School: Sruthar (C.)

Location:
Shrule, Co. Mayo
Teacher:
Bríd, Bean Uí Éanacháin
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0102, Page 143

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0102, Page 143

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  3. XML “Signs of Death - Pisreoga about Wakes and Funerals”

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  1. Signs of Death. Pisreoga about Wakes and Funerals
    The old people used to say that if the cock crew at midnight, it was a sign of death. If a swan flew over a house, it was a sign of a death in the house.
    It is not right to churn the cream that was collected in the crock when a person died in the house. If a hen flew in over a corpse, she shout be killed at once. People say it is right to bring a coffin in at the front door. and to take it out again the same door.
    If a funeral gets divided in two it is a sign that another member of the family will die soon. It is not right to take a "short-cut" with the corpse when the funeral is going to the church-yard.
    Long ago, they used to carry the coffin in a sheet, and four men used to carry it. When they got tired, they used to leave down the coffin, and anyone who passed that spot later used to get hungry and weak, and this feeling was called the "féar gorta".
    It is not right is go home from a wake alone. It is not right to sweep the hearth during the night of a wake, as it is said that the poor souls are gathered around the hearth that night.
    (Bríghid Ní Mhocháin . Cathair na mbroc) From Thomas Moughan (father) 60 yrs.
    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Topics
    1. genre
      1. belief (~391)
        1. folk belief (~2,535)
    2. activities
      1. social activities (~7)
        1. rites of passage (~573)
          1. death (~1,076)
    Language
    English
    Collector
    Bríghid Ní Mhocháin
    Gender
    Female
    Address
    Cahernabrock, Co. Mayo
    Informant
    Thomas Moughan
    Relation
    Parent
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    60
    Address
    Cahernabrock, Co. Mayo