The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-11-05
A CHAPTER ON SUPERsTITIONS.

l
their influence over the very persons that
ridicule them. They have taken refuge IN
some innermost chamber Of the soul which
the light cannot penetrate, and they VIII
not be dislodged; their victims cry avaunt,
but they cannot be made to hear. AS tie
sun is shining we may safely take look
at some of these children of ignorance.
Some of the old cllroniclers of curious
things shall tells us about them:
The bowling of a dog is hideous
sound, and we cannot wonder it was sug-
gestive of great griefs. 1t is only less dis
agreeable than woman's scream. 1t is
placed by Shakespeare among the portents,
and has always been regarded as the pre-
sage of death and dire evils. 1t is related
that there was fearful bowling of dogs
the night before Maximinus died. The
dogs of Rome, by this melancholy cry,
predicted the sedition about the dictator
ship of Pompey, and before the massacre
of the Misseunians, the dogs howled as
they had never been heard to do before,
and before the battle of Hastings the dogs
ran about through the forests and fields,
uttering the most prolonged and plaintive
cries.
If dog howled in a neighborhood where
any one lay sick, it was considered the
prognostic of death. This superstition
was grounded on the belief that these ami
mails scent death before it smites person,
and that wraiths are visible to them.
The owl occupied place of honor and
Importance in the religions of Greece and
Rome. Every movement and note of this
hideous and dismal creature were invested
with significance. The screech of the
owl was regarded as fatal presage.
''When Screech- Owls croak upon the chimney
tops,
It's certain then you of corse shall hear"
The raven was also supposed to feel the
shadow Of coming calamity. The croak
of this bird portended death. 1t is stated
that one of those gloomy birds premonished
Cicero of his approaching death.
Crows were also accounted prophetical
birds. When flying in hocks they were
watched by the Roman with trembling, for
if they passed on the right hand they bod
ed good, if on the left, evil The flight of
crow over house three times in success
ion, with croak each time, was sure to be
followed by death in the family. An
old writer was so profoundly convinced of
the prophetical powers of this lover of
corn, that he expresses the belief "that
God sheweth his prevy counsayle to
Groves"
Several of the superstitions of the olden
time have been preserved by salt The
spilling of this indispensable substance has
turned many a ruddy cheek pale, and in
stantly silenced the most gleesome laugh
ter. IF by an unlucky accident one over
turns the salt-cellar, the eye of an evil
doom is thought to be fixed upon him.
And the person towards whom the salt falls
is also supposed to be about to suffer some
mischance, but this may be averted by
having wine poured on the lap, or by fling
ing some of the split salt over the left
shoulder into the fire.
The occult science of omens pronounced
the putting of shoe or stocking on the
wrong foot most unlucky occurrence
Throwing an old shoe after the bridegroom
and bride on leaving their respective hous-
es, was supposed to secure for the couple
the most desirable blessings.
The custom of dreaming on wedding
cake dates back to very remote period.
A slice of this charmed cake placed be-
meath the pillow was supposed to bring be-
fore the inner eyes of the fair sleeper the
perso~ who was destined to be her loved
lord.
1t used to be customary in some copn-
tries of Europe for the bride, after she en-
tered her chamber, to turn and fling her
shoe among the crowd gathered about the
door. The person who succeeded in got
ting it was sure to be married before many
moons. These occasions were productive
of much noisy jollity, and this simple sorce-
ry was never omitted.
Superstition has always set apart certain
days as good and others. as evil. Friday
is the most ill-omened day in the calendar,
and there are many who still believe that
the fifth day in the week exerts baneful
influence upon fresh resolves and new en-
terprises. The Firms never begin any
thing of Importance on Monday or Friday.
Lord Burghly, in letter to his son, ad-
monishes him against three Mondays. His
| l0rQSnlp SpeclneS tucSe cVll mOnudyS, anu
assigns sufficient reason for regarding them
as unlucky: "The first Monday in April,
which day Cain qc0S born and has brother
slain, the second Monday in August, which
day Sodons and GOmorrah acre destroyed;
and the last Monday in December, which
day Judas qcaS born, that betrayed our
Savior Christ"
Sneezing has been considered good
omen from time immemorial. Prometheus
is said to have been the first to bless the
sneezer. The person who uttered this joy
GUS sound, and received the benediction OF
the fre-thief, was the man he had fashion
ed of clay. The Rabbis tells us that not
very long after the creation, the Lord Or
damned every human being should sneeze
but once, and that the soul should leave
the body at the moment of attenuation
but that the decree was revoked through
the supplications of the patriarch Jacob
When the king of Mesopotamia sneezes