Ian-

Sorry, I remember thinking of this at the time i read your first
posting: I recall reading many years ago in a nineteenth century
collection of folk beliefs, (from Yorkshire, I think) that a gift of
clothing would insult the fairies and they would leave. Perhaps the
small size was intended to indicate that they were for the Little
People, therefore a charm to keep the fairies away? Or perhaps it's just
that children's shoes, quickly outgrown, are more expendable. The other
probably significant feature of this practice to me is that it's usually
just one shoe. Again, is there a symbolic reason for this, or just that
we have the surviving member of a pair of worn out shoes?

Marty Pickands
New York State Museum

>>> [log in to unmask] 08/31/06 4:38 AM >>>
Ian Evans wrote:

> With regard to concealments that are part of a
> European tradition there appears to be a trend apparent in both the
UK and
> Australia. In both places the shoes of children and teenagers
constitute
> about 40% of the total number of finds.
> Even allowing for the fact that families were larger in the 19th
century
> than today this seems to be a higher proportion than would be
expected if
> the objects to be concealed had been selected at random. The figures
> suggest a preference for concealing the shoes of children aged from
about
> three upwards.
> I'm curious to know why this might be and would be interested to
hear
> other peoples' thoughts on this curious aspect of a very curious
custom.

I posted this last Sunday and so far it appears to have slipped by
without
comment. I'd appreciate the opinions of HistArchers on this issue so
thought I'd try again.

Ian Evans
Byron Bay, NSW
Australia
www.oldhouses.com.au