School: Cor na Gaoithe (roll number 7495)
- Location:
- Cornageeha, Co. Leitrim
- Teacher: Bean Uí Fhloinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0206, Page 021
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- XML School: Cor na Gaoithe
- XML Page 021
- XML “Taking the Butter”
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- Long ago “taking the butter” was very common in this district. Certain people were supposed to steal or take their neighbour’s butter without them knowing it.
“Taking the butter” was supposed to be done by magic or the power of the Devil.
A certain man who was supposed to take the butter wore a rag on the first finger of his right hand all his life. If he got anything belonging to his neighbours he had power to take their butter. The only to get back stolen butter was by taking the thatch off the four corners of the person’s house who took it.
On May day people used to take butter. One May day a man was going to Carrick.
On the way he saw a woman gathering sticks in a field. When she had a bundle gathered she tied them. She was about to leave the field when she saw the man. She threw down the bundle, and ran home. The man took it up, and when he went home he left it in a barn. Some days after he looked at them but was surprised to find a large firkin of butter.
- Collector
- Roseanne Mulvey
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- James Creamer
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 71
