March, 1934] THE VIRGINIA TEACHER 49 WEATHER LORE No animal is mentioned in the earliest Interesting lore about Ground-hog Day, literature regarding the influence of Candle- St. Swithin's Day, Easter, rainbows, mas on the weather which follows. Var- rings around the moon, the "dry" ious versions in rhyme indicate the in- moon, the sun drawing water—and fluence attributed to the day. what it's worth! "If Candlemas Day be dry and fair The half o' winter's to come and mair; GROUND-HOG day is so labelled on If Candlemas Day be wet and foul many calendars that it seems to The half o' winter's gone at Yule." rank with national holidays and the It should also be remembered that the regular festival days of the church year. animal known as the ground-hog is not One who absent-mindedly overlooks the native to Europe; there the badger and the day learns from the greetings of his friends, bear are credited with the ability of mak- if the sun is shining, that there will be six ing long-range weather predictions. more weeks of winter weather; if the sky What does scientific investigation report is overcast, that there will be an early regarding the connection between sunshine spring. on February second and the weather of the For the ground-hog tradition or any other following weeks? In the Scientific Ameri- weather-lore, two questions may be asked: can, April, 1927, there is a report which How did the tradition originate ? And how furnishes an answer to the question. has scientific investigation influenced the Ground-hog Day in 1926 had clear skies in acceptance of weather proverbs? eastern United States, cloudiness in the The name given to February second is West. There should have been a prolonged merely an American name for Candlemas winter in the eastern half and an early Day. This is the festival which was insti- spring in the West. The fact is that both tuted in 492 A. D., as the fortieth day after sections shivered during the winter weather Christmas, to commemorate Mary's coming which continued more than six weeks longer to the house of worship for the ceremony in both sections. So the prophetic rodent required of her as a Jewish mother after was right in one section and wrong in the the birth of a baby boy. There is the re- other. Such predictions are not good port that in pre-Christian times the Romans prophecies, but are merely ordinary guesses. burned candles on the second day of Feb- It should be kept in mind that the ruary to honor the goddess Februa. An Weather Bureau considers that there should unusual number of candles was used in the be records of rainfall during at least fifteen observation of the day by the Church; years in any locality before there is suffi- hence the name, Candlemas. In earlier cen- cient data to state the average annual rain- turies, it was planned that the number of fall in that locality. The same length of lights would be increased until every dark time is desired for records of sunshine, corner was completely illuminated so that temperature, length of growing season, or all nocturnal animals would hide themselves any other of the climatic elements. In the in their usual daytime retreats. From such same article of the Scientific American, an origin in remote ecclesiastical history has April, 1927, there was a report of investi- sprung the present-day associated idea that gating the fifteen previous years. For sunlight causes an animal's shadow on those fifteen years, if the ground-hog had "Ground-hog day." So, we seem to think, been correct, there should have been nine the ground-hog hangs a sign "Do not dis- with much cold weather continuing. As a turb" on his sleeping-room door and tucks matter of fact, only four of the nine years himself in for a six weeks' sleep. had prolonged winters. Of the six which 50 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Vol. 15. No. 3 should have had an early spring, only two and later invade areas like the coast states had a shortened winter. Since six out of of the eastern part of this country. But fifteen were correctly indicated, there were they are not caused by the equinox. Vir- 40 per cent correct. A good guesser should ginia felt the effects of hurricanes in Aug- make a better record. ust, 1928, and again in August, 1933. In all fairness, it should be mentioned The spring season of the year does have that the ground-hog never asked for the frequent rains. As true as the saying that job of being a weather prophet. It was a rain on Easter Sunday brings subsequent responsibility pushed on him by the early rainy Sundays would be a proverb asserting settlers. When they came from Europe, that if it rains the Wednesday after Easter, they brought the superstition about the there will be rain for seven Wednesdays. badger or bear's looking for his shadow on Recorded observations, as a matter of fact, Candlemas Day. Not finding the badger show that a bright Easter may be followed here, the settlers revised the story to in- by rainy Sundays, and that a rainy. Easter clude the ground-hog or woodchuck. Of loses its influence and is followed by Sun- all animals in fur, therefore, this little days on which the sun shines. creature now monopolizes conversation one Another illustration of the belief that the day in the year. weather of specific days forecasts the Of course the ground does not suddenly weather of a given period of time is found warm up because of one day's sunlight; in the idea that the first three days of the whether February 2 is bright or cloudy, it year indicate the kind of winter to be ex- is probable that in much of the United pected during the first three months of the States the ground-hog is not even above year. And there are people who believe ground to look for his significant shadow. confidently that the twelve days from Many sayings and beliefs concern the idea Christmas to January fifth are the "keys that the weather on specific days indicates to the weather" for the twelve succeeding the weather of later days or seasons. These months. Since these two sayings often sayings originated long before such instru- conflict, it is better to leave the disagree- ments as the barometer, thermometer, and ment to those who know "sure signs" of hygrometer were available for securing the weather. weather information. Among these sayings There is an interesting story to the effect are such statements as: "If March comes that a rain on St. Swithin's Day (July 15) in like a lamb, it will go out like a lion," causes forty days of rain to follow. St. and vice-versa; there will be stormy weath- Swithin was an English ecclesiastic of the er at the time of the equinox; and if it rains ninth century. He was the tutor of King on Easter, it will rain for seven Sundays. Alfred and became the Bishop of Win- Now any observer agrees that the month chester. He is said to have requested that of March has days which suggest a lamb upon his death he should be buried just in behavior, and then other days which dis- outside the church where water might drip play the characteristics of a lion. How- from the eaves on his grave and where ever, records disclose the fallibility of the passersby might tread. In the next cen- saying that the kind of days in the begin- tury, after he was canonized, plans were ning of the month insure a different type of made to remove the body from the grave weather at the close. to the church. According to the legend, There is no denying there may be an the good saint's protest caused a period of equinoctial storm, but it is by coincidence rain which delayed the transfer for forty rather than by cause. It is true that hurri- days. canes may originate in the tropical areas Another group of weather-lore ideas is March, 1934] THE VIRGINIA TEACHER SI characterized by the belief that a person The last example of sky appearance may tell from the sky what the weather which is the basis of a weather adage is will be within a few hours or a few days. that there are "wet" and "dry" moons. One example is represented in the jingle: When the horns of the crescent moon point "Rainbow in the morning, sailors take warning; upward, some quote the Indian version, Rainbow at night, sailor's delight." "She canoe; she get full; she run over." The lines do contain an element of truth. Some believe this moon is the "wet" moon. If there is a morning rainbow, there must They see the moon at other times with one be rain falling west of the observer. Since point nearer the earth, and know that is the in the middle latitudes, weather conditions "dry" moon because it hangs like a powder- tend to travel from the west to the east, horn and all the water has run out. Others the locality in which the observer is may believe the moon with horns pointing up- experience the rain a short time later. The ward is the "dry" moon because it will hold evening rainbow is seen in the eastern sky, all the water. There is an advantage in so it is probable that the rain will' tend to having the contradictory versions: if one is travel away from the locality of the ob- not applicable, the other can be used.