Yorkshire Folklore at the Portico Library, Manchester
I was interested to find out more about historic seasonal traditions and folklore in Yorkshire, so I visited the Portico Library in Manchester to look at a collection of historic books on this theme. The Portico Library is a subscription library and newsroom with a collection of over 25,000 books and archives from the past 450 years. The public can visit their exhibitions and public areas, and there are private areas for paid members.
I pre-selected a range of books to read in advance of the visit from Portico’s Folk Directory. I was lucky to sit in one of the private reading rooms, which felt like stepping back in time.
Some books focused on British Folklore in general and there were a few with a focus on Northern England. The first book was the more recent A Dictionary of English Folklore (2000, Simpson & Roud) which initially discussed the notion that there is more social awareness and celebration of ‘folk practices’ in Ireland and Scotland than in England. There is a presumption that Celts were mystical, poetic and superstitious and Anglo-Saxons are practical and unimaginative, which is quite black and white thinking, as this whole dictionary is filled with aspects of customs, performances and unusual rituals across England. I do think for a long time that folk was viewed as quaint or old fashioned, and restricted to the back waters, however, there has been a huge resurgence and interest in recent years.
I also learnt more about the history of corn dolly making from sections in the dictionary. The main practice of crafts was to encourage the ‘spirit of the corn’ to grow and it was observed this practice died out nationally before WW2. There was an attempt to revive the craft in the 1950-60’s by Minnie Lambeth, the wife of the curator of Cambridge Folk Museum who wrote a series of books, including A Golden Dolly: The Art, Mystery and History of Corn Dollies (1963).
In other books, such as English Folklore by British Botanist T.F. Thistleton Dyer, there was information about how plants and animals were used in seasonal customs and folklore. These practices were quite localised to regions, and even towns and focused on encouraging harvest or warding off evil. In Yorkshire, which I have heard in other regions, it was spoken of how birds carried certain feelings or abilities. Crows embodied evil, and magpies, depending on their number could be a negative omen. There were three local practices to break this ‘spell’, raise the hat in respect to them or cross the chest or thumbs with a cross. I hail from Scotland, and I still salute a magpie, but I cannot ever remember being taught to do this!
In the insect section of English Folklore, the author refers to how in Yorkshire in the 1800’s, people would refer to night-flying white moths as ‘souls’. In the marriage section, there are more Yorkshire superstitions, “be sure that when you go to get married that you don’t go in one door and out another, or you will always be unlucky”. Hot water was also poured over the front steps as the bride and bridegroom left, and before it dried another marriage was to be agreed upon.
More details on the Portico Library and its collection can be found here https://www.theportico.org.uk/
Viewing books from the collection requires making a request via their website in advance.