Folklore: Moving to a New House

Subject: RE: Folklore: Moving to a New House
From: Raedwulf
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 06:15 PM

Dunno about moving house, but salt is powerful magic. Spirits can't cross it. It used to be traditional in many parts of the the UK for a dish of salt to be placed upon a dead body to prevent any 'problems', or for salt to be sprinkled around the corpse, for the same reason. I seem to remember that salt crops up in the tale of Tamerlane with just this function.

And yes, one way to protect your house is supposed to be to open your doors, order the spirits out (they must obey, apparently), and then sprinkle salt across the thresholds to stop the buggers sneaking back in!

However this doesn't seem to bear any relation to the rhyme your co-horse?! ;) half remembers.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Moving to a New House
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 07:43 AM

No chance of babies Sooz - I'm a member of the scissors club! (I wanted to say 'long-standing member' but I thought it would be open to misinterpretation!).
Johnny :0) :0)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Moving to a New House
From: GUEST,Sooz(at work)
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 07:40 AM

You beat me to it John - I was going to put that one.
PS When did you move in to your new house?:o)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Moving to a New House
From: GUEST,NSC George Henderson
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 06:54 AM

There used to be a rhyme about first footing at New Year in the Scottish/Border area of the UK (Hogmonnay)

I still carry on the tradition which is being the 1st foot across the threshold in the New year. The first foot should be a tall dark stranger who should ideally carry a piece of coal for warmth, Salt for seasoning, sugar for sweetness and a (full) bottle of whisky for the New Year Spirit.

The first foot is supposed to bring the household luck and prosperity for the coming year.

I tried here many years ago to see if antone could un-earth the rhyme but nobody was able to reposnd.

Hope you have better luck. I will keep an eye on this thread to see if it surfaces this time.

George Henderson

Subject: RE: Folklore: Moving to a New House
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 03:43 AM

The only bit of folklore I know about moving house is the one that says "New house, new baby"!

Watch out Hollowfox!
Johnny :0)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Moving to a New House
From: open mike
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 03:21 AM

if you search through the threads we once had this discussion involving new years' traditions...it also involved opening the front and back
doors so that bad spirits could gbe "chased out" of the house. A
friend gave me a housewarming gift of salt and matches, said to be from Celtic tradition..

Subject: Folklore: Moving to a New House
From: Hollowfox
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 11:54 AM

One of my cohors here at work asked about a tradition of bringing salt, sugar, and flour into a new dwelling when you move in. There's suppose to be something spoken (a rhyme?)that she only partially remembers:
Salt to flavor your life,
Sugar to sweeten .....
Flour to ......

She doesn't know where in the world the custom comes from. She says it's not the bit from the movie "It's A Wonderful Life", because that has wine, and bread instead of flour.

Any ideas?   Thanks in advance, Hollowfox