School: Achadh Mhaoláin (roll number 9254)

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1. Losing the Butter (continued)

   

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   of some weapon or tool with iron in it, during churning opperations.
   The only remedy for this was, to not let anyone borrow anything during the time you were churning.
   The third agent or witch was the person who turned herself into a hare in order to go around to the milking herds and take a small quantity from each and in this way take all the butter that could be got off the milk.
   This form of witchcraft was counteracted by putting a plough iron in the fire during churning operations and no matter where the witch was at that time she was burned by it. If the witch came to the house then and took the plough-iron out of the fire she wouldn't be burned to death but otherwise she would.
   In the town-land in which I live the plough-iron was placed in the fire for some witch who had turned herself into a hare and was often seen with the milch-cows. As soon as the iron was hot it started burning her. She, knowing that she had that farmer's butter ran at once to his house and dragged the plough-iron from the fire. She plunged it into a bucket of cold water and promised the occupants of that house that she would never again interfere with their milk.
   There was a danger attached to this way of dealing with the witch who turned herself into a hare in order to take the butter because if the wind turned while the plough iron was in the fire all the occupents in that house would become insane.
   There is another story told about a man who lived near Bawnboy and who on several occasions saw a hare running from his cow house. For a long time before this no butter could be got from

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. gníomhaíochtaí
      1. gníomhaíochtaí eacnamaíocha
         1. talmhaíocht (~2,659)
   2. gníomhairí (~1)
      1. neacha neamhshaolta agus osnádúrtha (~14,864)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Bridie Kelly

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Francis Kelly

   Age

   c. 60

   Address

   Droim Ingne, Co. Liatroma