Smyrna times., 1888-09-19
LEGENDS OF INSECTS.
WHAT POPULAR SUPERSTITION
SAYS ABOUT THE BUSY BEE.

SAYS ABOUT THE BUSY BEE.
A HindoO TraditiOn-Stolen Bees in HOl-
land-Flies and Fleas-Gnats, Ants and
Criclkets-The Dainty Lady Bird--Dlvl-
nation.
No members of the animal kingdom are
regarded by most persons with greater
aversion than certain insects and reptiles.
The folk lore of these branches of that
kingdom is therefore a very extensive
one. 1t frequently assigns to the min
utest members of the insect tribe consid-
erable power for good or evil, and pOpu-
lar tradition even anticipated scientific
discovery in the matter of insect intelH-
gence.
Popular superstition has concerned
itself much about that busy little insect,
the bee. A Welsh tradition says bees
came from paradise, leaving the garden
when man fell, but with Gods blessing,
so that wax is necessary in the celebra-
ton of the mass. The ancients gener-
ally maintained that there was a close
connection between bees and the soul.
POrphyry speaks of ''those souls which
the ancients called bees"
There is q Hindoo superstition that the
Rakshas or demons keep their souls in
the bodies of bees. Many persons accord
unusual intelligence to bees. They are
said in parts Of England and Francej to
revere the consecrated wafer. They are
also said to sing a Christmas hymn, be-
ginning at midnight. They are said never
to thrive in O quarrelsome family, nor
will they stay with you if you quarrel
about them or in their presence. 1t is a
custom in many parts of England and the
continent to announce to the bees death
in the family, especially that of the mas
ter. 1t is said in many parts of England
and Germany that if a swarm of bees set
tie on the dead branch of a live tree q
death will occur in the family within q
year. Stolen bees are said in Holland
never to thrive. In some places in Eng
land it is thought unlucky to sell them.
They are given away for another gift.
Flies are sometimes regarded as fur
nishing representations of the weather
and even of other events. WilsfOrd, an
old naturalist, who writes much of popu
lar import, says: eff they are buster OF
binder than ordinary, sporting in the
sun or showing themselves in warn
places, it may be taken as a sign of hail
cold showers of rain or wet weather.
E1GdS are llOb LOO BAlldl- W GulCI 4A4LN
popular lore. An abundance of them in
dicates rain, here and in England. Theil
eager biting also prognosticates wet wea
ther. These tormenting insects are no
without their benefits, according to tn
English fishermen, for they consider tina
an abundance of them indicates goo,
| hauls of fish.
Gnats are regarded by many as accurat
weather indicators. Fair weather is sal
to be coming when they fly about i
clouds in the suns beams heat follow
unusual friskiness, and rain is indicate
by their seeking the shade and bitin
fiercely. An abundance of these insect
in the spring fOretells a warm autumn.
Since the days of Solomon the ant ha
enjoyed quite reputation as a worker
Mohammedans recognize its industry, an
accord it a place among the ten animal
that alone enter Paradise. Without mel
tioning his authority, Emerson says,
Mature, that they never sleep. Ant
eggs were of old an antidOte for love.
is said that they close their holes in til
| ground on the approach of q storm.
they are unusually frisky wet weather
at hand The migration of ants from 10
| ground is said to indicate heavy rains, an
stormy weather is imminent when the
travel in lines, fair weather coming whe
they scatter abroad.
Superstition has been very busy wit
that common household insect, the cricke
Its lively and cheerful chirp has caused
to be generally viewed with favor 1t
usually regarded as a good omen
England and Scotland. In Hull it is Ill
lucky to kill them, and in Lancashire,
is said, they cut holes in the worstC
stockings of those members Of a fami
that kill them. In Shakespeare's time tn
notion that the presence of the crick
was a good omen, indicating cheerfulne
and plenty, was a prevalent one.
The little insect commonly known
the lady bird or lady bug has been the 0
ject of many superstitious observance
Its name indicates it's sacred character,
being everywhere the Virgins bird, t
lady COW, the lady fly, the lady's lit
beast, Mary's bird, Gods calf, etc. You
, girls, on finding one, try to divine the
lovers by it. The flight of the insect
dicates the direction in which the lov
is to be sought. German peasants al
try to divine from its fight how they W
fare in the next world. If, on being a
pealed to, it flies upward, they will go
heaven; if downward, to hell, or if no
1 0NAeoAAJ1 eAASA Hu4 SoSOA H"oAIo IA4O III
tioner.
The insect,l1nown as ''granddaddy lo
legs" is thought in this country to p,
sess some mysterious knowledge. CI
dren, on seeing it, ask it, "Granddad
long legs, where's my cow?" believing IL
it will indicate the proper direction
raising one of it's legs.
Spider superstitions are also abundal
d They should not be killed. Spaniards,
g the Sixteenth century, believed Il
: spiders indicated gold, where they W
found in abundance. In Germany, il
said to indicate good luck to have spi
- spring his web downwards toward y
but bad luck when he rises toward Y
There are said to be no spiders in Irela,
nor will spiders spin their web in an II
. oak, nor on a cedar roof. S. Bassett
Globe-Democrat.