OMENS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you find an even ash, or four-leafed clover, You will see your love afore the day is over. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A storm of hail Brings frost on its tail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If I am to marry far, Let me hear a bird cry. If I am to marry near, Let me hear a cow low. If I am to single die, Let me hear a knocking by. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pale moon doth rain, Red moon doth blow, White moon doth neither rain or snow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow I' the morning, Shipper's warning; Rainbow at night, Shipper's delight. * * * * * The 1849 version collected by James O. Halliwell: If there be a rainbow in the eve, It will rain and leave; If there be a rainbow in the morrow, It will neither lend nor borrow. * * * * * The older Sailor's version: Rainbow in the east, Sailors at peace. Rainbows in the west, Sailors in distress. * * * * * The more commonly known Sailor's Warning: Red sky at night, Sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, Sailor take warning. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If bees stay at home, rain will soon come; If they fly away, fine will be the day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When a cow tries to scratch her ear, It means a shower is very near. When she thumps her ribs with her tail, Look out for thunder, lightening and hail. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you see the cuckoo sitting, The swallow a-flitting, And a filly-foal lying still, You all the year shall have your will. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The south wind brings wet weather, The north wind wet and cold together; The west wind always brings us rain, The east wind blows it back again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the wind is in the east, 'Tis neither good for man or beast; When the wind is in the north, The skillful fisher goes not forth; When the wind is in the south, It blows the bait in the fishes' mouth; When the wind is in the west, Then tis at it's very best. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the dew is on the grass, Rain will never come to pass. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comes the rain before the wind, Then your topsoil you must mind. Comes the wind before the rain, Haul your topsoil up again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fog on the hill Brings water to the mill. Fog on the moor Brings sun to the door. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sharper the blast, The sooner it's past. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sow peas and beans in the wane of the moon; Who soweth them sooner, he soweth too soon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If the moon shows a silver shield, Be not afraid to reap your field. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- White horse, white horse, Ding, ding, ding, On my way I'll find something. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the stars begin to huddle The earth will soon become a puddle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No weather is ill If the wind be still. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Redbird, redbird, fly to the right, And I'll see my true love by Saturday night. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday's moon, Come when it wool, It comes too soon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday's new [moon], and Sunday's full, Was never fine, nor never wool. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A scratch up and down Is a lover found, A scratch across Is a lover lost. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Spider colors: Black, sad Brown, glad, White, good luck attend you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A cherry year, A merry year; A pear year, A dear year; A plumb year, A dumb year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Onion's skin very thin, Mild winter's coming in. Onion's skin thick and tough, Coming winter cold and rough. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On meeting magpies, ravens or crows: One's lucky, Two's unlucky, Three is health, Four is wealth, Five is sickness, And six is death. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If the cock molt before the hen, We shall have weather thick and thin, But if the hen molt before the cock, We shall have weather hard as a block. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the cuckoo comes to the bare thorn Sell your cow and buy your corn, But when she comes to the full bit, Sell your corn and buy your sheep. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When elm's leaves are as big as a farden, [farthing] You may plant your kidney beans in the garden; When elm leaves are as big as a shilling, It's time to plant kidney beans if you're willing; When elms leaves are as big as a penny, You must plant kidney beans--if you mean to have any! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARMS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Raine, raine, goe away, Come againe a Saterday Collected by John Aubrey in 1687, in the modern version it reads: Rain, rain go away, Come again another day [Little Johnny wants to play] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A charm from Yorkshire to "call" Snow, and another to banish it: Snow, snow faster, The cow's in the pasture. Snow, snow, give over, The cow's in the clover. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Charm to rid you of a wart: Ash tree, ashen tree, Pray buy this wart of me! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Charm to heal a burn: Three holy men went out walking, They did bless the heat and the burning; They blessed that it might not increase; They blessed that it might quickly cease. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to live and thrive, Let the spider walk alive. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To determine if the next day be good or foul weather: A garden snail is held over a candle; repeat these lines: Snail, snail, Put out your horns, I'll give you bread And Barley corns. If it "puts out its horns", the day will be fair. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For good luck: Magpie, magpie, Chatter and flee, Turn up thy tail, And good luck to me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon a maiden hearing the cuckoo's call: Kiss your hand and say: Cuckoo, cuckoo, Tell me true, When shall I be married? As many calls as the cuckoo bird makes, is the number of years. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A charm for use when churning butter: Repeat three times: Come butter, come, Come butter, come, Peter stands at the gate Waiting for a butter cake. Come butter, come. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For having a wish granted, on seeing a load of hay: Hay, hay, load of hay, Make a wish and turn away. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Line to be said when 2 people say the same thing: [Q] "What comes out of a chimney?" [A] "Smoke" [each make a wish] Both then say: "May your wish and my wish never be broke."