According to English folklore, those born at certain hours could see ghosts. The crucial time was generally said to be midnight. In Irish folklore, those born in the chime hours would have the second sight.
The term "born in the chimehours" likely refers to the old monastic hours of night prayer (Matins) which were marked by the ringing of bells.
chime hours — There was a belief in some parts of England that those born at certain hours could see ghosts. The crucial time was generally said to be *midnight a *Friday midnight, according to Dickens (David Copperfield, chapter 1). But in Somerset and… … A Dictionary of English folklore
Chime (video game) — Chime Developer(s) Zoë Mode Publisher(s) OneBigGame, Easy Tiger, Valcon Games Platform(s) … Wikipedia
Chime — (ch[imac]m), n. [OE. chimbe, prop., cymbal, OF. cymbe, cymble, in a dialectic form, chymble, F. cymbale, L. cymbalum, fr. Gr. ky mbalon. See {Cymbal}.] 1. The harmonious sound of bells, or of musical instruments. [1913 Webster] Instruments that… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
chime in — verb break into a conversation her husband always chimes in, even when he is not involved in the conversation • Syn: ↑cut in, ↑put in, ↑butt in, ↑chisel in, ↑barge in, ↑break in • Hypernyms: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
chime clock — noun Etymology: chime (I) : a clock that indicates the half and quarter hours by playing short melodies on bells or gongs in addition to striking the hours … Useful english dictionary
bell chime — ▪ musical instrument (from medieval Latin cymbala, meaning “bells”) set of stationary bells tuned in a musical series, traditionally in diatonic sequence (seven note scale) plus a few accidentals (sharps and flats). The bells generally… … Universalium
English folklore — Poor little birdie teased, by the 19th century English illustrator Richard Doyle depicts an elf as imagined in English folktales. English folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in England over a number of centuries. Some stories can… … Wikipedia
time — The basic way of experiencing time is not as a succession of fixed units (e.g. hours), but through three natural cycles: night and day, the moon s phases, and the year. The first is the most immediate, and the most charged with symbolic and… … A Dictionary of English folklore
babies — Certain circumstances at birth were thought to foretell the baby s future character or *luck, e.g. a rhyme about *days of the week, best known in the version: Monday s child is fair of face, Tuesday s child is full of grace, Wednesday s… … A Dictionary of English folklore
midnight — In the daily cycle of *time, midnight represents the deepest point of negativity, when *ghosts, demons, and all uncanny beings are most active. It is prescribed for many *magic rituals and *divinations. In modern times it is mathematically… … A Dictionary of English folklore