The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-07-21
Superstitions About Cats.

In ireland it is CO.'S cred highly un-
lucky for a family kf1'zsSe with them :
cat when they are nlefiqg, more espe-
ciallv. too. when they we to cross a
river. Mr.. Gregor & 3teNs us that in
the northeast of Seq ad, if cow or
other domestic amin was seized with
dNpase, one mode Of are was to twist a
RON of straw the cqlls<4rY way. ioin the
twd ends. and put'y diseased animal
Though the loop aIpk8 with cat. Bv
tbis means the dis&tS< sf;ss ssunnosed n,
be transferred to i,ts eat. and the ami
mails lie was5so san |7y the cat. DIVING
This. of course wasBHly ore of the e2-
teilsiye charms of Ffll2h the leading idea
was that>of su5sti Hfion. A remedy feA
erysipelas, lately ts.ifsed in the parish
of Locharron, in Northwest High
lands. consisted iessttiDg OF one-half
of the ear of csiS aitd lifting the blood
drop on the pad afieefed Abiding,
moreover,vte NJ 4tlfe J, aer4siterns
OF folklore in connection with the cat,
there Is popular Aotion that a May cat
"a cat born in the month of Mays of
no use for catching rats and mice. but
eXeIts an injurious influence on the house
through bringing into it disagreeable
reptiles of various kinds Mrs Latham,
in her West Sussex Superstitions. is
supposed ito be inclined to melancholy,
and to be much addicted to catching
snakes and bringing them into the house.
l had heard that this west country be-
lief existed in or village; and, very
lately, observing a most detected looking
cat by the fire in a cottage, said, in jest,
i should think that cat was born in
May. 20, yes, said the owner of it,
that she was, and so was her mother;
and she was Just as sad looking, and was
always bringing snakes and vipers within
doors. " In Huntingdonshire there is
q common saying that "a May kitten
makes dirty cat" This supposed Ill
luck attaching to a cat born in the month
OF May is no doubt founded on the old
notion that May was an unfortunate sea-
son Tor births of any kind, in allusion to
whica there IS an old proverb which says:
Nav chefs
Bad luck begets.
According to a curious notion. still ex-
tensively credited by our north-country
peasaniTy black cats are supposed to
bring not nly good luck, but also lovers
lin Illustration of which we may quote
weIl-knowi rhyme on the subject:
Whenever tle eat o the house is black.
Inc IlSseS overs viii have no lack.
Mr.. Hendersoq, IN speaking of this
superstition, tells Is that an old north
country women on one occasion said to
a lady, Its ma vonder jocks
lasses marry off so fat, We ken what a
Draw black eat they We got" 1t is con-
sidered unlucky to dre.m of a eat. a
piece of folklore prevalest in Germany.
where if one dreams of black cat at
i n, ,,,,,or, of
inc illness during the fOlloNinD year
Equally unfortunate. too, is it sor n cat
to sneeze, this act being supposed to in
dicate that the family viii have colds.
Thus. we are informed by Mrs Labam
that in Sussex, . even the most fa,ored
cat, if heard to sneeze, is instantly hut
ont of doors; for should she stay to
repeat the sneeze three times indooIs.
nlse whole faulilK>1IlA Ia colds ssao
.uohs -ezs s,res,.s, '-4ss,- -
tioll l;ssfs-Se hich the cad heldSd sfeiniTIkslis
place: and an amusing one, current in
the north of England, we may quote in
conclusion: A gentleman was one even
ino sitting costly in his parlor, reading
or meditating, when he was Interrupted
bv the appearance of a cat, which came
down the chimney and cried out, Tell
Dildrrm Doldrum' deadr' He was not
unnaturally startled by this strange oc-
c1rrence: and when shortly after his
wife entered. and he related to her what
had happened, her own eat which accom-
panied her. exclaimad, rs Doldrum
dead?n and Immediately rushed up the
chimney. and was heard of no more.
OF the numberless conjectures stated TO
account for this extraordinary event, the
most reasonable one appears TO be that
Doldrum had been king of Catland, and
that Dildrum was the next helr.-Oe's-
Hemau's Magazine.