School: Banahoe
- Location:
- Banagher, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: A. Mac an Bháird
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0978, Page 115
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- (continued from previous page)against witches taking the milk. This practice is still very common.
In warm weather, milk used to be left in shucks in order to keep it cool. This gave a chance to the witches to come and take it. If a witch wanted to take the butter off the milk in a number of cans she just took a cupful of cream from each can and that gave her power to take all the butter. It was believed that the parties couldn't steal the butter off the milk if they hadn't some of the cream first of all.
The father of James Soden, Pottle Soden, who died in 1937 was losing milk at one time. He went to a man who was reputed to be able to get his milk back for him. When he came home he took all the irons that could be taken off his plough and stuck them in the fire. Before long a woman whom he had suspected of stealing his milk appeared at his door and implored him to take the irons out of the fire. She behaved like a person being tortured. When(continues on next page)
- (continued from previous page)In warm weather, milk used to be left in shucks in order to keep it cool. This gave a chance to the witches to come and take it. If a witch wanted to take the butter off the milk in a number of cans she just took a cupful of cream from each can and that gave her power to take all the butter. It was believed that the parties couldn't steal the butter off the milk if they hadn't some of the cream first of all.(continues on next page)
- (continued from previous page)The father of James Soden, Pottle Soden, who died in 1937 was losing milk at one time. He went to a man who was reputed to be able to get his milk back for him. When he came home he took all the irons that could be taken off his plough and stuck them in the fire. Before long a woman whom he had suspected of stealing his milk appeared at his door and implored him to take the irons out of the fire. She behaved like a person being tortured. When(continues on next page)
