In Devon May 19th, 20th and 21st were once known as Frankanmass, the feast of St. Frankan, (or Franklin) who is a saint unknown anywhere else. Not surprising as he seemed to have sold his soul to the devil.
Exactly the same story in other parts of the country says it was St Dunston........... St Dunston's Day was 19th May.
The story goes that Frankan/Franklin/Dunston was a brewer who had severe competition from the cider-makers so made a pact with the devil that he could have his soul in return for the guarantee of a frost every year on the 3 days in May, just the right time to attack the blossoms of the apple trees in the orchards so that the cider makers would have less cider to sell.
This year the blossom has mostly been and gone and as yet it's impossible to see how the fruit has set and how many apples there will be
Little apples be gone away avore sheep-shearing and won't be back 'til harvest.
Other sayings about the this time of May I found
Saint Urban drives his mother form the fire
and
Urban brings summer.
There were a couple of early morning frosts last week. They didn't do any damage as far as I know.
In most of Suffolk we usually don't get a frost after the third week so everything ought to be OK now and there's nothing too cold in the forecast for this week.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Far too wet here for frost! I'm grateful for the rain.
ReplyDeleteI've just been looking a someone's blog. He says Hawthorn is May blossom (lots in my hedge at the moment). I think Blackthorn is May. What's the view in Suffolk?
Definitely Hawthorn - and loads of it looking lovely this year
Delete(Sorry!)
I've never heard of St Frankan, Sue, but I'm quite glad. He certainly didn't sound a good person! Just check our forecast down here and should be around 6-7 degrees tonight. Good news for the orchards and cider Brewers! :)
ReplyDeleteBit of a strange person to be a Saint for sure!
DeleteNo frosts here this week thank goodness
All our Plum trees have set record amounts of fruit this year, I hope any late frosts won't affect them, fingers crossed. I wish I liked plums ... I'll keep trying 😄
ReplyDeleteLove your blossom photos, so pretty. ALL our blossom is long gone 😔
I love plums except the black cooking ones. Went and searched my little plum tree found a few they are tasty plums but always get plum maggot - ugh
DeleteNo need for Saint Frankan, Storm Hannah put paid to a lot of early apple and pear blossom here. Thankfully, mine were all in tight bud so I should have my apples later, but my neighbour was not so lucky.
ReplyDeleteNo frosts here thankfully.
ReplyDeleteAll new to me too! Thanks Sue!
ReplyDeleteArilx
No frost here in NE Scotland which is unusual. More global warming... Very misty.
ReplyDeleteI just finished planting and then looked at the forecast for tonight. Pretty darn cool, just hope there is no frost. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Saint Frankan/Dunstan seems to have been quite a character! I wonder why he's still a "saint" after all that! But anyway, it's an interesting tale about frost in May. As for my part of the world, if there is ever a frost, it's a newsworthy event! Southern California doesn't see those very often. However, we are enjoying some unusual May rain . . . it's usually very dry this time of year. So we are very pleased to see the extra moisture.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the weather forecasters there is more rain coming...on the holiday weekend. Coming down from PVP yesterday the storm clouds looked pretty nasty to the north. It's nice to have the rain, I agree, my tomato plant is thrilled.
DeleteWe always feel safe planting our tomatoes, peppers, and annual flowers at the end of May, but three years ago we had a frost at the beginning of June. Keeping our fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteI like this story & I'm going to include in my garden scrapbook album. I think maybe Surely this wayward saint immigrated to Canada because we had frost last night (20th) & he's probably the reason we never plant annuals until after the 24th of May, Queen Victoria's birthday.
ReplyDelete