Traditions of Lancashire (Volume 2) online

hill-top."

" Is your mother a seer, then, my pretty maiden ? ''
" Ye're but a stranger, I guess, if ye know not Bridget
o' the Sandy Holm — Save us ! she's hearkening again

for the "

" There ! — Once ! " The old woman raised her hands
as she spoke, and bent her head in an attitude of listening
and eager expectation. I listened too, but could discover
no sound, save the heavy swing of the blast, and its re-
ceding growl.

" Again ! " — As she said this, Bridget rose from the low
stool she had occupied, and hobbled towards the window.



THE PHANTOM VOICE. 281

I thought a signal-gun was just then audible, as from some
vessel in distress. Ere I could communicate this in-
telligence, another and a nearer roll silenced all conjecture.
It was indeed but too evident that a vessel was in the
offing, and rapidly driving towards the shore, from the
increasing distinctness of the signals.

Old Bridget stood by the window ; her dim and anxious
eyes peering through the casement, as if she could
discern the fearful and appalling spectacle upon the dark
billows.

" Your last ! — your last, poor wretches ! " she cried,
when a heavy gust brought another report with amazing
distinctness to the ear. " And now the death-shriek ! —
another, and another ! — ye drop into the deep waters,
and the gulf is not gorged with its prey. Bridget Rimmer,
girl and woman, has ne'er watched the blue dancers but
she has heard the sea-gun follow, and seen the red sand
decked with the spoil — Wench, take not of the prey ; 'tis
accursed ! "

The beldame drew back after uttering this anathema,
and again resumed her station near the hearth.

The storm now seemed to abate, and, as if satisfied
with the mischief at this moment consummating, the wind
grew comparatively calm. The gusts came by fitfully,
like the closing sobs of some fretful and peevish babe, not
altogether ceasing with the indulgence of its wishes. As
I stood absorbed in a reverie, the nature of which I
cannot now accurately determine, the maiden gently
touched my arm.

" Sir, will ye walk to the shore ? Ise v/arrant the
neighbours are helping, and we may save a life though
we canna gic it."



282 THE PHANTOM VOICE.

She was wrapped in a thick cloak, the hood thrown
forward, and the horn lantern again put in requisition,
fitted up for immediate service. We opened the door
with considerable difficulty, and waded slowly through the
heavy sand-drifts towards the beach. The clouds, shattered
and driven together in mountainous heaps, were roUing
along the sky, a dark scud sweeping over their huge tops,
here and there partially illuminated by the moonbeams :
the moon was still obscured, but a wild and faint hght,
usually seen after the breaking up of a storm, just served
to show the outline of objects not too remote from our
sphere of vision.

My companion soon brought me to an opening in the
hills, which led directly down to the beach. Immediately
I saw lights before us, moving to and fro, and the busy
hum of voices came upon the wind ; forms were in-
distinctly seen hurrying backward and forward upon the
very verge of the white foam boiling from the huge
billows. Hastening to the spot, we found a number of
fishermen — their wives assisting in the scrutiny — care-
fully examining the fragments of wreck which the waves
were from time to time casting up, and throwing with a
heavy lunge upon the shore. Either for purposes of
plunder, or for the more ostensible design of contributing
to their preservation, sundry packages were occasionally
conveyed away, subsequently to an eager examination of
their contents. My associate ran into the thickest of the
group, anxiously enquiring as to the fate of the crew, and
if any lives had been preserved.

" I guess," cried an old hard-featured sinner, " they be
where they'll need no lookin' after. Last brast' o' wind,
six weeks agone next St. Barnaby, I gied my cabin to the



THE PHANTOM VOICE. 283

lady and her children — an' the pains I waur like to ha'
for my labour — I didn't touch a groat till the parson gied
me a guinea out o' th' 'scription ; — but I may trot gaily
hoam to-night. There's no live lumber to stow i' my loft ;
the fishes ha' the pick o' the whole cargo this bout."

" Canna we get the boats? — I can pull an oar, thou
knows, Dai'by, wi' the best on 'em," enquired the female.

" Boats ! " exclaimed Darby ; " ne'er a boat would live
but wi' keel uppermost — Ise not the chap to go to Davy
Jones to-night pickled i' brine, my pratty Kate."

" Thou'rt a greedy glead ; — Ise go ask Simon ; but I'll
warrant thou'lt be hankering after the reward, and the
biggest share to thine own clutches."

She turned away from the incensed fisherman ; and,
proceeding to a short distance, we found a knot of per-
sons gathered around a half-drowned wretch, who owed
his appearance again upon land to having been lashed on
some lumber, which the sea had just cast ashore. Almost
fainting from cold and exhaustion, he was undergoing a
severe questioning from the by-standers — every one wish-
ing to know the name of the ship, whither bound, and the
whole particulars of the disaster. We just came in time
for his release ; and I soon had the satisfaction to find the
poor fellow in my quarters, before a comfortable fire, his
clothes drying, and his benumbed limbs chafed until the
circulation was again pretty nigh restored. After drink-
ing a tumbler of grog, he appeared to recover rapidly ;
and we found, on enquiry, that he was master of the vessel
just wrecked on the coast. He shook his head on a further
enquiry as to the fate of her crew. " A score as good
hands," said he, " are gone to the bottom as ever unreefed
a clean topsail, or hung out a ship's canvass to the wind —



284 THE PHANTOM VOICE.

I saw them all go down as I lashed myself to the jib."
He groaned deeply; but, speedily assuming a gayer tone,
requested a quid and a quiet hammock. " My lights
are nearly stove in, — my head hangs as loose as a
Dutchman's shrouds; a night's sleep will make all taut
again."

Old Bridget was gone to bed ; and unless the sailor
chose to occupy the straw pallet already in the possession
of a guest, whose mysterious arrival seemed to be the
forerunner of nothing but confusion and disaster, there
did not seem any chance of obtaining a birth, save by
remaining in his present situation, I told him of the
dilemma, but Kate replied : — " We can just take the body
fro' the bed ; it winna' tak' harm upo' the chest i' the fur'
nook. The captain will not, may-be, sleep the waur' for
quiet company."

He did not seem to relish the idea of passing the night
even with so quiet a companion; but, as it seemed the
least disagreeable alternative, we agreed to pilot him to
the chamber, and help the miserable pallet to change
occupants. The corpse we agreed to lay on some clean
litter, used for the bedding of the cattle. We conducted
the stranger to his dormitory, which was formerly a hay-
loft, until converted into an occasional sleeping-room for
the humble applicants who sometimes craved a night's
lodging at the Sandy Holm.

The only entrance was by a crazy ladder, and so steep,
that I was afraid our feeble companion would find con-
siderable difficulty in climbing to his chamber. It was
my intention to have prevented him from getting a sight
of the ghastly object that occupied his couch ; but, press-
ing foremost, he ran up the ladder with surprising agility,



THE PHANTOM VOICE. 285

gaining the top ere I had made preparations for the
ascent. I mounted cautiously, giving him the hght whilst
I made good my landing ; and he went directly to the
bed. I had set my foot on the floor, and was lending a
hand to Kate, who had still to contend with the difficulties
of the way, when I heard a dismal and most appalling
shriek. Starting round, I beheld the stranger gazing
on the couch ; his eyeballs almost bursting from their
sockets, and his countenance distorted with horror and
amazement. I ran to him, as the light dropped from
his grasp — catching it ere it fell, I perceived his eyes
riveted on the livid and terrific features of the corpse.
My limbs grew stiff with horror; thoughts of strange
import crowded on my mind ; I knew not how to shape
them into any definite form, but stood trembling and
appalled before the dark chaos whence they sprung.
Scarcely knowing what I said, still I remember the first
enquiry that burst from my lips — " Knowest thou that
murdered man ? "

The words were scarcely uttered, when the conscience-
stricken wretch exclaimed, in accents which I shall never
forget, " Know him ! — yesterday he stood at my helm.
I had long borne him an evil grudge, and I brooded on
revenge. The devil prompted it — he was at my elbow.
It was dark, and the fiend's eyes flashed when I aimed
the blow. It descended with a heavy crash, and the body
rolled overboard. He spoke not, save once ; it was when
his hated carcass rose to the surface. I heard a faint
moan ; it rung on my ear like the knell of death ; the
voice rushed past — a low sepulchral shout ; in my ear it
echoed with the cry of ' Murder ! ' "



286 THE PHANTOM VOICE.

Little remains to be told : he persisted to the last in
this horrible confession. He had no wish to live ; and the
avenging arm of retributive justice closed the world and
its interests for ever on a wretch who had forfeited all
claims to its protection — cast out, and judged unworthy
of a name and a place amongst his fellow-men.



THE BAR-GAIST.



" From hag-bred Merlin's time have I
Thus nightly revell'd to and fro ;
And for my pranks men call me by
The name of Robin Goodfellow.
Fiends, ghosts, and sprites,
Who haunt the nightes,
The hags and goblins do me know ;
And beldames old
My feates have told, —
So vale, vale; ho, ho, ho ! "



Ben Jonson.



THE BAR-GAIST.



" In the northern parts of England," says Brand, speak-
ing of the popular superstitions, " ghost is pronounced
gheist and guest. Hence barguest or bargheist. Many
streets are haunted by a giiest, who assumes many strange
appearances, as a mastiff dog, &c. It is a corruption of
the Anglo-Saxon japt, spiritus, anima."

Drake, in his Eboracum, says (p. 7. Appendix), " I
have been so frightened with stories of the barguest
when I was a child, that I cannot help throwing away an
etymology upon it. I suppose it comes from A. S. buph,
a town, and japt, a ghost, and so signifies a town sprite.
N. B. jafC is in the Belgic and Teutonic softened into
gheist and geyst."

The boggart or bar-gaist of the following story re-
sembles the German kobold, the Danish nis, and the
Scotch brownie; but, above all, the Spanish duende,
which signifies a spirit or sprite, supposed by the vulgar
to haunt houses and highways, causing therein much
terror and confusion. " Duende. Espiritu que el vulgo
cree que infesta las casus y travesea, caiisatido en ellas ruidos

VOL. II. u



290



THE BAR-GAISX.



y estmendos!'' — Lemures, larv^. " To appear like a
dnende," " to move like a due7ide" are modes of speak-
ing by which it is meant that persons appear in places
where they are least expected. " To have a duende"
signifies that a person's imagination is disturbed.

The following curious Spanish " Moral," the MS. of
which has been kindly lent to the author by Mr. Crofton
Croker, may not be deemed uninteresting as an illustra-
tion of the subject. We have accompanied each stanza
with a parallel translation of our own.



DUENDE ENEMIGO DEL JUEGO.
Cuento Moral.



THE

DUENDE AN ENEMY TO GAMING.
A Moral Tale.



Un Diunde, grave Senor,
Que cstudi6 la astrologia,
Se propuso la mania,
De ser rico jugador.

Todos los siete planetas,
Formaban su gran consejo ;
Y antes de llegar a viejo,
Ya no tenia calzetas.



A grave and learned Senior, who

Practised astrology,
Bethought him by his lucky stars

He passing rich would be.

The planets seven his council made.
He hugg'd the glozing cheat ;

But ere the pedant's legs were old.
No stockings held his feet !



Aburrido y sin dincro,
Mui tarde se arrepintiii,

Y en un desban se metid
A llorar su error primero.

Por su gran sabiduria.
En duende se convirtio,

Y la guerra declar6,
Al arte de fullerla.



Enraged and disappointed, he
Wax'd sour and melancholy.

And to a vintner's garret trudgeii.
There to bewail his folly.

" I'll have revenge," he cried, —then
wrought

So wondrous cunningly.
That in a trice transform'd he was, —

A brisk Duende he.



La vecindad asombrada,
De sus fuertes alaridos,
Corriendo dcspavoridos,
Abandonan la Posada.



This pedant, now a " Boggart " made.
No soul could rest in quiet ;

Nor rogue nor bully was his match
For kicking up a riot.



THE BAR-GAIST.



29 J



Dueno absoluto ya el duende,
De la espantosa mansion,
Se auraenti'i la confusion,

Y el temor entre la gente.

Pero siendo tan demente
EI hombre que es codicioso.
No falto quien jactancioso,
Despreciase al senor duende.

Unos cuantos jugadores.
Que Uaman de profesion,
Eligieron la mansion
Para exercer sus primores.

Mul luego la compania,
Numerosa vino a ser,

Y el que llegaba a perder,
Contra al duende maldecia.

La confusa griteria.
Pronto al duende incoraodo,

Y al complot se aparecio
Que 4penas, cuarta tenia.

En voz, como chirimSa,
Dijoles cortes y atento
Que kadi/aba el aposento
Donde su amo existla.

Que en alia camarajiero,
Todo senor, reclamaba
El orden, y lo aperaba,
Aunque ageno de un fuller o.

No fue poca la sorpresa,
Del mensage y la vision ;

Y aun con todo, un temer6n,
Quiso de ella hacer presa.

Mas el caso se fustro.
Sin saber como ni cuando,
Pues por el ayre volando
Nuestro duende se fugd,

EI suceso maldccian
Los unos por el temor,

Y gritaban con furor
Los que cl dincro pcrdian.



At last none dared that garret drear,

His dwelling, to come nigh ;
Sole master of his attic, he

Keign'd peremptorily.

Not so the sharpers, who this house
Had made their special haunt :

" Senor Duende ! —Humph !"— cried they
" May suck eggs with his aunt ! "

They and their worthy company.
Of the black-limb'd profession.

Here cheated in a lawful way.
By that best right — possession !

The crowd increas'd. Some luckless wight,

His winnings at an end, he
Swore by his trumps, 'twas owing to

That rascally Duende'.

This roused him from his garret, where
He heard the daily squabble ;

And lo, in human form, he stands
Before the shirtless rabble !

He squeak'd, " Your servant, gentlemen ;

I would not thus intrude,
'Pon honour, but your conduct is

So very — very rude.

" My master, — he who sits up stairs
I mean, — no jesting gents, —

Expects that you'll be quiet, else
He'll scold at all events."

The gamblers stared, some tumbled down,
Some gaped, some told their prayers

But one, more daring, swore, i'fack.
He'd kick the brute down stairs !

But ere he felt th' uplifted foot
He 'scaped, — how none could tell ;

But, sooth it was, this messenger
No bodily harm bcfcl !

The rogues, who saw him disappear,

Wax'd paler than before :
Some said an Ave ; some for fear.

And some for folly swore.



u 2



292



THE BAR-GAIST.



Vuelve por segunda vez.
El mensajero, crecido
Media vara, y atrevido,
Les dice, menos cort^s.

Qtie su amo, era absoluto,
De aquella encantada casa,

Y su paciencia era cscasa.
Con todoJuUero astuto.

Que les mandaba salir
De aquel lugar, con prestcza,
Pues de no, su gentUeza,
Los harla consumir.

Del duendecito quisieron
Apoderarse valientes,
Mas se les fue entre los dientes,

Y sin la presa se vieron.

Ya el temor empez6 a obrar

Y entraron las reflexiones,
Apoyando con varones.

Que era Duende, a no.dudar.

Como siempre al jugador,
Lo sostiene la esperanza,
Fundaron la confianza,
En que un Duende es vividor.

Que su ciencia atrae dinero,

Y niedios paro adquirirlo,

Y era cuerdo el adtnitirlo,
Dandole el lugar primero.

Mas el duende que escuchaba
La trama de los fuUeros,
Quiso en tales caballeros,
Vengar, lo que suspiraba.

En efecto, agigantado.
Con negro manto talar,
Comamenta singular,
Unas largas y barbado.

Un garrote enarbolado
Y brotando espuma y fuego,
Les dijo : Yo devo aljuego
Mi dcsgracia y csle cstado.



When suddenly amidst them all,

Again the demon stands ;
A full half yard in stature grown !

Their business he demands.

" 1 tell ye, villains, gamblers, thieves !

His patience is but small.
With such as you, — so master says.

Who master wUl — you all !

" Out of the house, ye rabble rout!

Out of the house ! I say.
Or otherwise his honour will

Consume ye utterly ! "

Thought one, " I'll seize this varlet vile,"

And speedily arose ;
He caught him in his clutch — The sprite

Vanish 'd and tweak'd his nose !

" San Jerome, save us, we are loo'd

If this should be the sprite ;
The big Duende, best we bid

His boggartship good night."

But hope, the gambler's enemy.

Beguiled them to their ruin :
" These ugly sprites, they say, are rich,

Y'et yield nought without wooing.

" His skill may help us to repair
Our cloaks, and eke our breeches ;

Best speak him fair. We'll worship Nick
If he but grant us riches ! "

The sly Duende, like a mouse.

Hearkening behind the wall.
Did now resolve, he quickly would.

The greedy rogues bemaul.

A mighty giant, lo he comes,

Wrapp'd in a cloak of sable ;
With horns, hoofs, nails, and beard yclad.
He jurap'd upon the table !

A cudgel of some seven years growth
He brandish'd. Fire and smoke

Shot from his lips, while thus he spake, —
" m gripe you gambling folk.



THE BAR-CAIST.



293



Losfulleros me han quitado
Con mi dinero, la vida,
Ypues que sois komicida
De todo kombre inocente >

No quede vicho mviente.
En toda culta nacion.
Que ejerxa la profesion
Defullero y vagamundo.

Y dando un grito profundo,
Su garrote descargando,
A todos fue despachando.
Sin dcjar uno en el mundo.



No extinguW, sin duda, el Duende,
Toda la mala semilla,
Pues hay muchos, como el Duende,
Sin camisa, y sin capilla.



" To gaming my disgrace I owe.

With money went my wife ;
'Tis such as you the murderers be, —

This night shall end your life !

" In every nation, call'J refined.

Or gamblers or their wives.
Or wealthy wiglit shall ne'er be found.

Who shakes the bones and thrives."

With that a loud and horrid yoU

He gave. And cudgel flew
Broadside amongst them ; when, like ver-
min, he

Dispatch 'd the hungry crew !



But woe is me, they were not all destroy'd.
For many still, by these cursed arts decoy'd.
Shoeless and shirtless, miserable sinners.
Are seen, snuffing, with empty wind, their
dinners !



In the " Danske Folkesagen" appear one or two cir-
cumstances relative to the freaks of a nis, the goblin of
the Danish popular creed, similar to the pranks detailed
in our Lancashire legend. Fancy, however sportive and
playful with materials already in her possession, is of a
much less creative character than is generally supposed,
even by those most susceptible to her influence. It is
surprising how few are the original conceptions that
have sprung from the human mind. Popular super-
stitions, the great mass of them spread over an immense
variety of surface, climate, manners, and opinions, might
be supposed to exhibit a corresponding difference in ori-
ginality and invention. But here we And the same paucity
of incidents, varying only in character with the climate
which gave them birth; the leading features being evi-
dently common to each. The Scandmavian and the
Hindoo, the European and the Asiatic, construct their
u 3



294; THE BAR-GAIST.

legends on the same basis ; the same stories, and even the
same train of events, proving their common origin.

Mr. Crofton Croker, a name familiar to all lovers of
legendary lore, has kindly communicated the following
tale. In substituting this, in place of what the author
might have written on the subject, he feels convinced
that his readers will not feel displeased at the change, and
assures them it is with real gratification that he presents
them with an article from the pen of the writer of " The
Fairy Legends"



THE



BAR-GAIST, OR BOGGART




J\ OT far from the little snug smoky village of Blakeley,
or Blackley, there lies one of the most romantic of dells,
rejoicing in a state of singular seclusion, and in the
oddest of Lancashire names, to wit, the " Boggart-Hole."
Rich in every requisite for picturesque beauty and
poetical association, it is impossible for mc (who am
neither a painter nor a poet) to describe this dell as it
should be described; and I will, therefore, only beg of
thee, gentle reader, who, peradventure, mayst not have
lingered in this classical neighbourhood, to lancy a deep,
deep dell, its steep sides fringed down with hazel and
u 4



296 THE BARGAIST.

beech, and fern and thick undergrowth, and clothed at
the bottom with the richest and greenest sward in the
world. You descend, clinging to the trees, and scram-
bling as best you may, — and now you stand on havmted
ground ! Tread softly, for this is the Boggart's clough,
and see in yonder dark corner, and beneath the project-
ing mossy stone, where that dusky sullen cave yawns
before us, like a bit of Salvator's best ; there lurks that
strange elf, the sly and mischievous Boggart. Bounce ! I
see him coming; oh no, it was only a hare bounding
from her form ; there it goes — there !

I will tell you of some of the pranks of this very Bog-
gart, and how he teased and tormented a good farmer's
family in a house hard by, and I assure you it was a very
worthy old lady who told me the story. But, first, sup-
pose we leave the Boggart's demesne, and pay a visit to
the theatre of his strange doings.

You see that old farm-house about two fields distant,
shaded by the sycamore tree : that was the spot which
the Boggart or Bar-gaist selected for his freaks ; there he
held his revels, perplexing honest George Cheetham, for
that was the farmer's name, scaring his maids, worrying
his men, and frightening the poor children out of their
seven senses, so that, at last, not even a mouse durst show
himself indoors at the farm as he valued his whiskers, five
minutes after the clock had struck twelve.

It had long been remarked that whenever a merry tale
was told on a winter's evening, a small shrill voice was
heard above all the rest, like a baby's penny trumpet,
joining in with the laughter.

" Weel laughed, Boggart, thou 'rt a fine little tyke, I'se
warrant, if one could but just catch glent on thee," said



THE BAR-GAIST. 297

Robert, the youngest of the farmer's sons, early one even-
ing, a Httle before Christmas, for famiHarity had made them
somewhat bold with their invisible guest. Now, though
more pleasant stories were told on that night beside the
hearth than had been told there for the three preceding
months, though the fire flickered brightly, though all the
faces around it were full of mirth and happiness, and
though every thing, it might seem, was there which
could make even a Boggart enjoy himself, yet the small
shrill laugh was heard no more that night, after little
Bob's remark.

Robert, who was a short stout fellow for his age, slept
in the same bed with his elder brother John, who was
reckoned an uncommonly fine and tall lad for his years.
No sooner had they got fairly to sleep, than they were
roused by the small shrill voice in their room shouting
out, " Little tyke, indeed ! little tyke thysel'. Ho, ho,
ho ! I'll have my laugh now — Ho, ho, ho ! "

The room was completely dark, and all in and about
the house was so still that the sound scared them fear-
fully. The concluding screech made the place echo
again ; — but this strange laughter was not necessary to
prevent little Robert from further sleep, as he found him-
self one moment seized by the feet and pulled to the
bottom of the bed, and the next moment dragged up
again on his pillow. This was no sooner done, than by
the same invisible power he was pulled down again, and
then his head would be dragged back, and placed as high
as his brother's.

" Short and long won't match, — short and long won't
match, — Ho, ho, ho !" shouted the well-known voice of
the Boggart, between each adjustment of little Robert with



298 THE BAR-GAIST.

his tall brother, and thus were they both wearied for
more than an hundred times ; yet, so great was their
terror, that neither Robert nor his brother — " Long John,"
as he ever afterwards was called, dared to stir one inch !
And you may well suppose how delighted they both were