School: Baile an Mhuilinn, An Droichead Nua (roll number 16654)

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1. Folklore - Stories of the Holy Family

   

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   The same story as given in the example is told locally in a different way. When Mary and Joseph were fleeing with Jesus from Herod's soldiers, they came to a man where he was sowing wheat. They asked him for a short-cut through the fields; he directed them, and they arrived safely at their destination. When the man came out in the morning, the corn had sprung up and ripened, but while he was looking at it in wonder, the soldiers came up, and inquired if three people had passed that way. He said "yes" but it was when he was sowing the corn, but they said that they were not the people they were looking for because they were only gone one day, but then the chafer put his head out from the clay and said "yesterday the Holy Family passed here" and the soldiers continued searching. The old people say that three venial sins are taken off your soul when you kill a chafer. The Holy Family were on one occasion going into Jerusalem, the Child Jesus was then only five years old, and some Jews were trying to kill Him, but night came on before they reached the city. They came up to a house, and knocked at the door, a woman came to the door, and the Holy Family asked for lodging, but she said that the house was full, and she had no room for them, but if they liked, they

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Nell Maguire

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Martha Maguire

   Relation

   Relative (other than parent or grandparent)

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   42

   Address

   Hawkfield, Co. Kildare