The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-10-25
SUPERSTITION,

the Trolls of the old Norseman, il light
fall upon them they die instantly. They
used to he very numerous and powerful
but many lie in undiStin uiShed graves
others nre objects Of mirth aud fun while
some still retain their power to make peO.
pie afraid. These last mentioned are more
potent than We are willing to admit. They
exert their secret influence over the very
! persons who ridiculc them. They have
taken refuge in some innermost chamber
Of the soul which the light cannot penc.
trate, and they will not be dislodged
their victims cry "Avaunt I" hut they
cannot be made to hear As the sun is
shining, we may safely take look at some
of these children Of Ignorance. Some Of
the 6l0 chrOnclerS Ol curious t'hngS shall
I7p "S obOUt U9,1n,
The nnWnng OF dogs Is mnebus sDunu,
and We cannot wonder it was suggestive
OF great grieiS. 1t is only less disagr, ca
bic than wOInah'S scream. 1t is placed
by ShakeSpeare"amOng tie portentS, and
has always been regarded as the presagc
Of death and dire evils. 1t is related that
there was a fearful bowling Of dogs the
night before MaximuS died The dogs OF
Roue, by this melancholy cry, predicted
the SedItion about the dictator Ship of
Pompcy and before the massacre Of the
MisScunianS, 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 p'aintive cries.
If dog howled in a neighborhood
where any one lay sick, it was considered
the prognostic of death. This supersti-
ton was grounded on the belief that these
animals scent death before it SmitcS a
person, and that wraithS are visible to
them.
The owl occupied place Of honor and
Importance in the religious Of Greece and
Rome. Every movement and note OF this
h'deouS and dismal creature were invested
with Significance. The scrccch of the
owl was regarded as 4 fatal pre>age.
When scrcech o~ls eroak upon the chimney tops,
lt's certain then you of corse shall hear"
Chaucer meniIo'I> this coarse and hor-
rihIc. sound anu Z the Urnens Of caIami-
ties:
''The jr'us swan, agenst hys deth that singcth,
Tie oue che, that Of death the bode brInselh." !"
And Edmund Spruc.r has th,. G,ll,. iuy
dl>tlch op the venerable Superstition
The rucfnl strch still waiting on the beere,
The Whistler shnll, that whose nears doth die "
Ilc Iaven Was also SUPPOSED to feel the
shadow of coming CALAMITY. The cruak
81 thj> bird poitynded death, 1t is stated
that tlr of tno>e gloomy bard, prc1nyl.,,!!-
cd Cicero Of his alpIoauhil . d.ath.
Grows were also accounted lr,pt,, t,ca,
birds. Whom lNIns - isoyA, tlcy wyry
watched by tnr Epual,> with tlc,nb ia..
l,r ii they l,a>,c,I wi the right ha,.d tury
t,t,,itti gou, tt Ctft tn iclt ovIi. Iuc ttfrnt
of a rroN over a Gnu>c tI.r,r tia.c, IN >,.r.
cc>,ipn, with a croak each time, vas sure
u tr i,i.nacd bv death N the family.
Au u.u wrltcr WAS : profoundly runl iu-
ccd OF tae piophctiyal lpNcl> # Ills lover
Of corn, tnnt he cXilcs>r> the b.i THAT
tod >,rowctnh;> pr,vv cun>.y!r tn crows" ="
S.trrnl IT tnr >u!,r>tItl.h,u thu oli,.u
l;mc have been preserved bv sat. Tr.
spain OF tt.l> IN .i~p J., n>ihIr substance i,a-
tur'rol LIH'rv iuIIN cJl,ck iac, ani iu.
sjahiiY >r.ynrci the III -; = r,"n.. iau.r.
tcl. /; hN an u.!u..kv a"rl len; a'.V upr
uv,rtuift~ t!.c >1It cci'Ar, t,ir.r,r ol an .il.
.ioutm j., it.ou.'.t to hr hN. d u.u, a.....
Anl tAr poison toNa,d wn.n tDr -,'
tai j. a-t >Ij,lo>-.i T., hc aE..I; ;.- T.;
>"tr,. t,l nance, bat this may uc ..,....
q y Gp,Iu- Wii.c paurcl uu tie ,av e.. ~,
.ln..9- >,rI, oil the split sat oy,I tnl j.. It
5000 =. ltttp thr ti,r.
The u"r..: >.jencc Of om.n, Irot.nunccd
tic ltitI.,; al a shoe or stocking on thr
AIuuL trpt "A most uuucky occurrence.
Throwing an old >hor after ,',r bridegroom
lnd n.".c on leaving their respective
i"u>t>, was sntIo> Il 10 secure lor tAe
couple the most desirable blessings.
The custom Of dreaming on wedding
cake dates back TO very remote period.
y slice Of TINS ctIaIu.c, cake placed be-
meath The pi!ioA Mas s..,,. SCI to bring
hetote the inuyr ,t,> "i thr ltir eircpcr
the p,r>nn Who MAS IL >iL.ri t. tc her
loved lord.
II used II be customary il >ome coan
tries ui Europe ;ur ;ao t,rlt,, a!:.r She IN
tered ncr cnlubrr to turn and alag aGr
shoes among tie crowd gathered about
the door ihc rrr>op WHO succeeded in
Getting It was sure to he married before
many moons. Those occasions were pro-
dn'l'vc Of much noisy J'Iity. and this
>l'nl'e >orcery was never Omitted
Superstition has always sctaiiart c,rt1'n
g.. : a> good and others rs etli. trldIy
is HE most III ."me"eh day m the raI'nia''
and there are man VIII" SUI be ievr ti'at
the sixth day i" tns week eNcrtN han
ful influence upon fresh resolves and nc"
enterprises. The Firms never begin any
thing OF Importance on Monday or t'l1"y.
Lord Burshly, in letter to bis son adj
moniShes him against three Mondays
His Lordship specifies these evil Mondays,
and assigns sufficient reason for regard
ing them as unlucky. The first Monday
in April, which day Cain was born and
his brother Abel slain the seeom1 Mon,