Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-01-18
ABOUT PINS.

A singular superstition regarding the
pin is prevalent among the people Of the
North of England.
When asked for q pin, they invariably
say, "You may take one, but, mind, l
do not give it." 1t may, perhaps, have
some connection with the vulgar preju-
dice against giving a knife or other
sharp instrument, as mentioned by Gray
in shepherds Week :"
But woe is me lsuch presents luckless prove,
For knives, they tell me, always sever love
-asuperstition as popular now as in d US
gone by.
Again, it appears from the records OF
witchcraft that pins were lagely used in
particular species of supposed sorcery.
Thus, whenever a witch or malevolent
individual wished to carry out her i'll
natured designs, she made clay image
of the person she intended to harm, bap-
TIED the said image with the name OF
the party whom it was meant to repre-
sent, and then stuck it full Of pins or
burned it. AS the figure wasted, so the
person Represented in like manner vast
ed away. By this means Mary de Medi-
els and her favorite, Leonora Concini,
were suspected Of practicing against the
life of Lewis XIII. of France. In the
reign, too, of King Henry VI, the
Duchess of Gloucester was accused OF q
similar practice. Shakespeare alludes 10
this superstition, and in Richard III"
(Act Ill, SceAe ~ makes the Duke Of
Gloucester say to Hastings:
| Then be your eyes the witness Of their evil
See how am bewitched; behold mine arm
Is, like blasted saplng, withercd up;
| And this Is Edwards wife, that monstrous witch,
| Consorted with that harriet, strpmpet Shore,
That by their witchoraft thus have marked me.
At Amreem, in North Germany, o
man lay for long time sick in bed, and
nothing afforded him relief. Mean
while, q miller observed from his mill
that woman was daily in the habit Of
going to the Donkkam." One day he
followed her footsteps, and on digging
in the sand found a little waxen image
Of man with pin stuck through the
heart. He drew out the pin, took the
image home and burned it. From that
hour the man began to recover. The
same superstition is found in India. A
sorceress falls in love with Prince,
who rejects her advances. In revenge
she surprises him in coming out Of the
bath, draws bag from her girdle, and
blows on it; shower of pins fly out
which stick all over the body of thu
Prince, and he forthwith becomes insen
sible. Many years afterward, Princess
losing her way in the jungle, discovers 4
ruined city and palace. She enters thu
palace, sees the Prince extended on {
couch, pulls the pins out Of his body
and thus destroys the spell.
Pins have been largely used as charms
and also for purposes Of divination
Thus. as an illustration Of their forme
use, we may mention the following case
I At Derby, on July Is, 1873, Beniami
Hudson was found guilty Of having nun
!, dered his wife, and was sentenced to b
!, hanged. In the murdered woman
s pocket a purse was found, which cor
!. tanned some pins, and piece of pape
n on which the deceased had written:
n 1t is not these pins mean to burn,
u But Ben Hudson's heart mean to turn
d Let him neither eat speak, 6sjnk, nor comfort fn'
(, Tillhe comes to me and 81 Is his mind.
;, Despite their quar- 8 and iealousies,
n would seem that they had a certai
E, strong affection for each other, and tn
IL object Of the charm YVES no doubt t
! regain her husbands love. In som
i countries o similar charm is frequentl
o. resorted to by some unmarried pcrso
/ to compel the love of another
e. turn the heart" Of the indifferent one.
" In divination, pins are general
II dropped into wells; and omens gathere
d from the direction in which they fal
ID In the North of England there are I'll
l. wishing wells" into which, if the pas
g. l. ers-by only drop crooked pin ar
breathe their wish, they may rest a
IL. sured of its fulfllment.