In Ireland, between the years of 1937 and 1939, one of the largest folklore gatherings took place. More than 50,000 school children, between the ages of 11 and 14, were asked to help record stories, in relation to 55 themes, passed down from their parents, grandparents and neighbors. This is called their Schools Collection. When the students were done they turned in their copybook and the teacher would put together a master book for the class. While this was ambitious, it also became one of the most successful folklore projects of its time. This collection is kept at the University College Dublin.
Many Local Cures were provided in the Schools Collection.
One of these themes was Local Cures. Today the phrase going for “the cure” is still used. Long before today's medical advancements each community had a healer who for no money would use their talents to heal others. Most healers would have had a basic understanding or knowledge of the weather, animals, and/or basic biology. Some of the remedies make more sense than others. Like using honey and lemon for a cold. Yet, to cure a toothache no shaving on Sundays seems more along the superstitious lines. Some cures are still used today by people after being handed down generations. Does your family still use any of these remedies?
Cures for warts, cough and upset stomach.
In case you have warts you can get some Sunday Holy Water and rub it on the warts for nine consecutive Fridays and the warts will go away. Another is to put bacon fat on the wart, then put the bacon in a bag and put it along the road. The person who picks it up will take the warts and the original person will be cured. My grandmother did the bacon fat on warts. It didn’t work, but that could be because we didn’t bag it up and put it along the road. We just threw it out for the animals.
For a cough, boiled black currants and sweetened. There is a thistle called the Blessed Thistle, and if it is boiled in milk the cream will cure whooping cough. Yet, you can always go out and pick some dandelions and wash in cold water. Then boil them and put them in a bottle. This remedy will also cure a stomach ache. Also for a stomach ache, boiled milk and soda will cure the pain. That’s another one my grandmother used. I don’t remember if it worked, but I remember it was not nice to drink. She also always had us gargle salt water when we had a sore throat. I used this on my children as well.
More Information Available
If you would like to look at what is currently online you can go to the LINK Duchas.ie Website. More and more of the Schools Collections is becoming available and also offers insight into life during this time. You may also be able to find an ancestor of yours who participated. You can see the names of the students, their ages, addresses, and the occupations of those who helped.
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