The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-07-03
SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT DOGS
From Hurper'$ Weekly.

IL IS not surprising lllaL Tue uoS-Ine
faithful and intellectual companion of
man-should have been from the earliest
times the object of very varied folk lore,
besides holding conspicuous place
among the traditions and legends of most
countries. Indeed, the origin of that
very wide spread superstition which rec
ognizes a death omen in the bowling of a
dog, may be traced to notion in Aryan
mythology which represents the soul as
taking its departure in the hour of DEATH
to the distant land of spirits under the
escort of a fleet greyhound. According
to the Aryan religion, Iama was the first
lightning born mortal who discovered the
way to the other world, where he has
reigned ever since. and. for the sake of
men, sends the wind under the form of a
dog to conduct their souls at death across
the heavenly waters and over the Milky
Way to his home-the bright realm of
bliss. Hence. whenever this messenger
of death was heard, either bowling out
side the sick mans house or speeding
along through the air with rapid pace.
the inmates trembled, for they knew that
at any moment the soul of their friend OF
relative might be required of him. Thus,
even at the present day, the bowling of a
dog under the window is supposed to
foretell death-a superstition deeply root
ed everywhere in this as we'll as in most
other countries. The Parsecs of Bombay
place a dog at the bedside of the person
who is dying, that his eyes may rest upon
the animal at the last moment, and so
find comfort in the assurance that a
prompt escort is in readiness to convey
the soul to its everlasting abode. Such
protection, too, is, according to the Par
see belief Of the highest value; for as
soon as the soul arrives at the bridge
Tchinavat, fierce combat for its possess
sion takes place among the gods and the
unclean spirits. If the soul be pure and
good, then it is not only defended at this
dread crisis by other souls of like ma
ture, but rescued by the dogs that guard
the bridge. Another variation of the
same legend substitutes the COW in the
place OF the dog, and hence it was made
a religious ordinance of the Hindus that
the dying person should. during his last
moments on earth, take hold of the tail
of the cow. The corpse, too, was drawn
by cows to the funeral pile, and Il black
COW was led after it to the same spot, and
slaughtered there. The flesh of the ami
NAL, says Mr.. Kelly, twas heaped upon
the corpse as it lay on the pile, and the
hide was spread over all. Fire was then
applied, and when the flames rose high a
hymn was sung, in which the COW was
invoked to ascend with the deceased to
the land of the departed" Thus it is a
German notion. not yet extinct, that the
Milky Way is the COW path; and it is
still 4 popular superstition that Il COW
breaking into the yard betokens Il death
in the family. Reverting, however, to
the dog S bowling as a death omen, it is
interesting to trace this piece of folk lore
to its source in Aryan mythology, being
the survival of one of those numerous
legends that have been transmitted to us
by the stream of tradition from the dis
tant past. Although, therefore, but
relic of heather mythology, this super
stition still retains It's influence as a super
natural omen. As a plea, however, for
its prevalence even among the educated.
we might urge that it is not unnatural
for the mind, when unstrunS and over
balanced by the presence Of sickness and
impending death, to be oversensitive,
and to take notice of every little sound
and sight which may seem to. connect
themselves with its anxiety. Reviewing
very briefly the illusions to this Supersti-
ton in times gone by, we find it referred
to by Pausanian, who relates how, before
the destruction of the Messenians, the
dogs set up 4 tiercer bowling than they
were wont to do; and Virgil, speaking of
the Roman misfortunes in the Pharsalc
war, says:
Obsc@nique canes. importunaque volu.
cres,
sigma dabant.
Capitolinus narrates, too, how the dogs
by their bowling presaged the death of
Maximinus. At the present day this
widely known omen is found in every
part of almost every country. Thus, in
Germany, a dog bowling before house
portends death or a fire. If it bowls
along the highway, this is considered in
Westphalia as a certain token that flu
neral will soon pass by that way. The
same notion exists in Denmark. No
slight CONSERVATION was caused at Worth
ing, England. few years ago, bya New
fuundland dog, the property of a clergy
man in the neighborhood, lying down on
the steps of Il house and bowling piteous-
ly. refusing to be driven away, AS soon
rs it was known that i young lady, long
citement took place that the occurrence
reached the owner Of the dog, who came
to Worthing to inquire into the truth of
it. Unfortunately, however, for the
lovers of and believers in the marvellous.
it turned out that the dog had accident
ally been separated from his master late
in the evening, and had been seen run
ming here and there in search of him.
and bowling at the door of the stable
where he put up his horse, and other
places which he often visited in Worth
ing. 1t happened, also, that his master
had been in the habit of visiting the par
ticular house where the young lady had
apparent mystery. In the same way. in
deed, other similar instances of this sll-
perstiton might easily be cleared up. if
only properly investigated at the time.
Very nearly allied 10 the superstition
which recognizes a death omen in the
bowling of dog is that Of the spectral
hounds which are said to be occasionally
heard and seen in different parts of Eng
land and Wales. They are generally in
visible; but their fearful yelping. as it is
heard passing swiftly through the air,
resembles the fierce and angry note of
the blood hound. They are supposed to
be d" evil spirits hunting the souls of the
dead. or, ny their ,,iabolical yelping. to
betoken the speedy death of some per-
.,,, T., +bo Mouth tbav ora n, Hold i.tba