School: Gortnacart (roll number 15554)

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1. The Butter Cures (continued)

   

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   finishing the work the churn was opened and sure enough there was the churn covered with beautiful golden butter.
   Another custom very common amongst the people when butter had been stolen, was as follows.
   The shells from which the young chickens had been hatched in early spring were preserved in case of theft of butter. Indeed no person lent either butter or milk after May Day lest the person to whom they would give them would covet the butter and so steal it. However if the butter had been stolen, some of the egg shells were procured, and a portion of the milk from which the butter had disappeared was poured into them. Then part of the thatch of the house was got and the shells with the milk and thatch were burned together. The cure was complete then and the butter returned. The same milk which would not produce butter before this operation took place would produce plenty of butter afterwards, and all milk churned afterwards was as normal as before the butter had been stolen.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Annie Shovlin

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   86

   Occupation

   Farmer

   Address

   Doochill North, Co. Donegal