Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-01-19
0MENS.

unusual occurrence had a supernatural
significance. The modes of divination
were five in number. The first related
to the Interpretation of celestial phe.
nomena; the second of the noise and
flight of birds; the third of the feeding
of chickens; the fourth from the four
footed animals, as the crossing of ones
path by a dog, wolf, or hare; the auguries
were made from trivial incidents, such
as sneezing, spilling salt, etc.
Sneezing has been held ominous from
the remotest. In the Odyssey the Queen
is represented as smiling at the happy
omen when Tclemachus sneezed
Eustathius says that sneezing to the left
was unlucky, but was considered pros
porous to the rig hit. Aristotle explains
that sneezing from noon to midnight
was good, but from night to noon un-
lucky; and st. Austin tells us that "the
ancients were wont TO go to bed again if
they sneezed while they put on their
shoe" Hormanpus tells us that 1.-TWO
or three neses be holsom"; and, in his
DE Miraculis Mortuorum, he says: If
anyone sneczes twice night for three
successive nights it is sign that some
one in the house will die, or it presages
some misfortune or very great gain"
Prometheus Is said to have been the first
who wished we'll to the sneezer, when
the man which he had made Of clay fell
into fit of sternutation upon the ap-
proach of the celestial fire which Pro-
metheus had stolen from the sun; this
gave rise to the custom among the Gen
tiles of saluting the sneezer. When the
King of Mcssopotamia sneezes all of his
bjects, in every part of his dominions,
burst out into eXclamations. When the
King of Monomotopa sneezes, says Mon
taigne, those who are nearest to him
clap their hands; the noise passes with
out the palace and is taken up by the
citizens, and kept up in this manner un-
til it passes throughout the whole King
dom. Sir Thomas Browne mentions that
sneezing in cases of sickness was re-
garded by physicians as good omen.
Dreams come under the head of
omens. Homer tells US that they come
from Jupiter, and in all ages and In
every kingdom the ilea that knowledge
of the future is to be derived from them
has always composed very striking
article in the creed of popular supersti-
ton. In ancient times the belief in the
prophetic power of dreams was univer-
sal. PausaDius says that among the
Grecians there was found whole coun-
try whose inhabitants used no other way
for gaining information but by going to
sleep.
The country girls in England used to
put the Bible under their pillows at night
with sixpence in the Book of Ruth, in
order to dream Of their future husbands;
and if it was desired to be revengcd upon
lover by tormenting him with hidcous
dreams, she took a birds heart and
stuck it full of pins.
Vulgar superstitions attribute certain
prognostic prope rites to the moon; its
increase, full growth and waning are
emblematic of rising, flourishing and de-
clining fortunes; to see it for the first
time over the right shoulder betokens
good luck, but over the left or behind
foreshadows ill-fortune, and also, to be
without gold in the pocket at the time is
of very bad consequence; cOrns ought to
be cut after the moon is full. Better
crops of grain may be expected by SOW
ing the seed in the moons increase; the
ancients regarded the moons age in fell
ing timber, and Pliny advised the last
day of the winter solstice for that pur-
pose, as the timber, he says, will be in
corruptible. There is an old Droverb,
that " so many days old the moon is on
Michaelmas Day, so many floods after"
To put on the left shoe before the
right, or the left shoe upon the right
foot, and rice Uersd; to put shirt or
stocking on wrong side out; the bursting
of shoe-string or garter, were all con-
sidered ominous of ill-luck, and are held
by many in this repute up to this day
1t is vulgarly accounted lucky to throw
an old shoe after a person when his or
her success is desired in some particular
undertaking.
To break looking.g glass is consid.
cred unlucky, and is thought to predict
a death in the family. They say. it is i'll
luck to see ones face in the glass by
candle-light. Napoleon, during one Of
his Italian campaigns, broke glass over
Josephine's portrait, and he could not
rest until the return of the courier,
whom he had Immediately dispatched,
and who brought him tidings of the EN-
press safety. Glasses dipped in water
were used to determine the fate of sick
person
II two persons wash their hands in the
same water II is said TO presage quar-
rel between them. If the cheek burns or
the ear tingles, somebody must be talk.
ing about you; If the right ear, 1t is
good, but If the left, il is bad And 80
with the itching Of the eye or elbow. To
rise on the right side is accounted
lucky. A thick and hard neck is omi-
nous Of hanging. An itching nose is in
terpreted into the expectation of seeing
a stranger, or taking drink; an itching
of the lips is forerunner of a kiss.
Nose-bleed is a sign Of love; Melton's
f" Astrologaster" says that one drop from
the left nostril is good luck, but on the
right, i'll. Burton, in his Anatomy of
Melancholy" says "that TO bleed three
drops at the nose is an i'll omen" Miss
inc the mouth in eating or draining