Irish
Customs & Superstitions
The
House : Luck objects
Various
objects were hung in a house or kept there to ensure good luck. A
caul-clay from Tory island off the coast of Donegal, or house-leek
(Sempervivum) would save the house from being burned and from
lightening, this was grown on the roofs of thatched houses, or in
specially made niches or nooks in or about the roofs or porches of
houses covered with other materials. It is known by various names:
'houseleek' is widespread, but 'roofleek' occurs in parts of county
Cork, 'buachaill tí' (houseboy) in Galway and Mayo, 'luibh
a' tóiteáin' in west Limerick and Kerry, 'tóirpín'
in Clare and Tipperary, and waxplant in Offaly and Westmeath. It was
also valued as a medicinal herb. Other plants grown on or about the
roof of a house brought good luck and guard against fire, 'stonecrop'
(Sedum acre) around Tramore, county Waterford and 'snapdragon'
(Antirrhinum majus) in county Westmeath. The elder tree which
grew near many houses, would protect them from lightening; the skin
of a king-otter would avert general harm; there is seldom a town in
Ireland where a horseshoe may not be found nailed over some house
or dwelling, this was believed to bring good luck, although some believe
that the shoe of an ass or donkey was much more lucky.
Take
the following from a prescription in a medical manuscript of 1794
"Gaibh cheithre crúgh fiorasail agus dein dhá leath
do gach crúgh fiorasail dein dhá leath do gach crúigh
dhiobh. Cuir lethchrúgh díobh ar an ttairsicc agus leathchrúigh
dhíobh ar an bhfuinneoig agus mar sin leathchrúgh ar
gach doras agus fuinneoig dá mbia at an tigh agus nochan tiocfaidh
sioghbhradha ná deamhan aedhir isteach tarsa."
(Take four shoes of an entire ass, and make two halves of each shoe.
Put a half-shoe on the threshold, and a half shoe on the window, and
thus a half shoe over each door and window that is in the house, and
there shall come no fairy or demon of the air in across them.)
St.
Brigid's crosses (placed in parts of the house and outhouses on the
31st of January, the eve of her festival; blessed palm (usually fir,
yew or similar evergreen) blessed in church as part of the liturgy
on Palm Sunday, holy water (blessed on Easter Saturday) brought home
and sprinkled in the house, the blood of an animal or fowl slaughtered
at Martinmas and likewise sprinkled in the house or a black cock (which
had it's perch over a door inside) would ward off sorcery and harm
by supernatural beings; a black cat, crickets or freak eggs (placed
inside the roof of the house) would ensure luck for the house and
bunches of yarrow collected on the eve of St. John (June 24th) as
well as May flowers (but not Whitethorn), would keep illness and mis-fortune
away. People were careful never to sweep out the floor dust on a Monday,
lest they sweep out their luck as well
In
the everyday life of the household there were numerous omens pertaining
to the luck of the house, and these are a selection:
It
was considered very lucky if a bird or a honeybee flew into the house
and great care had to be taken to capture the creature and release
it or otherwise ensure that it left the house unhurt. On the other
hand it was believed that if a frog or a worm came into the house
it was very unlucky and should be killed. Bread or meal and salt should
always be in the house. The hearth should be swept clean at night,
but sweepings and ashes should never be taken from the house on a
Monday. Dirty water should not be thrown after dark without calling
out a warning to any of the fairy or spirit world who might be near
the door; this applied specially to water used for cleaning the feet.
The
person who enters the house by one of two doors must go out again
by the same door. Whitethorn or elder blossoms must not be brought
in. Inside the house no umbrella should be opened (or you'd bring
rain) and no agricultural or other implement place on the shoulder.
