Writings on Irish Folklore, Legend, and Myth

There has been one at Belharbour, Jamsie Finucane, yet he did no damage to anybody, yet used to be as quiet as one other. he's lifeless now and his son’s a blacksmith, too. ’ a girl close to Coole says: ‘A 7th son has the facility to treatment the ringworm, and if there's a 7th blacksmith in a relations he can do his selection factor. ’1 And an previous guy close to Kiltartan says: ‘Blacksmiths have energy, and should you may perhaps scouse borrow the water from the trough within the forge, it's going to medication all issues. ’ And a lady from Ardrahan says: ‘A blacksmith can do all issues. whilst my little boy used to be unwell i used to be advised to visit a forge earlier than dawn and to gather a number of the airborne dirt and dust from the anvil. yet I didn’t after, he was once too a long way long gone. ’ A drunken blacksmith at a village within the county of Clare, while requested by way of a chum who has accrued a lot of those and different tales for me, if he had ever been to the recognized clever lady, Biddy Early, responded: ‘I by no means went to Biddy Early for a treatment myself, for you'll want to be aware of that no unwell or damage ever involves a blacksmith. ’ Iron is assumed to be the good dissolver of all charms, and one hears tales of enchanted humans and creatures that take their correct form if you happen to aspect a gun at them and glance alongside the iron of the barrel. it sort of feels to be this estate of iron that makes blacksmiths invulnerable. a girl from close to Feakle says: ‘There was once a guy one time that used to be a blacksmith, and he used to head each evening cards. And for all his spouse may well say he wouldn’t depart off doing it. So one evening she obtained a boy to head stand within the outdated churchyard he’d need to move, and to frighten him. ‘So the boy did so, and started to groan and to attempt to frighten him while he got here close to. yet it’s recognized that not anything of that sort can do any damage to a blacksmith. So he went in and obtained carry of the boy, and advised him he had a brain to choke him, and went his method. ‘But no faster was once the boy left on my own than there took place him whatever within the form of a puppy, after which a very good troop of cats. they usually surrounded him, and he attempted to break out domestic, yet he had no energy to move the best way he sought after, yet needed to elect them. and eventually they got here to an outdated forth and a fairy bush, and he knelt down and made the signal of the move and stated a very good many Our Fathers. And after a time they went into the fairy bush and left him. ‘And he was once going away and a lady got here out of the bush, and known as to him thrice to make him glance again. And he observed it was once a lady he knew sooner than, that was once useless, and so he knew she used to be one of the fairies. and she or he stated to him, “It’s good for you i used to be right here, and labored difficult for you, otherwise you may were introduced in between them, and be like me. ” So he acquired domestic. ‘And the blacksmith bought domestic, too, and his spouse used to be shocked to work out he used to be no approach anxious. yet he acknowledged, “You may possibly be aware of that there’s not anything of the type which can damage me. ” ‘For a blacksmith is secure from all, and whilst he is going out within the evening he retains continually in his pocket a small little bit of iron, they usually be aware of him by means of that. ‘So he went on card taking part in, they usually grew very negative after.