Interesting Cornish Superstitions, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

A young adult haunted house story set in Nahant, Mass. Five stars from Long and Short Reviews! They were thrilled by the novella.

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I wrote many novels set in eighteenth century Cornwall and became fascinated with its myths. Two of them, Escape the Revolution and Hostage to the Revolution, were set on the wild northern coast. Cornwall covers the western region of England where tin mining was often the main occupation of the people. Many superstitions arose from this grueling work. 

Miners believed in gnomes called Knockers. They believed any strange noises in the mines were caused by the knockers, who warned of dangers to come, such as cave-ins. The knockers also caused mischief. The miners would leave them bits of their food to placate them.

The Cornish also believed in Piskies (Pixies). To avoid being tricked by the Piskies, they'd wear their clothes inside out to fool them. I'm not sure how that worked.

A scary belief was a Spriggan. They were small and ugly and they guarded treasure. If you angered one, they might kidnap your child and leave you a 'changeling'. This elf or troll might look like your child, but its demeanor would soon become strange.

Fishing was another important occupation in Cornwall. Fishermen would never count their catch. They'd chant over it first to keep the bad spirits at bay. You also could not mention the word 'rabbit' or 'minister', or whistle when onboard your boat, or it would cause you bad luck.

Giants are also part of Cornish myths. The children's story, Jack the Giant Killer is set in Cornwall. Might there be magic beans?

When my husband and I visited there the people were kind and open. And we didn't see one giant or gnome. They must have been hiding.

To find out more about me and my books.

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with one naughty dachshund.

Holiday Traditions by J. S. Marlo

 

 

Red in the Snow

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Deep Beneath the Surface

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J.S. Marlo's Books

When I googled "Holiday Traditions", this is what popped up: 

Decorating Christmas tree - I used to do it with my children, now I have to wait until my granddaughter has a free weekend to put it out because decorating grand-maman's tree is an integral part of her Christmas tradition.

Exchange gifts - We do that, but it can happen anywhere between Dec 24 - Jan 1, and nowadays, it's rarely on Dec 25.

Sending cards - I still send a few, but we mostly exchange text messages and emails.

Cookie decorating - We tried a few times, but the cookies weren't great, so... Santa gets a 'store' cookie with his glass of milk.

Make reindeer food - I never made food for Santa's reindeer, but I made tracks in the snow.

Music & Carols - I play Christmas music all day long. That counts, right?

Tracking Santa - The grandchildren love that one. To access the Norad tracking site, click here

Ice Skating - We have two grandchildren who are learning to skate this year, so we may end up on the ice, but we're more likely to sit on a cold bench and watch fun hockey games.

Elf on the Shelf - No Elf moving around the house, but I have two Gnomes who sit in the windows, unless my grandson is playing with them LOL 

Go for a Christmas lightwalk - We started that before we even had children, let alone grandchildren, though we sometimes drive around instead of walking when the temperatures are too frigid.

Mail letters to Santa - My children did and my grandchildren are doing it. To get Santa's answer by Christmas, the letter should be mailed by Dec 8. That's today! So get your pen and paper out! For more info, click here

Shop at Christmas Markets - I love Christmas Markets. The ambiance is fantastic, you can find very unique and original gifts, and you get to shop local.

Late Game nights - Playing games and making puzzles (while listening to Christmas music) is a big hit.

Advent calendars - Chocolate calendar, Escape room calendar, Puzzle calendar, Little teddy bear calendar, Yarn calendar... We love them all!!!

Attend Christmas Parade - We've done it in polar temperatures. Brrrrr....

Watch Christmas movies - I love them but hubby isn't a fan.

Bring kids to meet Santa - That resulted in tears more often than none.

Cook Christmas feast - I do every year, but it's less and less often on Dec 25.

The list goes on, but the one that fascinates me the most is called Jolabokaflod. (Please, do not ask me to pronounce it.)

Jolabokaflod is an Icelandic tradition. On Christmas Eve, family and friends get together and exchange the gift of a book. They then spend the night reading while eating chocolate and drinking hot cocoa.

I've been in Iceland, but I dream of spending a Christmas there just so I can fully immerse myself in that tradition.

Whatever you do this holiday season, give someone a book and send her/him on a wonderful adventure.

If you're looking for a warm and cozy mystery, full of twist and turns, all wrapped in the magic of  Christmas, The Red Quilt will take you through an unforgettable adventure. You'll even learn how to make reindeer tracks. The Red Quilt is available here.

It's snowy and cold in my corner of the world. It sure looks like Christmas!

Stay safe and warm! Hugs!

JS

 

 

J. S. Marlo's Website