human
Wanderings in Brittany informs us that there is a
gpt
of this class at or near Barenton, to which peasants yet bring their children when ill of fever, having faith in the healing powers of the water. He thus describes the manner in which the deity of the spring is invoked:--
human
You say 'Ris! Ris! Fontaine de Barenton,' dropping a pin the while into the spring, whereupon it breaks into ripples and bubbles; if it laughs you are to be fortunate; if it remains mute you will be unlucky. Tradition and poetry both say the water fizzes around a sword point, but we had nothing larger than pins to try it with, and to these it responded gaily. He adds that
gpt
The same writer refers to another superstition, in connection with the
human
which plainly indicates its pagan origin. He says:--
gpt
The peasants believe the priests can punish them by sprinkling water from the spring on the large stone, the _Perron of Merlin_, above the well, which brings rain throughout the whole parish for many days.
human
Seleucus, in
gpt
Notes and Queries, speaks of a well, with a superstition connected with it similar to the one at Brindle, in the Welsh peninsula of Gower. It is called the
human
Cefyn Bryn or the Holy Well. He says,
gpt
He says
human
Superstitions of the Wells, gives numerous examples of its prevalence in the remote West of England. The water in the well of St. Ludvan formerly miraculously enlarged the sense of sight, and loosened the tongue of the true believer; but a demon that the good saint, after a terrible struggle, exorcised from out the body of a child and laid in the Red Sea, in his rage,
gpt
destroyed its efficacy in these matters. But it is believed still that any child baptised in its waters is certain never to succumb to the genius of Calcraft, and his hempen instrument of death.
human
On a cord of silk, however, we are informed that