The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-10-11
Charms xxnass ,bs rvm E,.

ihe supposed liability Of tho inno.
esaAlEltltude TO the maievolencs Of
Iithe evH eve caused The supsrstitioas
70 have recourse to many charms in.
carnations and ceremonies ~ svsr,
iIl-consequences and render ~, poi.
soued glance innoeuous ap5,v
winch, as just recorded, PRAYER and
the use Of saliva were corso;ruous
Ine wearing OF coral broocbes had
snd earrings IS stiIl popular charm
70 y apies against he evil eve. "Io
Scotland, says Mr.. Graham Da'zeu
10 his addeGda, "a red thread tiaJ
ABOUT ehild'sneck. or q fowan cross
(eross OF mountain ash are te.iesed
10 be equally efiicaci1u- ia p.eve,t,,g
Toe inilaence Of evil spirits, ey,l ev.s
ard other cslamities In tbe NHials.
Ages an amulet, Of a lozenge sbspe
marked WITH The uys,ie letIets ABR
ACADABRA, was worn In .be I'm.
sem as a certain specific. 4 cro-s
formed OF The WOOD Of toe cid sr tr-e
ahxed 70 cDw-h0ases aad stables "a.
supposed to protect ths cate from
all possible barm. A branch oftne
rowan tree was also in great favor
aud 10 hold up but abranch or a twjg
Ia the presence OF An eve-biier was
sufficient to reader her deadl.sst wish
es Ct ~ avail 4 foGr.leaied shan
Foek, which Is excessively rare. a,5
al! the More highly priced ior thar
reason, was "A sovereign aatidots. In
Poeock's Traceis IN fhe Eas, be saws
that the Arabs Of Egypt threw sal,
into toe hre as charm against the
elect o. an evil eye. OF before loading
their camels for Journey through be
desert, concluding. as the blue tame
arises, that every evil genius is ban
lshed. The election Of saliva was
also considered a charm OF peculiar
efficacy. Pliny speaks Of it as eer.
tain antidote to fascination. as well
as preservative from contagion. and
IN puSiilstic encounters as certain 10
aggrayate the violence Of blow. AT
the present day, as OF old, SAYS Mr.
Dalzeii, "a Greek mother. As if COM
memorating the words Of TheocrItus
aud TIbullus, spits 10 her bosom TO
repel fascinating glanees directed to-
ward herself, and dreading the gaze
OF the sterile on her child, spi,s in i,s
face. y But the most common Of all
The charms in use against the evil eve
IS that very vulgar gesture Of app5y-
ing the thumb to the nose. stretching
out the hngers, aud "twiddling" Them
with rapid motion for few seconds.
COMMONLY Praeiiced by London
street b0ys, without the sligbIess
knowledge Of It's origin or meaning.
and known in slang parlance as tax
ing a sight" The Slang Dictionary
says that ITO take a sight" is vulgar
action employed by boys and Others
to denote incTedality or contempt for
authority but the real meaning in
ancient times. forgotten and wholly
unsuspeeted in our own, was TO show
contempt and dedaneeie the maehin-
ations Of witeberait, andFto render The
evil eve powerless. Tbs is the ac-
lion that So ofsnds the good-nstured
Pho Mono, not for itself, but as mani
iestation OF the public opinion, that
be possesses. Independently ofhis will.
a power that be would be the last to
exercise designedly. This vulgar
sign, modern As il books, is as old as
Egyptian civilization, and was known
as treeings upon the unearthed walls
% Pompeii aud Herculaneum abund-
aItly prove. to the street boys and
other vulgar inhabitants Of those
ancient cities. Ill The Year H9Bnd-