Cat on a hot tin roof

It seems that the devil has taken his centurial holidays once again in Devon. It seems a pensioner woke recently on a winter's morning to find the world covered in a blanket of crisp snow, only to find mysterious footprints in the shape of a cloven hoof forming a trail through her garden. With no obvious signs of an entry point or any suggestion that a wild animal had been in her garden, the pensioner was obviously flummoxed.

However, the footprints could well add to the legend of the Great Devon Mystery - proving that legends can be a part of living history, as well as ancient history. On the morning of February 8, 1885, villagers across a 100-mile swathe of south Devon awoke to find a trail of cloven footprints in the deep lying snow. An escaped pig, or wild boar, you might think, which would be a good guess until the footprints walked up walls and across roofs as if gravity didn't exist. Of course, scientists believe there is a rational explanation for both sets of prints, which there may well be, but until they come up with one - it could well be spring hares, the legend will grow with each re-telling...

Did those feet...

When it comes to legends, or traditions, there can be none bigger, in this day and age, than the whereabouts of the young Jesus. Regardless of your view of religion and divinity, there is no doubting that the later life of this person has in many ways shaped the lives and opinions of a wider proportion of humanity than any other person - whether this was intentional, or entirely down to his own work, will I think never be known.

However, of all the many theories regarding his ministry, his death, his possible resurrection and even the survival of his family, one period of his life his always missing, no matter what history or religion you subscribe to. The bible mentions a prodigal child and then mentions nothing until Jesus starts his ministry as a fully grown man. So where did this remarkable child go?

Did he simply stay in Judea and learn a trade, not troubling any more money lenders, or did he, as some suggest, travel through India and the Orient, learning various forms of mysticism? Or did he, as some legends suggest travel to Britain, possibly with his uncle, mixing with the religious leaders of this island, and possibly others? It might seem far fetched that Jesus would be anywhere other than in the holy land, throughout all of his life, but that part of the world was very much a part of the Roman empire and a centre of trade in the mediterranean, both of which would have had trade and logisitical interests in farther flung countries. So, it is indeed possible that those feet did indeed walk in ancient time...

Anyway, if you wish to learn more about this fascinating possibility - that doesn't rely on hearsay and strange codes - you would do well to pick up a copy of Dennis Price's new book The Missing Years of Jesus, and visit his website at www.eternalidol.com

Find out more:

• http://www.themissingyearsofjesus.com/
• http://www.eternalidol.com

Tom Bawcock's Eve

Many calendar customs and traditions are tied in with local fairs and processions. This is certainly case in Mousehole, Cornwall, when on the evening before Christmas Eve, a lantern procession and traditional feast of fish dishes, including in some houses the ubiquitous Stargazy Pie, takes place to mark the occasion of Tom Bawcock’s Eve.

Legend has it that Bawcock saved the small fishing village from starvation, by setting out in storms and gales that had prevented the town’s fleet sailing for weeks. Depending on the legend he either set out alone, with his cat, or with a crew coerced into risking life and limb. Bawcock returned safe and sound with seven different types of fish in his catch and the town was saved from starvation. To mark the occasion some houses hold a fish feast comprising of seven different dishes of seven different fishes, other bake the Stargazy Pie – a pie with eggs potates and whole pilchards whose heads poke out of the top of the crust (gazing at the stars). The lantern procession probably recalls the anxious villages searching the horizon, anxiously waiting for Bawcock to return.

Of course, with the theme of finding food to stave off starvation, winter storms and hardships, the lantern procession lighting the darkness and the celebration of relief and happiness, Tom Bawcock’s Eve has resonance with many other mid-winter festivals of light, warmth, food and the promise of the spring to come.

Four days before Tom Bawcock’s Eve the town’s Christmas lights are extinguished in memory of the loss of a local lifeboat and its crew in rough weather in 1981. This certainly brings home the power of nature to heal and to harm.

Find out more:

• http://www.an-daras.com/cutoms/cu_customs_Tom%20Bawcocks%20Eve.htm
• http://www.pznow.co.uk/locplace1/mousehole.html
• http://www.information-britain.co.uk/customdetail.php?id=6

November adieu

Having missed the boat spectacularly with November, and with today being the 1st of December, I think I'm just going to add a brief overview of some of the other calendar festivals from November, and maybe go back next year to flesh them out. So, without further ado. I bring you...

Wroth Silver Rent: An annual fee paid to the agent of the Duke of Buccleach, lord of the manor of Knightlow. The tradition can be traced back to 1170, which probably means it can really lay claim to being fairly ancient. At dawn, local people gather around a hollow stone on Knightlow Hill (near Ryton on Dunmore, Warwickshire) to pay their annual fee - those who fail to do so have to pay a fine of either 20 shillings, or give up a white bull with red ears and a red nose (these sound like the cattle version of the hunting dogs of Lord of Annwn in the first tale of the Mabinogion).

After the ceremony, which takes place of 11th November (Martinmas Eve), and with everybody no doubt freezing cold, the payees retire to a local inn for warming drinks of milk and rum, and some good food as well, no doubt. Some sources claim a clay pipe, made especially for the occassion is also smoked at this time.

The fact that cattle formed part of the fine, and that stone itself sits on a mound, that may or may not be a tumulus (local legend has it that it is the grave of a giant Danish warrior called Colbran who was killed by Guy of Warwick, points to this having very old origins indeed. The name wroth itself may deride from Rother Hryder, meaning cattle money... or may be a corruption of wrath, the payment being for a past misdemeanour on the part of one of the 25 parishes that take part.

Stir-up sunday: Traditionally the start of the run-in to Christmas, held on advent Sunday. Everyone takes a turn to stir the christmas pudding, which is made with 13 ingredients. One for Jesus and 12 for his disciples. This is also the last sunday of the church year. The current credit crunch might decide whether or not you add a silver sixpence, or a shiny tuppence!

I will leave Courts Leet and Baron, and the Admission of the Lord Mayor for another time.

Find out more:

• http://www.carryontours.com/Calendar/novembercustoms.htm#wroth
• http://www.docrowe.org.uk/index.html
• http://www.wrothsilver.org.uk/Faq.htm

Now that we are in December, I will try and keep on top of things.

Coming soon: Screaming skulls, Woden's walks.