, 1876-03-20
supcrstltlons Regarding Splitting and
SnQGZinHs.-


crrnh,u Madasine.
Tha bolfef Ia evil spirits Affords tho bnBt OK
rlanaton for BOT OF customs no IeHa cnrtonH
than dleaRrecable and ridiculous. Wo aiiude to
splitting and Bneoz,ng., hfnny EnKllshmeu
spit II thoy moot o w4ite Lorao, a4utnting
man, or q single mngpio, Or II, lpadyer-
tently, tloy step under q ladder or wnsh
tholr handa In tho samc basin with 4 friond.
In Lancashire, boya spit ovcr thoir 1ngera be-
fore bog,nuing 70 fight; travellers Oh leaving
homo spit on Btono and throw it nwAy market
pooplo spit on the first money thoy recolvo In tho
dny. Swedish peasants spit thrlcc II they nross
wnter after 1ark, and even Tho eathctlc Athenan
used to spill il ho mot q mad1nan.' 80 tho savage
Now Zonland priest ep!ts on tho two sticks which,
accofdlng aa ono OF them fnlla upperuloat, aro
to fo1odhow tho roai1]t Of coming battle. In
decd, this unpleasant habit seenl8 \ universal
for what conceivable reason thasl that tho mouth
VIE oncc regarded "a tho portal by wh1ctl OWL
Spirits got into man, aud by which nlone they
could be forced to matte their o1it Tho Mosaa~
llans usod to mako splitting and noao-hlowing a
part OF their religion, for they hoped thereby to
'frco themselves from tho demons With which
thoy fancied the mir to DO full. THIS single caso
contains, probably. tho key to all tho othors
But why should sneozing bo 40 generally re-
gaEded rs lad omen, aud ono 10 bo ayertel
# possible by Fluctuations and blosslugs7 Ono
explanation ls, that, rs It was tho p!Gn OF re-
turning convalesceuco during tho plague at
Athona, congratulations wore oifcrod when the
csssis WAS past; another, that during, 4 grcat
fury, and began its fatal courso with ft OF
Anoezing, 1t was usual to oxcIaim, "May God
help you now." aa BOON As tho sad doath-slgnal
WIZ heard. But tho custom Ia OF fur wider
oxsont aud older Lineage than Huch o1plana-
tions imply. and sho only possible hypothesis
Ia ono TINT adapls seoif to oil rncea and all
tsnos. In Now ZeaIand mother repeats
Charm whom her child soeozoa. Lost any ovtl ro'
snlt in consequence, and English nuraoa do just
the Same. In the Netherlands uneoza gives
witch power over q poseoD. unleBs como QUO
invoke a. blosalng from heaven. aud in those
tecss probably lies tho real explanation. For,
taking into Rccount that ovory bodily t!crAnEe-
mont IL regarded BY savngos rs posseaHon ~
precursor Of those temporary bodily dafapgs-
monta, often ycry seToEo. which wo know as
"colds," may 1t not DO TINT III those carly ttnoo
when to pEecede Ia the snuo as 70 causo. q snooz-
ing lit was SGT down as tho sign or CAUSE Of such
possession, and charms were employed TO coun-
toraot ita effoota. II 4 cold VAS over hold to DO
h bewltohment, We can understand the uso OF
charms and blessings at the earl!oat stage Of tho
promonltary symptoms. IA All involuntary act,
! Bueozo would, like ali other natural phenome-
nj, be . portont significant Of, aud en-
tailing, q sosies Of cGtsoquancoa; and In
corrse OF time, az mon Improved In obaorya-
ton and distinctions, II would grow to bo
oyon nuaplcl0uB under certain circumstances.
Thus IN our own country, It Is good Sign on
eonlo daya Of tho woek, but q bad ono on oti,-
-eFa; and In Scotland al infant ia under fairy
spoils until 1t sneezcs, belief apparently con-
nectol with the absurd idea Of tho lucapacItY Of
Idiots to snoozo. In ureeoo, nlao. tho dist;nc-
tions drawn about Il ratsed snoexlng to an art !;
for While It wnH uull1cky In tho aftornoon, or
when food MAS balDg nlcared away, OF II it
occurred th1oo times, or mora thau four,
or on tho loft hand Aido; 1t 1t occurred arnoug
persons In elaboration. OF two OF four titnns, Of
in tho morning. or on tho rightband aide, it was
Thomn.ooloa by ]ualcsos sueeso On Iii ha rsht. ai
hand Hido, porst,aded his soldiers to fight, aud
Xonophon by = pMhr act In the middle Of a
speech was elected General. And on another oo-
caBlon, a snooze from ltnesmhn Just heforo q
battle WAS considered 40 ominoua that pnblio
prsyorr were deouaed necessary In consequence.