03

1st March.—In Mid-Cornwall, people arise before the sun is up, and sweep before the door to sweep away fleas

1st March.—In Mid-Cornwall, people arise before the sun is up,
and sweep before the door to sweep away fleas.—(T. Q. Couch,
W. Antiquary, September,
1883.)

Date: 
Thu, 01/03/2018

March: Storm Moon

A Storm moon, according to weather folklore, is the moon which occurs
in March during shifting weather patterns in the northern hemisphere.

This is the month when Spring finally arrives, around the time of the
Equinox, and we see new life begin to spring forth.

As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw,
earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more
northern Native American tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon,
when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust
Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and
freezing at night.

March’s Full Moon was traditionally called the Full Worm Moon
by Native Americans who used lunar phases to track the seasons.
Colonial Americans also used these names, especially those of the local
Algonquin tribes who lived between New England and Lake Superior.

At the time of this Moon, the ground begins to soften enough for
earthworm casts to reappear, inviting the return of robins and migrating
birds—a true sign of spring.

Date: 
Thu, 25/01/2018

Winnol Weather....

3rd March is the feast of Saint Winwallus, aka Winwaloe, abbot, the third person in the weather-rhyme:

First comes David, next come Chad
Then comes Winnal roaring mad [*]
White or black,
Or old house thack (i.e. bringing snow, rain, or heavy winds)
 
[* (or, “roaring like mad”, or “as if he was mad”, or “as though he was mad”, or “blowing mad”)]

A good Celtic name transplanted from one Celtic country (Wales) to another (Brittany) and back again (Cornwall, and points north), it is variously rendered as Bennoc, Guénolé, Onolaus, Valois, Winwalloe, Winwalve, and several other variations, and in the above weather-rhyme, “Winnold”, “Winneral”, “Whinwall”, “Winnel” and “Winnol”

Word(s) of the day: "zawn" - wave-smashed cleft or chasm in a sea-cliff (from Cornish sâwn/sawan)

 


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