[Spellyans] Translation challenge.

[Eddie Climo]

Indeed. Wkipedia offers us the following interesting quotation at 
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucca_(mythological_creature)

"In 1890, the Cornish folklorist William Bottrell stated that:

It is uncertain whether Bucka can be regarded as one of the fairy tribe; old people, within my remembrance, spoke of a Bucka Gwidden and a Bucka Dhu - by the former they meant good spirit, and by the latter an evil one, now known as Bucka boo. I have been told, by persons of credit, that within the last forty years it was a usual practice with Newlyn and Mousehole fishermen to leave on the sand at night a portion of their catch for Bucka. Probably from this observance the common nickname of Newlyn Buckas was derived. An old rhyme says:
'Penzance boys up in a tree,
Looking as wisht(i.e. haunted) as wisht can be;
Newlyn buckas as strong as oak,
Knocking them down at every poke.' "

We should note that Bottrell based his remarks on a lifetime devoted to original folklorical field-work researching primary sources, something few of us today ― myself included ― can claim to have done!

Having the benefit of being born and raised in Cornwall, it's clear that both William Bottrell Craig and Clive know what they're talking about with regard to Cornis; they have first-hand experience of ths mythological terminology. By contrast, those of us (like me and Nicholas) who cannot make that claim should defer to their their expert knowledge.

And withat I, for one, shall 'taw tavas.'

Eddie Climo.

> On 2015 Kev 17, at 21:02, Clive Baker <clive.baker at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I agree Craig... Bucca gwyn is benign to me too... a friendly ghost
> Clive
> 
>> On Thu, Dec 17, 2015 at 4:10 PM, Craig Weatherhill <craig at agantavas.org> wrote:
>> Not so, Nicholas - Bucka gwydn is benign.
>> 
>> Craig
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>>> On 2015 Kev 17, at 13:48, Nicholas Williams wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> These are all malevolent. The Ghost of Christmas is not.
>>>> 
>>>> On 17 Dec 2015, at 13:40, Craig Weatherhill <craig at agantavas.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> bucka du:  malevolent ghost (dial. "bucca-boo")
>>>> bucka gwydn: benign ghost (dial. "bucca-gwidden)
>>>> tarosvan: ghost, phantom, spectre
>>> 
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