Northern mythology

138 NORTH GERMAN CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS.
At Christmas^ New Year and Michaelmas, a sithe or
something sharp should be laid in the fodder ;
can then do no harm to the cattle.
Mellin.
the witches
In the night of the 1st May and on Michaelmas day
the witches ride to the Blocksberg, and on the two following
Sundays they go to church, where any one may
see them, if he has with him rye from three fields ; he will
then see some with butter-tubs, some with milk-pails on
their heads. But he must hasten out of the church before
the blessing, else they will bewitch him in one way or
other.
Gussefeld in the Altmark.
On the night before the 1st May the witches ride on
the tails of magpies to the Blocksberg ; for which reason
no magpies are seen on the 1st May, as they are not yet
returned.
Gussefeld.
If any one wishes to see the witches, he must place himself
in a crossway on May-night, cut a piece of turf, and
lay it on his head; they can then do him no harm^
Scharzfeld.
When lumps of feathers are found in the bed, it is said
that the witches are sitting in it. They come on Mayday
before sunrise, and have often been seen in
the Herring-market
at Em den. When a witch issues forth, her
body lies in bed as stiff as a flint-stone. Moorhausen
near Aurich.
In Saterland a certain fungus is called witches' butter ^^.
In Sannen thcy cut
WHITSUNTIDE.
down willow -branches a fortnight
before Easter, and then a wrestling-match takes place;
the victor is proclaimed king, and receives from the little
ones, that are unable to mount a horse without help,
bridle money and mounting money.
1
See vol. ii. p. 189.
- See vol. ii. p. 106.