soul-bell, 367; mass cakes, 379. Souling, going a, 326. Span-counter, old game, 418. Sparrow, called Philip, 154; hawk, 154. Spear-grass, 243. Spectre huntsman, 49. Spider, considered venomous, 258; cure for jaundice and ague, 258; web used for stopping blood, 258; bottled, 259; gossamer, notion respecting, 259. Spirits, various kinds of, 60; unlucky to cross their path, 48; disappear at cock-crow, 104; impatient at being interrogated, 45; their appearance, 45; walking of, by way of penance, 46; reason for appearing, 46; allotted time for work, 47; signs of their approach, 47; of revenge, 58. Spleen, supposed cause of laughter, 496. Spy, I, exclamation, 531. Squalls, weather-lore of, 95. Stalking horse, 191. Starling, 155. Stars, influence on mundane events, 80; heroes reckoned among, 82. Statute-cap, 546. Stephen’s (St.) Day, hunting wren on, 501. Sterility, 289. Stigmatic, deformed person so called, 270. Stocks, old punishment, 440. Stool-ball, old game, 419. Stoop, or swoop, term in falconry, 124. Stover, fodder for cattle, 243. Strappado, military punishment, 440. Strawberry, 243. Succubi, class of devils, 78. Suicide, 290. Sun, weather-lore of, 63-65; dancing of, 63; cloudy rising, ominous, 64; red sunrise, 64; watery sunset, 65; supposed to be a planet, 62. Sunday, fashionable day for weddings, 358. Sunshine in March, 68. Swallow, harbinger of spring, 155; bird of good omen, 156. Swan, sings before death, 156. Sword, swearing by, 542; dance, 430. Sympathetic indications, 518.   Tailor, exclamation, 531. Tailor’s goose, name for pressing-iron, 118. Tassel-gentle, name of hawk, 157. Tavy’s (St.) Day, 226, 304. Tawdry lace, 325. Tears, of the