The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-11-11
'RHD HoRsE.sH5E.
SUPERSTITION ~ qBPl9TH CENTURY.
From the Greensboro Times.

DAYS the SdpeFSlitI0DS among mdnhllu udFo
heen wont to evoke the aid of "Charms -
and 's.Amulcts - to ward off the spells"
aud .Incantatiors' of witchcraft, and have
sought thereby to escape distempers and all
the thousand ills to which flesh is heir
Whcp We read accounts of the supersti-
lions awe with which these charms are re-
garded by heather nations, we are panied
at the mental qualification, and we should
feel grateful that our lot was not cast amid
the gross darkness of Heathenism. The
| first amulet or charm worn by the Ancients
consisted of little metal tr3nket around
the neck or wrist, and was sometimes used
for religions purposes, and from this pro
ceeded the custom of some nations in plac-
ling texts of these laws written on plates of
metal, Oh the doors of houses and places or
public worship. At one time the''Anodyne
Necklace" made Of the briony root was in
thigh rnputc, IS it was believed TO possess
the power Of assisting children in teething!
But we will not enter into detail of the
foolish whims of the anciGnts, for however
degrading TO the intellect of man the rev.
erenca for charms may be, it is not all con-
/ fined TO the dark ages, as there are thous-
ands even in this land of Bibles, Schools
and Colleges and hQasted intelligence, who
are not u whit behind the most untutored
savage in their reverence for and belief in
the efficacy of some '..jetiSA," to preserve
them from real Or fancied dangers. Who
has not heard CT rubbing black snail over
a wart nine nights in succession to cause it
to disappeag, or the hand of u dead criminal
thrice over a wen, with the belief that the
..dcad stroke as it is termed, will cure it
This last named folly was enacted at re-
cent exec ution of criminal in one of the
| Western States.
Some believe that toad encased in a
small bag and hung around ones neck will
stop the most severe case of bleeding at the
nose; while some put great confidence in a
piece of lace worn in the same manner,
if bought by one of the opposite sexwithout
any explanation being given to the purchas-
er as to the intent of thus using it. Among
some of the Catholics, the "Holy Sign" or
|
while some protestants, equally silly, resort
to the patella of a sheep or ''cramp bone, 5"
as it is usually called, to cure cramp or other
spasmodic diseases! Others again procure
the tail of black cat and having pulled
one SIM gle hair therefrom, rub the tip over
the eye nine times, to cure aceSt or Sty.
Even here in this city, Astounding in intel
lcctual luminaries, there may be found quite
cognomen, who assay to tell hidden myster-
les by their incantatiOns equally absurd
as any thing we have narrated, and they
drive brisk business too at the expense
often, of those who move in the higher Cir
fcles, persons who, one might suppose, were
possessed of more gumption than to be
deceived by the silly representations of
these
"Gypsies who every i'll can cure
Except the ill of being poor
Who charms 'gainstlove and agucs, SELL
) Who can in hen-roost set a spell,
PREPARED by arts to them best known
| To catch all feet except their own
Who as to fortune, can unlock it,
As easily as pick a pocket"
Yet hundreds believe their blasphemous
stories far more perhaps than they do the
first Chapter of Genesis We remember
; stopping once at "a farm house in S. c., where
we found the good dame busily engaged in
working over" tempting specimen of
fresh butter, and, as was very natural with
such an oily subject before US, our tongue
ran very glibly while we discoursed about
farmingn general and butter making in par
: ticular, and in the course of our remarks,
we happened to mention the fact that our
wife had been sadly puzzled of late, to &C
count for the ''frothing'' of the cream while
attempting to churn it.
"Oh, | know what's the matter with it,
said the old lady, " its be,0itched."
Indeed! !" said we, do you really think
! so -
5 Eyes, that's the sole cause know, for |
| used to be bothered in the same way till !
found out how to break the speLL.'
"Well, madam, will you be kind enough
5 to let us write the secret!"
II will; but you must not lie: on that /
told you, cause may be troubled again by
the old WITCH
+ We promised the utmost secrecy of course
when she proceeded to give the following
moduS operandi for xercising the evil
spirit.
I'm the first place the COWS must be
MIXED with silver in the piggin, and if that
, don't answer, put silver in the churn, and if
that fails, set largo empty iron pot over a
very hot fire and when nearly red hot at the
bottom, pour in the cream from the churn,
set FIRE to It and burn 1t all up. That will
fix it, to a certainty
So re thought so far as the cream was
concerned, but when we returned some
doubts as to its efficacy on the next churn-
ing, she assured US that there would be no
more trouble about ''frothy' cream. We