The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-09-19
TOAD LORE.
sUPERsTITIoNs CONCERNING
THIS REPTILE
Given an Odious Reputation in the
Mythology Of All Races-Medt-
eval Legends-The Miser
and the Toads.

The personal appearance of the toad
is such as to have given it bad place in
the mythology of all races, says G. g.
Leland. The Algonkin Indians-who,
like Napoleon and Slawkenbergius, were
great admirers of men with fine bold
noses-after having studied the plane
physiognomy of the toad, decided that
it indicated all the vices, and made of
the creature the zzother of all the;
witches. Nothing could have been
more condemnatory; since in their re-
ligion-as in that of the Acadians, Laps
and Eskimos-a dark and horrible sor-
Gerry, in which witches conciliated evil
spirits, was believed to have preceded
their own nobler Shamanism, by which:
these enemies of mankind were forced
or conquered by magic. Once the Great
Toad had, as she thought, succeeded in
organizing a conspiracy by which Gloos-
kap, the Shamanic god of Nature, was to-
be destroyed. Then he passed his hand
over her face and that of her fellow con-
spirator. the Porcupine; and from that
time forth their noses were fiat, to the
great scorn of all honest wcll-beaked
Indians. .-,..... III ~
The old Persians made the toad the
symbol and pet of Ahriman, the foe Of
light, and declared that his CharJsster,
or attendant demons, took that form
when they prosecuted Ormuzd. Among
the Tyro!ese it is type of envy; whence
the proverb, "Envlous az toad" In
the middle ages, among artists and in
many church legends, it appears as greed
or avarice; there is even to this day, in
some mysterious place on the right bank
of the kline between Laufenberg and
Binzgau, pile of Goals on which sits q
toad. That is to say, Goals they seem to
the world. But the pile is all pure gold,
and the toad guards it.; and he who
knows how can pronounce q spell which
shall ban the grim guardian. And there
is story told by Mcneil that long ago
there lived in Cologne wicked miser,
who when old repented and wished to
leave his money to the poor. But when
he opened his great iron chest he found
that every coin in it had turned to Q
horrible toad with sharp teeth. This
story being told to his confessor, the
priest saw in it divine retribution, and
told him that God would have none Of
his money-nay, that it would go hard
with him to save his soul. And he. being
willing to do anything to be free Of sin.
was locked up in the chest with the
toads; and 10! the next day when it
was opened the creatures had eaten him
up. Only his cleau-picked bones re-
mained. ....-.-.3 I. ~
But in the Tyrol it is believed that the
toads are themselves poor sinners, under
going penance for deeds done in human
form. Therefore they are regarded with
pity and sympathy by all. The geneaal
belief Is that toads are, for the most part,
| people who made vows to 60 on pill,
grimages, and died with the VOWS nm
| fulfilled. So the poor creatures 60 hop
| ping astray, bewildered and perple1ed,
striving to find their way to. shrines
which have perchance long since ceased
to exist. Once there was toad who
took seven years to go from LETTERS to
Weissenstein; and when the creature
reached the church it suddenly changed
to resplendent white dove, which, flying
up to heaven, vanished before the eyes Of
q large company there assembled, who
bore witness to the miracle. And one
day as WAGNER was going from Inns
bruck to Seefeld, as he paused by the
wayside, toad came hopping up and
seemed to be desirous of getting into
the wagon; which he, being 9 benevo-
lent man, helped 1t to do. and gave it .
place on the seat beside him. There 1t
sat like any other respectable passenger
until they came to the side path which
leads to the church of See6eld, when,
wonderful to relate, the toad suddenly
turned to maiden of angelic beauty.
clad in white, who, thanking the
wagner for his kindness to her when
she was but poor reptile, told him she
had. once been a young g lady who had
vowed pilgrimage to the church OF See-
field. But as needless maids often DO,
abe had put it off from time to time till
she died. But now, by his help, her
soul was saved. And, saying this. she
too winged her way ito the joyous
realm where the pure dwellers are"
In common with the frog, the toad 10
an emblem of productiveness, and ranks
among creatures which are types OF erotlc
passion. I have in my possession .
necklace of rudely made silver toads OF
Arab workmanship, intended to be worn
by women who wish to become mothers;
Therefore, the creature, in the old worio
as well as in the new, appears as being
earnestly seeking the compau onshlp OF
men. Thus it happened to youth OF
Aramsach, near Kattenberg, that, being
one day in lonely place By lake, there
looked up at him from the water being
somewhat like maid but more like q
hideous toad, with whom he entered into
conversation; which be anne at last
friendly and agreeable. for the strange
creature talked exceeding we'll. Then
she thinking he might he hungry, ASKED
him if he would fain have anything IN
particular to eat. He mentioned IN jest
q kind of cakes: whereupon diving into
the lake she brought some up. which ne
ate So he met her many times; and
whenever he wished for anything, no
matter what, she got it for h m from the
waters. the end Of it all being 'hIt, de-
spite her appalling ugliness, the youth
fell in love with her and offered marriage,
to which she joyfully consented. But
no sooner had the ceremony been per.
formed iu med than she changed to lady OF
wonderful beauty; and, taking him by
the hand. she conducted him to the lake,
into which she led him, and "ln this life
thew were seen never more" This legeno
evidently properly belongs to frog lore.
According to one version, the toad after
marriage goes to a lake, washes away her
ugliness, and returns as a beauty WIN
Io L-;aaa-oon, To his castle. where they