Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-01-29

And telescope his vcrtcbrae.
TRADITIONS AND SUPERSTlTIONS.
An Interesting Chaptcr-sigms- and
Protligics-Legcntisa and nj ytlls.
In early days the reality of sorcery or
magic as an art and science was scarcely
questioned. only a, few daring ones disput-
ing its legitimacy, and its hold on the minds
Of all classes was SO strong that it led to the
fearful prosecutions of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries. The ,sorcerers or
magicians were supposed to "know things
secret and future, to command the spirits OF
the elements to heal the sick, to provid,
charms and talismsns which would mystic
riously sway the will of others, to render
ones self invulnerable, to raise tempests, to
constrain the devil into service, to posse 8
the philosophers stone and the elixir of
life." Happily for Us the "black art" no
longersholds place in the history Of man
kind. With the refining and enoblinp
influences of Christianity and civilization,
and the advance of intelligence, it has dis
appeared. The sorcerer, wizard and witch
are among the things that were, or exist
only as fable to the vulgar and ignorant.
A well-known writer has said: "Nothing
dies without in some way leaving trace Of
it's existence;" and although magic has been
dispelled superstition its lineal descendant,
still lives, and the name of its followers is
legion. 1t is astonishing in this age Of
knowledge and progress to find how many
persons allow themselves to be Influenced
by omens. II am not at all superstitious,'
says one, "although I don't like to COM
mence anything on friday "If a looking
glass gets broken in the house can't help
feeling uneasy says another, who would
stoutly deny that she actually considered
It ominous 1t is really amusing and inter-
esting. and am not sure but it is also
instructive, to note some Of the prevailing
legends and superstitions, many of them go
| trivial and ridiculous - to. shame q believer
of any intelligence; others harmless, fanci-
full, and pretty, and calculated to inspire the
simple and uneducsted with a devout
enthusiasm which might stimulate the faith
of the disciples of purer belief. We must
give the German and Brittany peasants
credit for the prettiest of these, and thev
are 80 devoutly believed in and reverently
repeated to children's children, as to deserve
better place than being placed among the
ordinary superstitions of the ignorant. Let
US listen to few out of the multitude of
them. It was from the weeping willow.
they say. that the rods were made which
our Saviour was scourged with, and from
that time it has dropped it's branches with
shame. While our Saviour was bearing
his cross d robin flew down and took one
thorn from his crown, and it pierced its
breast and dyed it red. The Mother of
God was once going over mountain and a
tremendous storm came on, so she stood un-
der hazel tree and remained safe and
because it protected her she blessed it; and
for endless time it is sacred. No lightning
can strike it, and from it may be takes
magic wands. Very long ago a man went
into the woods to cut wood on Sunday
morning. Having chopped what he wanted,
he tied it together, thrust stick throuoh
the bundle, threw it over his shoulder. and
was on his way home whom there met him on
the road a man going to church. Accostinp
the wood-cutter, he said: "Dost thou not
know that on earth this is Sunday, the dav
on which God rested from his works after
he bad created the world, with all the beasts
Of the field and also man2 Dost thou not
know what is written in the Fourth Com
mandment, Thou shalt keep holy the Sab.
bath day p" The questioner was our
Lord himself. The wood-cutter answered
Whether it be Sunday on earth or Mon
day in Heaven, what doth it concern me or
thee ?" "For this; saith the Lord, "thou
shalt forever bear thy bundle of wood; and
because the Sunday on earth is profaned by
thee, thou shalt have an eternal Monday.
and stand in the moon,a warning to all such
as break the Sunday by work. From that
time the man stands in the moon with his
faggot of brushwood, and will stand there
to all eternity. on Christmas eve at mid
night, a child born on Sunday hears what
the angels in Heaven are saying, and un.
derstands the language of the beasts of the
field, but IT some one stands over it and
repeats the Lords Prayer no harm can
come to it. In 1rving's "Mahomet" we
find the following: "At the age of three
years, while Mahomet was playing in the
field with his foster-brother, two angels in
shining apparel appeared before them.
Gabriel, one of the angels, laid Mahomet
gently on the ground, and opened his breast.
and without inflicting any pain. Then taxi
ing forth his heart he cleansed it from all
imp,,rity, wringing from it those black and
bitter drops of original sin inherited from
our forefather, Adam, and which lurk in the
hearts of tho best of his descendants. incit-
ing them to crime. When he had thoroughly
purified it he filled IL with faith, knowledge
and prophetic light, and replaced it in the
bosom Of the child" Nearly all the pre-
cious stones have superstitions connected
with them. Some of the famous diamonds
are said to carry with them good or bad
luck, and fortunes of nations and families
have been influenced by them. Serapius
ascribed to the diamond tho power of driv-
ing away "incubos and succabos," objects
unknown to us. The emerald at a low heat
changes color and becomes OPAQUE, and bv
many this change is believed to indicate
false witnesses It is also said to have
healing properties, especially to all diseases
of the eye. This was stone of ill-omen to
Cortez, since the git of go magnificent one
to his bride 30 reused the envy of the Span
ish Queen as to withdraw from him the
favor of her court. The ruby was consider
ed to possess many magical properties
According to Boethius it was an amulet
against poison, plague, evil thoughts and
spirits. The jacinth produced sleep, the
chrysolite assuaged wrath, the sapphire
procured favor with Princes, aud was also
tho favorite stone Of Scripture. The tables
on which the Ten Commandments were
engraved are said to have been made of it.
The ca. ''unclc was supposed to have drop
ped from clouds during flashes Of lightning
The Jews imagined tho sardius (any red
stone) to DO reservative against the
plague, and the Arabs thought it stopped
hcmorrhage. Many attribute tho changes
in the opal 10 Il supernatural agency
There is Il curious tradition connected with
the hlootl-stnr,e. At the crucifixion, when
ane spear was thrust into Christ's side, tie
blood that followed fell upon Il dark yrecn
iaO;cr lying ut the foot "s thr cross, and
caused the new variety-the bloodston+,,
he.urq,,lss is said to grow pale during
kness, sorrow and disgrace. Amber is