The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-12-28
SHOE SUPERSTITION,
Singular Notions REGARDING the
Shoe as an Omen OF Good Luck.

1
From The sasea.
In Norf,ik. whenever servants arr
going after n.w situations, q sine
lis thrown after them. with the wi>l
iha, they may succeed in what they
are going about. SDme wears ago
when vessel. engaged ia the Green
land wha.r fishery left Whi,ty. ia
York Shirc. tie wive, ard friends %
the sai.,r. threw oil shoes nj TN.
ships rs they pissed the pieri.eat.
This practice is frequently observes
an town. ON the SEA cpast. and eur
respondent IT Notes aid z ieries In.
forms " that ON one nccas;pn, when Il,
Swansea, he received sho. an the
shoulder. which was intended Fur Il
young sailor leaving home to embark
upon trading voysge.
As an emblem Of COED luck and
prosperity, an old shoe is in mo-,
places thrown with much enthusiasm
at n brI,lal couple. Various explana.
tons. howvcr. have been assigned fer
this popular custom. Some think j,
was originally intended as a sham
assault. ON the Drisleer ON ior carving
oH the bride. Ofh-T.. again, consi,!-
er iha. the shoe was in former times u
~ mbpl ut Remuneration ut dominion
snd authority over her by her father
ar guardian; and the receiD; of the
shoe bv the bridegroom, even if acci-
dental. was an one9 that the author
iiy was transferred Ia him. Thus, in
the Bible, the receiving ut shoe vas
az evidence and symbol o.a.seriing Or
accepting dominion or ownership.
the giving back the shoe tine symbol
%. rejecting or re>igning it. IN Deut-
eronomv. Tor example, the Ceremony
of a widow r,jec,ing her husbands
brother in marriage is by losing his
shoe from off his foot; and in Ruth
we find that I'll was the cu,i"m in
Israel concerning changing iia; a
man alucked of his shoe and deliver
ed il to his nei:hb,r."
In some parts If Kent tire manner
oi shoe-ihrowiug il somew ha: curious
II sPpears that after the departure ci
the bride and bridegroom the single
ladies' are drawn UP in one row ard
the bach, lors in another. When thus
arranged. an old shoe is thrown far
,"s,i'..c. which the iniies run Tor. the
winner being supposed to have the
first chance If marriage. She then
throws the shoe NJ the gentlemen.
when the frs: who gets it Is believed
io have the same chance Of matrimo-
ny. Vain. in his History IT the
l.le If Man. alluding Ia this custom,
tells us tina, zen the bridegroom leav-
in, his house j, WIS customary To
throw an old shoe after him. and in
like manner an old shoe after the
bride on leaving her home to proceed
To- church. To iu-ur. good luck To- each,
respectively. II. too, by s;rateeem.
either Of the brides shoes crui.! he
taken oh by any spectator on her way
tram church, il had to be ransomed by
the bridegroom" In Yorkshire the
ceremony Of shoe-ihrowing was known
rs "thrasainy. and the Older the She
the greater the luck. X fe-ring To
the Continent. The Germans have n
custom of throwing the brides shoe
among :he guests at the wedding.
The person who succeeds in getting i,
is supposed to have every prospect Of
4 speedy marriage.
The bride and bridegroom also
sirew dill and salt in their shoes rs a
agsias. wi;chcraft. Among
The Pcruvisns. it was formerly cus-
,u,InIy. when man wi-he'; TO marry. |.
To 90 20 in. lady's house, waeu. ;w;in
her fathers consent. he pu, on her
ion, o particular kind q; shoe. IN
which he led her TO his hcne Ii she |
hrd never been married isef,re. the |
shoe WAS Of woo! (; il a widow, it WIS !
pt .ush.
Many auguries are still gathered
from shoes. rhus. in Drcet-h,rs
and other paris. girls use their shu-s
Is means If diviIing who their fa-
Iure husbands are to BE-. At night,
IN going TO bed. a girl places her
.ho,s AT right angles on one another
n the form OF I, repeating the fol-
owing rhyme:
Hoping this nigh; nv true love 10 see,
I place nv si,o,-- IN the inrm cf T.
Among the vario'.s charms in which
he shoe has been found highly ei;ica-
;ous may be men,i"ned one practised
:, the north Of England, where the
to cure cramp. We're in the
'abit o' laying their shines acruss to
vert it Mr.. Latham, in his ''Wesi
sussex Supersii;inns.' published in
he Folk Lore Record" 39), tell
Is Of al old woman who wss at com.
'lete loss to understand why her rheu-
natism "was SD unconmon bad, Tor
he had put her shoes in the form ofa
rnss every night by the side Of her
'ed ever since she felt the FIRST
winge." A cure for ague. in the
anne country. consists in wearing q
eaf If tSnsv In the shoe