Chapter Viii. Plants : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 190 CHAPTER VIII. PLANTS. That Shakespeare possessed an extensive knowledge of the history and superstitions associated with flowers is evident, from even only a slight perusal of his plays. Apart from the extensive use which he h...
Chapter Xii. Birth And Baptism : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 312 CHAPTER XII. BIRTH AND BAPTISM. As every period of human life has its peculiar rites and ceremonies, its customs and superstitions, so has that ever all-eventful hour which heralds the birth of a fresh actor upon the world's...
Chapter Vi. Birds : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 92 CHAPTER VI. BIRDS. Barnacle-Goose--Blackbird--Buzzard--Chaffinch--Chough--Cock--Cormorant Crow--Cuckoo--Domestic...
Chapter Xiii. Marriage : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 321 CHAPTER XIII. MARRIAGE. The style of courtship which prevailed in Shakespeare's time, and the numerous customs associated with the marriage ceremony, may be accurately drawn from the many allusions interspersed through his plays...
Untitled : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 516 p. 517 INDEX. Aconite, its deadly poison, 190. "Adonis horti", 439-440. Agate, applied to a diminutive person, 12, 360. Ague, spider, a cure for, 243. Air, drizzling dew, 86. All hid, all hid, children's game, 371. All Saints'...
Chapter Iv. Demonology And Devil Lore : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 49 CHAPTER IV. DEMONOLOGY AND DEVIL LORE. The state of popular feeling in past centuries with regard to the active agency of devils has been well represented by Reginald Scot, who in his work on witchcraft has shown how...
Chapter Xx. Human Body : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 445 CHAPTER XX. HUMAN BODY. It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries, clustered round the human body. Many of these, too, may still be found...
Chapter Xxi. Fishes : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 466 CHAPTER XXI. FISHES. Although it has been suggested that Shakespeare found but little recreation in fishing, 1* rather considering, as he makes Ursula say in "Much Ado About Nothing" (iii. 1)-- "The pleasant'st angling is to see...
Chapter V. Natural Phenomena : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 59 CHAPTER V. NATURAL PHENOMENA. Many of the most beautiful and graphic passages in Shakespeare's writings have pictured the sun in highly glowing language, and often invested it with that sweet pathos for which the poet was so...
Title Page : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], FOLK-LORE Of SHAKESPEARE BY REV. T. F. THISELTON DYER M.A. Oxon. London: Griffith & Farran [1883] Scanned, proofed and formatted by John Bruno Hare, April 2009. This text is in the public domain in the US because it was published pri...
Chapter Ix. Insects And Reptiles : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 236 CHAPTER IX. INSECTS AND REPTILES. As Dr Johnson has truly remarked, Shakespeare is "the poet of nature," for "his attention was not confined to the actions of men; he was an exact surveyor of the inanimate world; his descriptions...
Preface : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], PREFACE. It would be difficult to overestimate the value which must be attached to the plays of Shakespeare in connection with the social life of the Elizabethan age. Possessed of a rich treasury of knowledge of a most varied kind, much...
Chapter X. Folk Medicine : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 249 CHAPTER X. FOLK MEDICINE. Without discussing the extent of Shakespeare's technical medical knowledge, the following pages will suffice to show that he was fully acquainted with many of the popular notions prevalent in his day...
Chapter Xxii. Sundry Superstitions : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 474 CHAPTER XXII. SUNDRY SUPERSTITIONS. Almanacs.--In Shakespeare's day these were published under this title:--"An Almanack and Prognostication made for the year of our Lord God, 1595." So in the "Winter's Tale" (iv. 3), Autolycus...
Chapter Xi. Customs Connected With The Calendar : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 278 CHAPTER XI. CUSTOMS CONNECTED WITH THE CALENDAR. In years gone by the anniversaries connected with the calendar were kept up with an amount of enthusiasm and merrymaking quite unknown at the present day. Thus, for instance...
Chapter Iii. Ghosts : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 41 CHAPTER III. GHOSTS. Few subjects have, from time immemorial, possessed a wider interest than ghosts, and the superstitions associated with them in this and other countries, form an extensive collection in folk-lore literature...
Chapter Xxiii. Miscellaneous Customs, Etc : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 489 CHAPTER XXIII. MISCELLANEOUS CUSTOMS, ETC. "Badge of Poverty".--In the reign of William III., those who received parish relief had to wear a badge. It was the letter P, with the initial of the parish to which they belonged...
Chapter Xix. Proverbs : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 416 CHAPTER XIX. PROVERBS. In the present chapter are collected together the chief proverbs either quoted or alluded to by Shakespeare. Many of these are familiar to most readers, but have gained an additional interest by re...
Chapter Xviii. Punishments : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 406 CHAPTER XVIII. PUNISHMENTS. Shakespeare has not omitted to notice many of the punishments which were in use in years gone by; the scattered allusions to these being interesting in so far as they serve to illustrate the domestic...
Chapter Xv. Rings And Precious Stones : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 362 CHAPTER XV. RINGS AND PRECIOUS STONES. From a very early period, rings and precious stones have held a prominent place in the traditionary lore, customs, and superstitions of most nations. Thus rings have been supposed "...
Chapter Xvi. Sports And Pastimes : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 370 CHAPTER XVI. SPORTS AND PASTIMES. Very many of the old sports and pastimes in popular use in Shakespeare's day, have long ago not only been laid aside, but in the course of years have become entirely forgotten. This is to be...
Chapter Xiv. Death And Burial : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 340 CHAPTER XIV. DEATH AND BURIAL. From a very early period there has existed a belief in the existence of a power of prophecy at that period which precedes death. It took its origin in the assumed fact that the soul becomes divine...
Chapter I. Fairies : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 1 FOLK-LORE OF SHAKESPEARE. CHAPTER I. FAIRIES. The wealth of Shakespeare's luxuriant imagination and glowing language seems to have been poured forth in the graphic accounts which he has given us of the fairy tribe. Indeed...
Chapter Vii. Animals : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 152 CHAPTER VII. ANIMALS...
Chapter Ii. Witches : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 24 CHAPTER II. WITCHES. In years gone by witchcraft was one of the grossest forms of superstition, and it would be difficult to estimate the extent of its influence in this and other countries. It is not surprising that Shakespeare...
Chapter Xvii. Dances : * "Folk-lore of Shakespeare", by T.F. Thiselton Dyer, [1883], p. 398 CHAPTER XVII. DANCES. We are indebted to Shakespeare for having bequeathed to us many interesting allusions to some of the old dances in use in his day, but which have long ago passed into oblivion. As will be seen, these were...