School: Durrus, Bantry (roll number 13023)

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1. The Care of the Feet

   

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   In former times people did not wear shoes until they were about fourteen or fifteen years old. Children at present go barefoot in Summer but not so this throught the Winter. There are very few accounts of people who never wear boots or shoes in the district, but I heard of one man thought I do not know his name who never wears shoes or boots throughout the winter or summer.

   In Durrus the water used for washing the feet is thrown away immediately, after all the household have their feet washed, but in other districts the feet water is kept until the morning after and then thrown away. There is an old belief about washing the feet, that the males of the house should always wash their feet first and then the females . If it so happened that there was no male in the house the cock should be brought in first and his feet dipped in the water before any of the family would wash their feet.

   In this district there is also a story told about feet water. Long ago ten fairies came to a house where an old woman lived. After a while she shouted that the fort was was on fire and they all disappeared

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. clothing and accessories (~2,403)
         1. shoes (~1,841)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Sarah Dukelow

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Clashadoo, Co. Cork

   Informant

   C. Dukelow

   Address

   Clashadoo, Co. Cork