Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-12-06

Saperstitious belief extends from
away down behind the misty horizon
of the past 70 the pFesspssrisht mid
dag OF knowledge and progress. It's
past history Ii the world i frsighted
with horrors and barricades to the
light of knowledge. Referring 10 the
subject in one Of bis poems, sOuthey
says:
sss'TTs : history
Handed from ages adawn; a nurse tale,
Which childress oPsn'sy'd and snopss'd de-
And thus a. garrsiIous ignorance relates,
We learn It aud believe"
Negro superstition. however. il not
no ancient, and is almost purely Of
American origin. Much Of it was in
vented IN the cotton fields Of the
South, areund the blazing hearth FIRE
Of the old log cabin, or in the bogs
and swamps. where slaves were assem-
bIed at work or pastime. The me-
groes we're not alone in these beliefs,
for the spoor whites Of the South
eagerly believed in signs, forsbbdings
and dreauas, and do to this day in
common with q large majority Of the
cOlored people. From these Planta-
ton superstitiOns . class Of humbugs
sprang up. known as voudOO doctors
and coniurers, who bold the ignorant
in dread Of their mysterious arts and
against whose practice laws have been
passed in several of the southern
states. The following are some Of
these beliefs, colIated after extensive
conversation with the above classes:
The growing of hen at midnight
is q sure sign of death. If a rooster
retires to his roost with a hOarse voice
and crows in an unusual manner, it
Is regarded as the voice Of a hen, and
if anyone about the place is sick,
preparations are frequently made for
his funeral. If luckless hen should
at any time make an attempt at crow
ing. her head is instantly cut off TO
prevent the death of some person.
In connection with this class of uni
versal birds, the negroes recite the fol-
lowing couplet:
'De whistlin' woman an de CROWN hen,
Nebber Gums TO emmy good end"
Frogs, and particularly toads, play
an important part in southern super
stitions. The hearts Of ten toads made
into q stew will cause the effects of
conjuration. The hind legs Of frog
hung over the fireplace one week be-
fore Christmas, will bring plenty of
food and presents, and the large eye
balls of a water-frog, or "blood-nOnn,"
as they are called, worn as breast
pin, will keep his satanic majesty at
q respectable distance from the wear
er.
The weird jackie lanterns which
bob up in the boys Of the South, du-
ring dark nights, are regarded as
ghOStly appsritions and indicate the
presence of white-sheeted spooks. The
average plantation negro or white will
dash wildly toward home on the APP
Pearance of a jack-o-lantern before
them. Indeed. it is very difficult
matter to get one of the above classes
out Of doors after sunset under any
circumstances.
The FIRST appearance Of frost is anx-
iously watched for, and its pretty for
nations eagerly scanned. The glis-
tening pictures must be observed
when tlss sun rises. The silver pic
lures thus seen in the first frost of
the season are regarded as illustra-
tiOns of your fate A coffin means
death: flowers, q wedding; money,
riches; birds. long life, and stars,
sickness.
The approach Of "coon" or "pos-
sum coming toward your house in
the day time is a very bad omen.
The corn6eld bard says Of this rare
occurrence:
when de coon Gums ont
In de lroad daylight.
Some person will die
Befo' dat mite 70
It is also regarded as bad sign to
kill an even number of these animals,
and If upon the reassembling Of a
party after q moonlight hunt it is
found that an even number has been
tagged, the party will hunt for hours
20 capture or kill another animal,
and TINS make the number odd.
Plenty Of rabbits in the stubble and
surrounding fields indicate a large
ana:healthy crop the next season.
A white crow is a harbinger of
death and disease, and the appear
ance Of one Of these birds in a neigh
bOrhoOd will cause the entire negro
population 30 turn out with their old
ssnt.ukako and kho l,.~f-l..- IL