In Pure Spirit

For open minds

Why can women propose on a leap year?

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Tradition suggests that women can propose to their boyfriends or the man they liked the most on February the 29th.

Women can propose on leap years. But why?

The short answer is that we’re not sure. The most popular legend concerns St Patrick and St Bridget. Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary, 387 AD to 493 AD, and widely recognised as the patron saint of Ireland. In the St Patrick’s leap year legend Saint Bridget complained that women could not propose to the men in their lives. Saint Patrick began by suggesting women could propose but only once every seven years. According to legend, Saint Bridget bargained that seven year window down to every four years.

The Ladies Privilege

The 29th of February is sometimes known as “The Ladies Privilege” and is surrounded by many myths.

One myth is that it is Scottish law, dating from the 13th century, that any man who refuses the proposal from a woman on the 29th must pay £100 in compensation. It was believed failure to pay the fine would result in terribly bad luck. £100 was an incredible amount of money back then. A twist to that myth it was also suggested that if the woman wore something scarlet and the man refused then he would be spared the bad luck if he could not find the £100 fortune.

It is most likely that the legend of girls being able to propose to boys in the leap year – either for the whole year, or more commonly the leap day itself, simply arose to the day being outside the normal calendar. Outside the normal calendar gave cultures a chance to act outside the normal behaviours.

In Pure Spirit

Are you planning to propose on the 29th? Have you been proposed to on the 29th? Please do share your experiences in the comment section below.

Do you have any theories of your own as to how this custom came about?

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Buy the decapitated head of Saint Vitalis of Assisi

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Saint Vitalis of Assisi is an interesting patron saint. As a young man Vitalis was a sinner; he was especially fond of sex. However, he found an alternative path by going on pilgrimages across Europe, becoming a Benedictine monk and living as a hermit without money.

Saint Vitalis of Assisi is the patron saint of sexually transmitted diseases. That’s right, Vitalis is the saint of STD.

A decapitated head, believed to be Saint Vitalis of Assisi, will be going on auction in Ireland this Sunday. You can see the lovely item in the picture with this blog post. The auction house, Matthews Auctions Rooms, believe that the skull may be sold for around $1,650. Why so low? They’re not entirely sure if this is actually a relic of a saint – they can’t confirm the skull really is Saint Vitalis of Assisi.

In Pure Spirit

Interesting way to become a saint, huh?

What do you think about the skull? Would you bid for it? How much would you pay to own the decapitated head of the patron saint of STDs?

Islandmagee witches: 300th anniversary of the last witch trial in Ireland

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Exactly 300 years ago to the day (March 31st, 2011) Ireland finished its last ever witch trial.

No one was burned at the stake, no one was drowned but eight Presbyterian women were sentenced to a year in jail alongside time in public stocks. On market day these “witches” had to suffer the crowds pelting them with rotting fruit and stones.

The eight became known as the Islandmagee witches. All eight were from the Islandmagee area in Co Antrim.

The Carrickfergus court found all eight gulity of bewitching Mary Dunbar, a local girl.

It was said that Dunbar suffered from fits, trances and vomitting household objects. She would also throw bibles and swear.

Historian Dr Andrew Sneddon, based in the University of Ulster, is working on a book (Witchcraft and Magic in Ireland, 1586 – 1946) which suggests Dunbar faked the symptoms in order to behave as she wished and to find fame.

The Islandmagee witches were all poor, some drank – unusual and frowned on by the community – and some had physical disabilities. Sneddon points out that they were an easy target for anyone looking to find a witch scapegoat.

Talking to local press, he said;

“Being possessed allowed her to misbehave without consequence, move from invisibility to notoriety within her community and attack her elders at will.

“Dunbar chose to blame her possession on the witchcraft of the Presbyterian Islandmagee women because they had reputations locally as witches and failed to meet contemporary standards of female behaviour and beauty.

“The accusations were also used to further local political goals at a time of intense party political conflict between the two main political parties of the day, the Whigs and the Tories.”

Ireland repealed their 1563 witchcraft law in 1821. That was 110 years after the Islandmagee trial.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think any of the Islandmagee eight where likely to be witches?

Picture credit: Wilson Adams, shows Islandmagee and surrounds.

What is Féile na Marbh?

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The festival Féile na Marbh is Gaelic by tradition. In Scotland and Ireland, it has become bundled into Samhain.

The phrase “Féile na Marbh” is Irish for Festival of the Dead.

In the past the festival itself could have lasted up to three days; beginning at the end of October. As a result, Féile na Marbh can be described as being both Samhain (Oidhche Shamhna in Scots Gaelic) and All Souls’ Day as well. There alternative historical theories; with some suggesting that Féile na Marbh concluded at the end of October after a three-day festival.

It is widely accepted that bonfires are important for Féile na Marbh. One Irish custom begins with a ritual fire being lit atop of the Hill of Tlachtga. This signalled the lighting of fires across the country. Villagers would throw the bones of slaughtered cattle into the flames. Hence the word “bonfire” from the origin “bone fire”. Villages would then relight their home fires with a flame taken from the main village bonfire; thus bonding the whole village together.

Féile na Marbh is considered a time when the curtain between worlds is weak. A time when the words of the living and the dead are close. The practice of turnip carving comes from a Celtic attempt to frighten spirits off.

The tradition of guising is still strong in Scotland. Children dress up as the dead (once again in the attempt to ward off the dead) and visit neighbours.

In Pure Spirit

Is Féile na Marbh a day or festival that’s important to you? How do you plan to mark it this year?

The green Dingle Distillery and Drioglann Daingean U’ Chuis

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favorite whiskey glass
Image by berbercarpet via Flickr

The proposed distillery will have two names; Dingle Distillery and Drioglann Daingean U’ Chuis. The Poterhouse Brewing Company’s plans for the Dingle Distillery are green.

The first purpose-built distillery in Ireland in over 200 years is aiming to have a low carbon footprint and to be situated in a converted creamery.

The site has a river running through it and so the Dingle Distillery will make use of a mill wheel and generate its own hydro electricity. These features combined with the use of solar panels will make it the greenest distillery in the world.

The new distillery will create five new full time jobs in the production side but also 12 more full time roles to man a visitor centre.

Despite the economic conditions demand for ultra premium spirits remain high; especially in the USA, Russia and Asia. Porterhouse, who are more used to working with beer, plan on brewing whiskey on the site.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think a niche brewery is a good idea? If a building is environmentally friendly and creates local employment but produces alcohol is it a boon or a bane for the community?

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