The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-07-26
Highland Super-tirion..

Ac-s>s AAl- AA-.A u
~ Christians, They Rot O0ly believe in prayer
being answered. be, they believe that in answer
to the prayers oS some Of the more deeply ~exer,
ei$ed7 among them. the laws Of nature are some
times suspended ard miracles performed, Those.
however. who are thus favored are only the select
,. lew, the religious csass x "a eres,s.
There are hundreds Of settlements on this side
Of the Atlantic where these supers,iIions are
held IS 6rmly as in the very heart Of the High
lands, They have changed the scene. no, their
faith. those who have crossed the sea One old
uan Of NY acquaintance. when hard pressed IN
argument. used TO admit that fares might posi-
4 bly, not have got across the Atlantic vet. as be
I could no. point TO any well,ascertaiuei ease in
/ which they bad been met with but as TO their
being in the old eoea,ry,s oaly persons ignorant
| Of the facts Of the case would deny that.
i Almost every Scottish Highlander believes in
the power possessed by some persous Of what
/ is called second SIGHT Persons possessed Of
this power can see. when the vision is yOucbsafed
to them. what no Que else can see. They behold
and are CONSCIOUS Of the presence Of the wrath.
when persons in thel, company. aud looking to-
ward the sane spot can see nothing bat the emp
" void. 1t Is difieult to discover what is actu-
ally meant by this wrath" Of living person;
that is TO say. what they, who fancy they see it,
and believe in its existence really understand by
Il. We can have some conception Of the ghost
or spirit Of dead person. after its being separ-
aIed from the body. refuse revealing itself TO view,
though Of course it IS altogether another thing TO
believe that it does So bat seems something very
Ike 4 contradiction to say thata man can see his
o~a spirit or wrath, distinct from aud beside
himself
The Highlander is firm believer in the exist
snee Of witches. He would Is soou refuse to be-
Iisve in bis own existence As theirs. He points
y0u triumpha1tly to the story Of the witch Of
End0r,~ and TO St PauIs enumeration Of witch
craft among the works Of the flesh Looked
At from this point Of view. it must be confessed
that his case does not seem 50 doubtful as on
other grounds it might be made TO appear.
But the Highlander has other proof than
scripture for his faith He can poiut yoa to their
works Is an evidence CT their power. The old
woman with the black cat is not with him mere
creature Of romance She IS 4 persouass as real
Is are any Of his other ueizhbors. He can point
yUu to several OF them anoug his acquaintance,
some indeed comparatively harmless, b1; others
utterly abandoned TO the devil
1t i curious 10 observe. Is = phase Of human
nature that the religious Highlander who would
shriak with hocr0r from the practice OF the black
arts As be calls them, Of f5rtune-telIf1-. Or from
having his future read for him by the shutting Of
eari=-belisying that these are simply and direct
" IRON the dsTiI-ezsrrfzss Is sincere and eouf-
dent filth IN the certainty Of the signs and
omenz which are the tradition Of his own rae Is
he does IN the coustaney Of natures laws We
lzgh At the simplicity Of the South Sea Islander,
who wears / chain Of cuwris-shsIIs about his neck
TO protect him fruu the spells and s1rreries Of
WrrchcraA; bat what are We prepared To say Of
learned Professor Of Divinity, once the pastor Of
an iuH1euJial and intelligent metropolitan coz
greatioI, Carrying about IN his pocket for weeks.
Tor good luck the tip Of beef tongue How it
could possibly affect bis fortune. either for good
Or evil he wouId probably be Is unable to sz-
pain IL We are to conjecture. Bat his foreflth-
as had handed down the beliefs 1t was received
implicitly among his cugHtryuea, and that was
enough 10 invest It with character Of zIcrsdasss
IN bis eyes It has the appearances. however. Of I
having cuus down, Ike many ether Highland 81
perstitious, from Pagan times
The superstition With regard TO lucky or IN /
lucky days, Ike the list referred To- has also de-
zceaGst from Pagan times, and It Il o1s-which .
maintains very extensively amo1g the Highland .
srs Of Scotland Jas fisherman Of the Ork-
usys. We ara taBI By Sir John sinclair. IN many
days Of the year VII neither 20 to sea IN search
Of fish nor Perfarm any sort Of work 1t h5us.-
In times 10 EIrther back than those Of EIizabe5h,
the most intelligent leading English statesmen
i1Qnde'T the rules Of their owu he aad the pre-
csPtz 10 sheir ovu ehiI5rsa- uPou the division Of
the calender into lucky or qnIlesy days These
had doubtless descended in natural and legitimate
Succession rum the whirz and black 5ayz OF
their PIgla ancestors
: To the sane origin must be azeribe,i the prsTa-
lzuca Of belief am1Gg the Scottish Highland
srs, Ia the iuaHsnes upou the sEtaaes Of men at
tie first day Of the ysnr. New Years Day Il
,sgaris,i By tism L having very Intimate 5eaF-
ny uPoa the experiences ct the twelve mouths 70
:lecasd L. Il L matter Of serious moment.
Fhethsr FIR good or flr evil. whether the first
person nat On New ears uIaruiH.r Be mn ar
l Ruuan- II MN, III nay be expected 20 70
veil hHl il one Gf tho other SCI the result nay
1e Regarded Is serious The Eiuf os weather. e.
lerisnced % that day Is supposed to determine
.hs weather. Of the remaining part Of the winter.
though n strange cuatrzsz u this the weather af
Christmas Dug L lao1sd aPou Is the reverse az
has WHICH mag Be szpectsd 20 flII0w- The en-
ll5gme1tz also af the first day at the year, VII
Ie cautInasd mora IT less Throughout II, aai II
nusesl 1eucs- the Highlander Is always careful To
sguLafs bis engagements ca thai day With i
-iE~ 70 r1od rzsuI1z
Very similar to these arz The beliefs eutsrtlfu-
q With rHg1ri % certain events aai 6ccarrzacss
hau- tie salzaa af sgrine- To sac Tar tie first
me the Fs1Hg az auY animal With II Elcs s1ru-
d llWlrd u L considered god amea, Egt 4
: ilcs = turned N tie opposite dTrzctFa1, W
IaF aHriri1a1s some bad kick N store far "a