Bucca

In modern pagan mythos, the Bucca is the name of a Cornish sea or fertility deity (although this is disputed), transformed from descriptions of the Bucca or spirit inhabiting mines in nineteenth century folklore collections into the modern pagan deity proclaimed today. In the children's book Thomas and the Tinners by Jill Paton Walsh (Macdonald Young Books, 1995), Buccas are fairies who work in Cornish tin mines, granting wishes in exchange for food.

[edit] Origins

The Bucca is found in the Cornish text the Creation of the World, but it is plain that the word is a borrowing into Cornish from Old English 'puca'. A cognate form in Welsh is of similar non-Brythonic Celtic origin, demonstrated in Cornish by the middle 'cc' which does not occur in Brythonic Celtic. According to the Oxford English Dictionary pwca is ultimately of Scandinavian origin. Despite this the 19th Century Vicar of St Peter's Church Newlyn, the Rev W.S Lach-Szyrma described the Bucca-Boo as the "storm god of the old Cornish" ^[1]. It should be bourne in mind however that nineteenth-century folklorists all mostly subscibed to the 'doctrine of survivals' - a view since discredited within folklore studies, that sees all folk-practices and beliefs as survivals from the pre-Christian periods. Few serious folklorists today subscribe to this idea. ^[2].

In the nineteenth-century folklore collections Bucca seems to have featured in two forms, Bucca Widn (White Bucca) and Bucca Dhu (Black Bucca). Bucca seems to be the subject of food offerings placed on the beach (often fish)^[3] or in the spilling of ale and bread crumbs. Puck, Púca and Pwca share similar origins. Bucca also seems to associated with the wind, in Penzance it was customary to refer to storms that emanated from a south westerly direction, as "Bucca calling", sailors and fishermen also believe that Bucca's voice carried on the wind. Bucca was also sometimes referred to as a tin mining spirit which may indicate a wider fertility origin than that of the sea.

[edit] Transformation into a spirit

E.M. Wright in her book Rustic Speech and Folk-lore (1913) lists Buccas as alternative name for spirits and small folk like knockers (Cornish tin mining spirits).

William Bottrell in 1890 described in detail the current situation concerning Buccas;

'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 as wisht can be;
Newlyn buckas as strong as oak,
Knocking them down at every poke.'

From this it appears that Newlyn people at one time considered it matter of pride to be called by the name of their ancient god.

[edit] Known worship sites

The area of Newlyn known formerly as Park an Grouse (in Cornish 'the field of the cross') was a stone cross believed to be a site of veneration to Bucca where offerings of fish were placed by local sea fishermen. The site of the cross was believed to somewhere near the junction of the Bowjey and Gwavas lane, its current location is unknown. Similar offerings were recorded on the beaches of Mousehole and Newlyn "Town" (the area now known as Newlyn Cliff)^[4].

[edit] Other uses

In the 19th century a new road was built between Penzance and Lands End and the Tolcarne River (main stream at the outskirts of Newlyn) was bridged, this area was called Buccas pass.

[edit] References

1. ^ MA Courtney, Folklore and Legends of Cornwall, 1890: 79, 129
2. ^ Dorson, Richard M., The British Folklorists 1968/1999: see especially chapters 1, 2 and 8.
3. ^ The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W. Y. Evans-Wentz [1911]
4. ^ William Bottrell, Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, 1870-90, vol.2

(Celtic being pronounced Keltic).