COLLECTOR: Joe McIntyre, Knocksaxon, Co. Mayo

Riddles

As I was going up the hill all the hill was falling asunder?

It's deep and it's damp and its under the bank and its fit for a lord or lady?

What bore the best that ever was born?

Why is a white hen cleverer than a black hen?

What animal walks on four feet in the morning two at midday and three in in the evening?

A man harrowing oats.

A grave.

The ass.

A white hen can lay a white egg and a black hen can't lay a black egg.

A man.

Weather-Lore

If a swallow flies high, good weather will follow.

It is an omen of good weather to see a swan flying.

If the clouds grow dark rain is expected.

When a swallow flies low we shall have bad weather.

If the sun sparkles in the morning it is the sign of a bad day.

When the curlew sing it is the sign of rain.

When the crickets sing it is the sign of rain. When the wind blows from the North it shall snow.

A Funny Story

Once upon a time there were people churning in a house. A tailor came in to make clothes for the children. The people of the house were putting a coal under the churn. The tailor struck the coal with his thimble and turned it into a can of water. The people were churning for a long time. No butter came on the milk. The tailor told them to go to the can. They went and there they found the butter.

Making a Scib

My father makes scibs at home. Eight strong sally rods are cut. Four of them are split in the middle with a knife and the others are put through them. Small rods are woven in and out between these in a circle. These are woven until they come to the ends of the strong rods. To turn the caisín long rods are put in all round. Turn up these and tie them together at the top. Build the caisín by weaving to a height of 4" . Take one of the tied rods and weave it in and out between the others. Each one is taken and woven like the first one until they are finished. Potatoes are strained on it. Children eat their dinners out of it. The scib is placed on a chair without a back and they sit round it on stools tied rods and weave it in and out between the others. Children eat their dinners out of it. The scib is placed on a chair without a back and they sit round it on stools.

Thatching

We have a thatched house at home. The rafters are put up first and they are joined together at the top. Then strong sticks are nailed to them. Latts are left over them too. Scraws cover the latts. Thatch is put over the scraws. Rye straw is the best for thatch. Hazel or sally rods are cut and made into scallaps. They are pointed at each end and they are driven into the thatch by means of a mallet. When the house is thatched to the top a handful of straw is got and the end of it turned down and tied. These are called bobbins. A scallap is put through them and they are tightened down like straw.

Correction

14th June 1938

A scallop is put through them and they are tightened down like straw.

An Old Church

There was an old church in the parish of Keelogues in the barony of Carra. That church was near Killen bog and that bog was named after it. The walls are there yet.

A Graveyard

There is an old grave-yard in Cul Sonnac in the parish of Keelogues. Infants are buried in it to the present day. It was the largest grave-yard in the district at one time.

Names of Fields

We have a farm in the village of Knocksaxon parish of Straid in the barony of Carra. It is divided into fields by sod ditches and stone walls. Each field has a name.

Garra cruaidh

Garra mór

Puirtin

middle field

Molly

Local Cures

To cure a burn mix the yoke of an egg and butter together and fry them. Then rub it on the burn.

To cure a tooth-ache rub a frog on the gum round the tooth.

A cobweb will stop a cut from bleeding.

A fox's tongue will take out a thorn.

Wax will also take out a thorn.

Soda will stop a burn from blistering.

Bird-Lore

The following are the names of birds that inhabit the townland of Knocksaxon, Barony of Carra, Mayo.

Thrush

Blackbird

Swallow

Gold finch

Robin

Wren

Sparrow

Lark

Tom-tit

Grey plovers

Wild duck

Grouse

Snipe

Wag tail

Lapwing

Curlew

Sea gulls

Yellow hammer

Magpie

Crow

The robin is a brown bird with a red breast. She builds a nest in a sod ditch with moss and feathers. She lays five eggs. They are white with brown spots.

The wren is a small brown bird. She builds a nest of moss in the thatch or in ivy. She lays about nine white eggs. She leaves a hole the size of herself in the side of the nest so that no other bird can get in.

A wagtail builds a nest very far into a stone wall. The nest is built of hay and hair. She always has two ways into her nest. She is slate-colour with a long tail.

A swallow is a blackish bird. She lays eight white eggs in a nest built of gutter and feathers. He flies away in Autumn and comes back in spring. When he flies high it's the sign of good weather but when he flies low it's the sign of rain.

Tinkers

The tinkers best known in this district are the Wards and Maughans. A good while ago the women used to ask lodgings. Then three or four of them would stay in the barn for a week. They did not pay for their lodgings. Some of them lived in tents and they made saucepans.

The tinkers that travel about now live in caravans. They sell carpets and mats. They make saucepans and cans. Two or three families travel together. They ask alms of flour and potatoes.

Playing Toys

When playing toys you make three holes. Then you stand about a yard from the first one and pink. If you put a marble in the hole you may fling it to the next hole. When you are throwing get the toy in between the thumb and the first finger and shove it out with your thumb. If you do not put it in the hole the next person may throw. Each one has to get the holes three times. The person that gets the third hole first is game.

Knocksaxon

The village I live in is called Knocksaxon. It contains twelve houses presently, three of which are slated and nine of them are thatched. There were fifteen in it once, but three families have migrated to new homes. There is no name more common than another in this village now. There are two families called Lynskey now and a family of them migrated. This village has a population of 50 people. There are three persons getting the old age pension.

Part of this land is moory and part of it is boggy. The farmer can get a fairly good crop off it by treating it with manure and lime and by draining it fairly often.

Knocksaxon is in the parish of Straid in the barony of Carra. This is how it got it's name; there was a battle fought in it a long time ago between the Irish and the English. The English were defeated and a lot of them were slain. The Irish buried their dead soldiers in Curran and they left the English soldiers unburied. The priest of Straid came up and they got a grave dug into which the soldiers were put. They raised a heap of soil and stones over it. From that cnoc the village was called Cnoc Saxon.

There is a river near the place and the soldiers washed their wounds in it. The river was covered with blood for three days after the battle. It was called srotán na fola since this village now.

Potatoes

When the farmer makes ridges he draws out manure with an ass and cart. Then the children spread it on the ridges. The farmer shakes shop manure over that again. The slits are left on the ridges, three across. Then the farmer puts the soil out of the "shock" on the slits. When the slits are budding they are moulded.

When the stalks grow they are sprayed for fear of blight.

In Autumn they are dug. They are left along the ridge. The children pick them and put them into pits. The following are the names of potatoes.

Queens.

May queen.

Champions.

Kerry pinks.

Aran banners.

eppicures.

Aran victors.

The Aran banners grow the biggest in this district. They are best for pigs.

Old Sayings

The longest way round is the shortest way home.

After a storm there comes a calm.

Better late than never.

A bird in the hand is worth two in a bush.

Saying and doing are two things.

Never cry over spilt milk.

Be wise by what you have learned and try to do better next time.

Facts are stubborn things.

Fools rush where angels fear to tread.

A customer in the shop is worth two on the pavement.

April showers brings forth May flowers.

Laugh and the world laughs with you.

Weep and you weep alone.

Feast and your halls shall be crowded.

Fast and the world goes by.

Fools make feasts and wise men eat them.

A good thing is worth waiting for.

When the cat is out the mouse can play.

Look before you leap.

The least said the soonest

mended.

A stitch in time saves nine.

Tears are not the only proofs of distress, not the best ones.

An opening won't come to one, but one must go to it.

Two heads are better than one.

What you can do to-day never put off until to-morrow.

Dont throw out the dirty water until you have clean water in.

Many hands make light work.

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

A word to the wise is enough.

Customs

On Saint Stephen's day the boys travel about with a wren in a box. The box is made of card board with a net of strings on the top of it. They dress up in disguise with false faces and old jackets. When they come to a house they say "Honour the wren".

A long time ago they said this at every door "Christmas is coming, and the geese are getting fat please put a penny on the old man's hat, if you have not a penny a half-penny will do."

On Saint Brigid's night the boys and girls go out to every house and they say "Honour the Biddy". The girls carry dolls made of rags. When they come home they make crosses in honour of Saint Brigid with straw and two sticks.

November's Night

ON November's night the boys and girls get a basin of water. They cut an apple in halves and they put a penny through it. The weight of the penny keeps the apple at the bottom of the water. The person that can take up the apple and penny with his mouth may keep them. Some of the boys go out and they kick cabbage along the road.

A good while ago the people never ate nuts or sloes after November's night. They believed that the puca was out that night.

Fairs

There is a fair held in the parish of Straid four times a year, on the last day of May, on the second last day of July, 23rd of October and on the 27th of November. It has been held there for a long time. Cattle and sheep are sold at it now. Cattle and sheep and horses and pigs were sold at it once. Only a few buyers come to it now. But a lot of buyers went to it one time ago.

Old Houses

Every one of the old houses have thatched roofs on them. They have one chimney with a big fire place at the bottom. They have two hobs one each side of the fire place. A crane is put standing on one of the hobs for hanging pots on the fire. In some of the old houses the people have hangers instead of cranes. A strong piece of timber is fastened up half-way the chimney and the hanger is fastened to it. There was only one room in the old houses. There were two beds in the kitchen one of them was in the cailleac. Nearly all the floors were covered with flags and nearly every one of them was square. There was only one small window in the side wall.

Story

Once upon a time there lived a man who used to go to the market which was held in a town a good distance from his house.

One evening he was coming home and it was getting very dark. It was well lighting up time and he had no light. Suddenly he thought of a plan. He unyoked the ass from the cart and put him into it. Then the man went under the cart himself and was going along the road well satisfied with his plan when he met a policeman. The policeman asked him for his light. The man replied, "Don't ask me ask the driver."