Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-08


Detection of Changeiihgs.
As soon as the babe is ushered into the |
world, host Of superstitious observances |
surround 1t, In many countries, for its enc |
mics are many. Aside from its natural foes,
disease, teething collie and the like, there is a |
widespread belief in unseen foes, fairies.
witches, and the COLLINS that terrify the
mother long before the child is susceptible of
fright at their bare mention The greatest
danger is that the fairies will in an un-
guarded moment, exchange the healthy,
mortal child for one OF their puny offspring.
Mothers in every European country fear
this, and various devices are adopted to pre-
vent such an undesirable exchange Such
precautions have reference also to other evil
spirits which may harm the infant, and espe-
clally to the influence of the evil eyen
All these influences are especially potent
before the child is christened and it is at this
early period of its existence that measures
are taken to thwart all these evil influences.
In Denmark, salt, bread and iron are placed
in the cradle, and it is thought necessary in
Scotland to put iron in the bed with the
mother, that she may be protected also. In
be taken, it is still thought dangerous to
leave the child alone in the house, for fear
lest the 'korrigan" will carry it off. In
modern Greece the mother, before putting
the child in its cradle, turns three times
around before the fire while singing her
favorite song, to warp away evil spirits.
THE SPANISH CUSTOM
| In Spain, the child's face is swept with
| pine tree bough, key is hung up before the
cradle, or fennel seed or bread and cheese are
hung about its neck A coral necklace that
has been stepped in the baptisinal font is
| equally eticacious The Turks load the child
with amulets as soon as it is born, and a
small bit of mud, well STEPPED in jar of hot
water, prepared by previous charms, is stuck
on Its forhhead. A small bit of red ribbon is
| all the Rouruanan infant reqcires to secure
| IL from harm, while the EstLonian mother
attaches bit OF asafUtida to the child's neck
Garlic, salt, bread and steak are first put in
the cradle of new born child IN Holland.
A sufficient preventive for an Irish babe is a
belt made Of woman's hair.
Inc following process was used in Scotland
TO render the child safe from evil influences:
| SISpence was borrowed from neichboJ.s n
tire was kIndled in the room, the door locked
and the child placed in u chair before the
fire. An old woman then placed in a table
spoonful OF water the sixnence and as much
salt as would dissolve She then stirred the
contents with her forefnger until the salt
was dissolved, after which She roistened the
soles of the child's feet and the palms of its
hands three times, gave it TO taste of the
water twice, and touched its head with her
!
skaith." The balance of the spoonful was
then thrown into the fire
TIE OPEN BIBLE
In some parts Of Scotland and Germany
an open Bible left with the child viii effec-
tually keep off the fairies Should an ex-
change Of infants be made by the fairies. the
Scotch mother has way of getting her own
child back She must carry the chanceliug
to fairy spot, or ring, in the field, or in
shady dell, where ''soughingn is frequently
heard, and she must also take with her butter.
milk, cheese and eggs. II these gifts disap-
pear after while, she may safely return
home, TO find her own child in the cradle. A
pair of tongs or knife put in the cradle
will satisfy the Welsh mother as to her
childs safety. The knife is also used in parts
OF England. In the Scotch highlands ash
sap will protect the child from all evil influ-
ences, as the ash is all powerful against
witches and such folk
In Wales, it is believed that chanpelings
may be detected by certain summary tests
Battle the child with solution of fox glove, or
hold it In shovel over the fire This last
test is said to have been applied as late as
1857. The changeling will die as a result of
either test. Fire is used in the same way in
Denmark, but the child is only Threatened
with the test, but the hot shovel is used in
Ireland. Whipping it or throwing it into
the water was deemed a sure test in Den
mark Luther believed in changelings, and
counseled the Prince of Anhalt to throw q
suspected child into the river.
A SINGULAR PREVENTIVE
But the most singular preventive of evil
to the babe is used in Thuringia, where the
fathers breeches are nailed against the wall
1t is odd that similar custom should exist
in China, where the trousers are fixed to the
bedpost so that the waist shall hang lower
than the legs, and on them is pinned piece
of red paper, with charm, sending all evil
evil influences into the trousers away from
the child
In Germany, as well as in Scotland, somt
article Of the fathers wardrobe is thrown
over the new born child, so that it will grow
strong. 1t ia bathed in salt water, in tn,
, latter counry, for a like reason. In York
shire it is thought essential to place the in
FAINT in the arms of maiden first of all TIL,
lights or fire IN the room where the child
| born must not, in Denmark, be permitted t
go out, or the child runs a risk of bein,
stolen.-F S. Bassett in Globe Democrat.
Salary of a Bull Fighter.
| uzI..l IT,