Pat Shingleton: "Dew-Dew..."
Dew is water that condenses onto grass and other ground objects. Folktales depict
the magical qualities of dew. It has been used as a lotion for itchy eyes, skin
diseases, and strengthening sickly children. It is believed to heal gout and
sharpen eyesight, especially if collected from leaves of fennel. For beauty and luck,
a young girl should gather dew before sunrise from under an oak tree. Washing
your face in dew from a Hawthorn tree at sunrise on the Celtic festival of Beltane
will provide beauty for a year. The Victorians gathered early-morning dew in their
hands and rubbed it on their faces to remove freckles. Witches in Scotland,
collected it with a hair tie and hung it in the barn to increase milk production.