Sowl

Good lorjus days, whot whofo times ar' theese! / Pot-baws ar scant, an dear is seawl an cheese!

It [the word pittance] does not signify the whole share of each individual in a conventual meal, but merely that smaller portion of more tasty viands which in frugal housekeeping is used to give relish to the bread or pottage constituting the substance of the meal; what is still called sowl or sowling in some parts of England. The Pembrokeshire peasant says, "I have not had a bit of sowl to my bread for these six months".

What was called "souling," or "sowling," was practised by the female portion of the poor, who visited their more wealthy neighbours, demanding "sowl," which signified, in its provincial acceptation, any condiment eaten with bread, such as meat, fish, &c., but especially cheese.

All Souls' Day was celebrated by souling, a custom going back to pre-Reformation days: soul cakers and mummers toured the village begging for a soul cake – a plain, round, flat cake seasoned with spices.

[W]here in tyme past wthin the p[ar]ish chirch of new Wyndesor hath ben kept yerely on Trinite Sunday an obitt wᵗʰ mass of requiem on the moro next followᵍ for the Sowles of all the Brethren and sisters of the Trinite brotherhood there, wᶜʰ tyme out of mynde hath bene usyd, the said Andrew for th' inlarging of the sᵈ anniv[er]sary or obiit for more merytte to all the seyd sowls and for the well of all his good friends sowls hath gyven to the wardens of the sᵈ fraternite or Brotherhood to the brothern and systers of the same frat[er]nite and to their successors for ev[er] a certaine tenem[en]t in new Wyndsor […]

Of yowr cherity pray for the ſowls of Reynald Peckham the elder, Squire for the body of the moſt excellent Prince king Henry the eight, who deceſed 27 Feb. 1525. and for the ſowl of Ioice Colepeper his wife which deceſed 20. March, 1523.

[T]he guide who accompanied me […] told me, with a most serious face, that there were three different fires in purgatory, through which all the faithful passed. […] "And what is the third fire to do?" "Oh, that is to purify them entirely, and fit their sowls for the presence of the grate God!"

For in all the long coorse av a twinty year's spell, / Dael an' Irishman's sowl cud he get into hell— […]