qualtagh

plural qualtaghs · alternative quaaltagh

1. Isle of ManThe first person one encounters, either after leaving one's home or (sometimes) outside one's home, especially on New Year's Day; a first-foot.

   Who would the ‘Qualtagh’ to a parish be?

   1875, Oscar Harrison, The Isle-iad; or, King Orry’s Banquet. A Fragment of a Mankish Tale, Douglas, Isle of Man: James Brown & Co., page 59; quoted in Joseph Wright, editor, The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volumes IV (M–Q), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, 1903, →OCLC, page 667, column 1

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   A company of young lads or men, generally went in old times on what they termed the Qualtagh, at Christmas or New Year's Day to the house of their more wealthy neighbours; some one of the company repeating in an audible voice the following rhyme:– […] they were then invited in to partake of the best that the house could afford.

   [1835, Archibald Cregeen, “Quaal′tagh or Qual′tagh”, in A Dictionary of the Manks Language, with the Corresponding Words or Explanations in English; […], Douglas, Isle of Man: […] J. Quiggin, […]; Whittaker, Treacher, and Arnot, […]; Evans, Chegwin, and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 132, column 2

   On these occasions a person of dark complexion always enters first, as a light haired male or female is deemed unlucky to be a first-foot or quaaltagh on New Year's morning. The actors of the quaaltagh do not assume fantastic habiliments like the Mummers of England or the Guisards of Scotland, nor do they, like these rude performers of the ancient mysteries, appear ever to have been attended by minstrels playing on different kinds of musical instruments.

   1845, Joseph Train, “Manners and Customs”, in An Historical and Statistical Account of the Isle of Man, from the Earliest Times to the Present Date; […], volume II, Douglas, Isle of Man: […] Mary A. Quiggin, […]; London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 115

   The Manx attach great importance to the qualtagh, or first person met with on the occurrence of any particularly important event, as in going to the fishery, the first day of the new year, a birth-day or a christening. On these occasions, in order to insure good luck or to avert an evil eye, they make a present of food or drink to the person met. The present Bishop of Bath and Wells, when Bishop of Sodor and Man, upon one occasion was the qualtagh of a poor christening party, […] and very kindly partook of their humble offering.

   1861, Joseph George Cumming, “Manners and Customs”, in A Guide to the Isle of Man with the Means of Access thereto and an Introduction to Its Scenery: […], London: Edward Stanford, […], →OCLC, page 22

   On New Year's Eve there occurred an incident which greatly increased the tension at Claddagh House. Mrs. Colquitt was in a painful state of agitation about the quaaltagh, or first person who should cross the threshold after midnight. If he happened to be dark, she anticipated some wonderful slice of luck; if light, a continuance of misfortune; and if a spaagaght or splay-footed person, nothing short of a calamity. […] [S]he kept trotting up and downstairs, being imperatively urged to confide to Mona her wish that the quaaltagh might be somebody she had just thought of, a different somebody each time.

   1887, Hugh Coleman Davidson, “Suspense”, in The Green Hills by the Sea: A Manx Story […], volume III, London: Hurst and Blackett, […], →OCLC, pages 4–5

   [page 79] At present New Year's Day is the time when the qualtagh is of general interest, and in this case he is practically the first person one sees (besides the members of one's own household) on the morning of that day, whether that person meets one out of doors or comes to one's house. The following is what I have learnt by inquiry as to the qualtagh: all are agreed that he must not be a woman or girl,[…]. The prevalent belief, however, is that he should be a dark-haired man or boy, […] An English lady living in the neighbourhood of Castletown told me that her son, whom I know to be, like his mother, a pronounced blond, […] called at a house in Castletown on the morning of New Year's Day, and he chanced to be the qualtagh. The mistress of the house was horrified, and expressed her anticipation of misfortunes to the English lady; […] [page 90] Mr. [Alfred] Nutt: […] [I]f red-haired and splay-footed people, the qualtaghs were not likely women of the aboriginal race, i.e., assuming this race to have been a dark, small, high-instepped one.

   1892 March, John Rhys, “Manx Folk-lore and Superstitions. II.”, in Folk-lore: A Quarterly Review of Myth, Tradition, Institution, & Custom, volume III, number I, London: David Nutt, […], →OCLC, pages 79 and 90