Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore, (chiefly Lancashire and the North of England:) Their Affinity to Others in Widely-distributed Localities; Their Eastern Origin and Mythical Significance

principles by examples of the folk-lore of Great Britain and Ireland, and would gladly have done so more copiously had matter for the purpose been more accessible. My efforts in that direction have made me painfully aware how much we are behind the Germans, not only as to our insight into the meaning of such relics of the past, but also as to our industry in collecting them. The latter defect is indeed a natural consequence of the former, and it is to be hoped that our local archæologists will no longer be content to labour under either of them when once they have found what far-reaching knowledge may be extracted out of old wives' tales and notions. Only four years ago the editor of "Notes and Queries" spoke hypothetically (in the preface to "Choice Notes") of a time to come when the study of folk-lore (he was I believe the inventor of that very expressive and sterling word) should have risen from a pleasant pastime to the rank of a science. Already his anticipation has been realised, and henceforth every careful collector of a novel scrap of folk-lore, or of even a well-marked variety of an old type, may entertain a reasonable hope that he has in some degree subserved the purposes of the ethnologist and the philosophical historian."

In 1865-6 I published a series of the "Supplementary Notes" referred to, in the Preston Guardian newspaper. The general favour with which they were received, and the increasing interest I felt in the subject, induced me to continue my researches, with the view to the ultimate publication of the present volume. The original papers, as well as other essays afterwards published elsewhere, have not only been carefully revised, and, in some instances, rearranged, but the quantity of new matter added in each chapter is such as to render the work in every respect much more complete, and more worthy of being regarded as having, in some small degree, "subserved the purposes of the ethnologist and the philosophical historian." I would gladly persuade myself that I have, at least, rendered what many

regard as frivolous, and others as very abstruse and very

reading," interesting, attractive, and instructive to the general reader. If I succeed in this respect, my chief object will have been accomplished.

The various authorities relied upon or quoted are sufficiently indicated in the body of the work to render a catalogue of them here unnecessary. I may add, however, that the principal portions of the papers contributed by my friend, Mr. T. T. Wilkinson, F.R.A.S., to the "Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Historic Society," have since been incorporated with a portion of the collection of the late Mr. Jno. Harland, F.S.A., and published in a volume by F. Warne and Co., entitled "Lancashire Folk Lore."

74, HALSTON STREET, HULME,

Manchester, April, 1872.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

THE EARLY INHABITANTS OF LANCASHIRE AND THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTIES,
AND REMAINS OF THEIR MYTHOLOGY AND LOCAL NOMENCLATURE.

Etymology. Philology. The Aryan theory of the common origin of most of
the European races of men. Sanscrit. The Rig Vedas. Probable element of
truth at the base of Geoffrey of Monmouth's mythical History of the Britons.
The Brigantes. The Phoenicians. The Hyperboreans. Stonehenge. Bel or
Baal, the sun god. The Persian Ormusd. Temple of Mithras in Northumber-
land. The "Bronze age." The Cushites or Hamites of Ancient Arabia.
Palæoliths, or ancient stone weapons. The Belisama (Ribble). Altars dedi-
cated to Belatucadrus in the North of England. The Brigantes of the East,
Spain, Ireland, and the North of England. The Aryan Fire-god Agni, and his
retainers, the Brighus, etc. Altars in the North of England dedicated to
Vitires, Vetiris, or Veteres. Vithris (Odin). Vritra of the Hindoo Vedas.
Altars dedicated to Coccideus. The Styx, Acheron, and Cocytus of the Greeks.
The Coccium of Antoninus, at Walton, near Preston. Ancient local nomen-
clature. The Belisama. The Irish god Samhan. The Aryan god Soma.
The "heavenly soma." The amrita or nectar, the "drink of the gods."
Madhu. Mead. Brewing and lightening. Bel, the luminous deity of the
Britons. Deification of rivers. The Warf, the Lune, etc. The Solway and
Eden (Ituna of Ptolemy). Idunn, the goddess of youth and beauty. Swan
maidens. Eagle shirts. Frost giants, etc. The "Luck of Eden Hall."
Phallic symbols. The Dee (the Seteia of Ptolemy). Devas, deities, evil
spirits, devils. The Severn, Sabrina, Varuna. War between the devas and
the asuras.
The Vedic serpent, Sesha. The chark. Churning the sea, or
brewing soma. The lake of Amara, or of the gods, and the Sitanti mountains,
at the head of the Nile. The second Avatara of Vishn'u. The Setantii,
ancient inhabitants of Lancashire. The Humber (the Abus of Ptolemy). The
Vedic Arbhus. The Elbe. Elemental strife. The Wash (the Metaris of
Ptolemy). The Vidic Mithra, the friend of Varuna, the god of daylight.
Figurative interpretation. The origin of language.

Böcker