Skeealyn Vannin, Disk 3 Track 08: Conversation: John and Sage Kinvig, Ronague, Arbory; Tommy Leece, Kerrookeil, Malew; Ned Maddrell, Glen Chass, Rushen
https://www.youtube.com/embed/bocN-qfHc0oDate(s): 1948
Creator(s): Irish Folklore Commission
Transcript: N.M go on then go on Do you remember any of the old customs?
T.L you just start it anytime?
S.K yes Oh I remember when they were going
J.K
N.M And on the quaaltaghs?
T.L
S.K round singing the houses carols, and singing in Manx and singing in English some an’ different things
J.K
N.M Yes a dark a dark man.
T.L Did you know was a woman in, er, for a quaaltagh at all? Yes a dark haired man
S.K And on the quaaltaghs. No, no, no em yes.
J.K No, it was a dark haired man
N.M Well I’ve been all night walking on the quaaltaghs meself Full up to the neck of bunloaf
T.L Yes I suppose so yes
S.K Didn’t think much
J.K
N.M oh there were spirits going too, and, and, but a person don’t care to
T.L
S.K of it without they were giving some spirits though to the quaaltagh
J.K
N.M admit that Youngsters getting the spirits they shouldn’t have been getting them Yes. Well then after
T.L No
S.K No Yes I should think so
J.K
N.M that there was er Caillagh ny Droamagh. did you ever hear of her? I have too but I, I don’t know er
T.L
S.K Yes, I’ve heard of that too
J.K
N.M whether there’s very much in it or not What is, what was the, what is the tradition behind that?
T.L
S.K Well that’d be If they got the sticks
J.K
N.M Yes, that’s what I’ve heard A dry Spring.
T.L It’d be a wet Spring Well it’d be a dry Spring Yes
S.K dry what was that? It’d If you got the sticks wet
J.K Yes
N.M That’s that’s how the story goes anyway. Well then, after that came the twelfth of May or the, at least the eleventh, the night of
T.L
S.K Yes,
J.K
N.M the eleventh of May What was the, what was the customs around here at that time?
T.L Burning gorse for one thing
S.K the night of the eleventh
J.K
N.M oh at twelve I see. Well around my part we
T.L. Burning the witches
S.K Burning the witch out of the gorse an’
J.K at twelve, yes well at twelve o’clock
N.M gathered the may flowers from the meadows and strewed them at the threshold of the door and went and cut twigs from the
T.L
S.K
J.K
N.M keirn tree and made crosses and hung them behind the door, tied them with sewing thread and hung them behind the door to
T.L
S.K
J.K
N.M keep the witches and the fairies away. Aye well, I
T.L And they were making crosses and tying them to each of the cows’ tails
S.K
J.K
N.M haven’t seen, never seen that or never heard of that. I was never fortunate enough to be
T.L an’ the […] I’ve seen it done
S.K I’ve seen the
J.K
N.M belonging to a a farming family Well, after that, what was the next?
T.L mayflower, the mayflowers at the at the cow-house door, too.
S.K
J.K
N.M Well of course the, er, the Midsummer Fair, I can’t remember very much of that What, was there
T.L Midsummer Fair [laugh] Yes, there would be
S.K. [laugh]
J.K.
N.M anything, anything special about at that time?
T.L Well everybody was going walking maybe from, from Cregneash you
S.K Everybody could walk
J.K
N.M Yes
T.L was, er ?be are? I remember Port St Mary fishermen travelling from Kirk Christ, Rushen over the mountains,
S.K Yes
J.K
N.M
T.L the top of the mountains over by Tom Dippers and away out to the Round Table and down Glion Needle and down to St
S.K
J.K
N.M Oh do you mean Oh that’d, oh yes, I see, I’ve heard about that
T.L Johns To go to fight about the, the er tax, er the rate I seen them
S.K
J.K
N.M Oh, that would, that what’s yous call the er Midsummer Fair then that’s what we call Tynwald Fair Aye.
T.L Oh, Tynwald Fair, yes
S.K
J.K
N.M Oh yes, that’s the time they put the fear on the Governor when, when, when they all, when the fishermen all mustered
T.L Tynwald Fair Oh
S.K
J.K
N.M and and and er came in a body only he sent someone out to, to meet them, and told them that their request would be granted
T.L [laugh] Yeah, I
S.K
J.K
N.M Aye, I believe so
T.L suppose it was about half of [?yous] in Port St Mary and Port Erin Well I seen, I seen them fellows going ‘cause I was
S.K
J.K
N.M
T.L in Harry’s stream that time you see and I was thinning turnips up at the mountain hedge, a field up there and er I
S.K
J.K I remember that too
N.M marching in a body
T.L saw them travelling away over marching in a body
S.K
J.K
(Transcribed by Breesha Maddrell, Fistard, Rushen)
Language: English
Collection: Sound Archive
Level: WHOLE
ID number: SA 0579/3/8