The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-29
Negro Superstition.

| trait in the negro character is supersti-
ton. 1t may be said that superstition is
the religion of the negro race. In the
older States of the South, especially
Virginia and North Carolina, this is en-
inently and conspiciously true. Some
of these superstitions are exceedingly
fanciful and poetic and it is a matter of
surprise to me that some observant native
Southerner of education has not long
ago given to the literature of the coun-
try volume on this subject 81.
A few examples may serve to exhibit
a palmer view of his character than any
learned treatise on physiology and evo-
luton by Darwin and his disciples.
If person passes through funeral
procession he will die before the oldest
person in that procession, but if he
waits until it has passed by before at
tempting to cross the road, he will out
live the youngest child in it.
If dog lies on his back and howls it
is sure sign of an early death in the
family.
If he wants to steal dog and this
propensity is an inherent weakness in
the negro blood generality he exercises
charm or spell which is as anus
ing as it is effectual He first en-
tees the animal by the temptation of a
bone to his cabin where, after being as
sured of its pacific disposition he ex-
tracts three hairs from the end of its
tail and burns them; then he measures
the tail with stick which he buries
under his cabin door; and finally he
takes piece of bacon skin or rind,
cuts it into the shape of the prevailing
moon Crescent or otherwise) toasts ii
slightly, rubs the dogs nose with it and
thea puts it into the heel of his shoe.
That dog will afterward follow that
negro wherever he may go, ignoring his
former master completely should they
ever chance to meet.
1t is well known among negroes that
forest snakes of all species when the
first autumnal frost comes crawl under
old dead logs, where they rest in coma
tose state during the winter. When the
first thunder comes in the spring they
turn over once in their beds, and the
next time it thunders they turn over
again, slough their old skin and issue
forth with renewed hide and vigor, in
pursuit of young rabbits and other small
fry game. 40 '.f F.
In the long drouths which often pre-
vail in the middle ATTITUDES the negroes
90 snake-hunting, and if they kill one or
more they hang the longest one up by
the head to the lower limb of tree near
est the field needing rain, and within
twenty-four hours cOpious and reviv-
ing shower is sure to fall
If a snake bites negro, he (the negro)
Immediately drinks pint of whisky Gf
he can get it) diluted with tablespoon
sober enough) he kills the first black
chicken, with white tail feathers, he can
catch, picks the white feathers out and
burns them Ga negro can perform no eff
fective spell without the aid of fire, } then
takes out the gizzard of the fowl, opens
it, swallows the sand found within, and
applies the raw meat to the wound. If
this remedy fails, and the snake happens
to be of a poisonous kind, the patient
either sends for doctor or gives up all
hope, and-dies.
If a screech-owl utters its doleful cry
at night near his cabin-door it is a GER
tain sign that an enemy with bloody
knife, great bottle of alcohol and a
small bag of live lizards is lurking near
to cast his spell of witchcraft over him,
and cause him to stumble and fall at the
critical moment when he is about to take
the young pig from his neighbours pen
or the sleeping hen from its nightly
rooSt.
If young negro has warts on hi
hands Gas many of them have by reason
of their fondness for padding in muddy
| in, of h,rl \ h, ;ol-,
up as many small pebbles as he has warts,
rubs each wart with separate pebble,
ties the pebbles up in a leather bag, with
a strip of dried eelskin, and goes at sun
rise to the nearest cross roads and drops
it in the middle of the path. The warts
by these means will be transferred from
his hands to those of the unlucky person
who happens to pick up the bag of peb-
bles, This is simple charm and worth
remembering.
If a negro starts on an errand, and
having forgotten his hat, or jacket, or
hunting knife, turns back for, it,
he first makes a cross mark in his
path with his left forefinger, and splits in
the cross or center-otherwise he is sure
to be haunted the following night by a
ghost in knee breeches and cooked hat.
with his throat cut from ear to ear. This
is also worth remembering and immita-
ing. ..t5.,
If a person has the shutters the sur
est remedy for that unpleasant affiiction
is to creep up behind him unawares and
knock him down with raw beef tongue
just taken from the animal by an unmar-
ried butcher not over twenty-one years
of age.
If he has the hiccoughs he looks al
the new moon without winking or tax
ing breath while he counts one hundred.
This is known to be an effectual remedy
at certain lunar stages, but of doubtful
efficacy at other times.
A total eclipse of the moon is a sure
forerunner of war; and meteoric dis
play the harbinger of famine and pesti-
lence.
These and a hundred others are the
harmless fantasms which the negro clings
to and believes in, and which go to form
the most prominent features Of his char
acter. ..
Negroes all believe strongly in ghosts,
of course, and you could no more induce
one of them to visit alone grave yard
at night than you could induce him to
d