The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-07-24

thought, feeling and belief, but through
them much OF the inner history of a
people can often be traced. Ireland is pc
culiarly rich in those forgivable vagaries.
A profound book might be written upon
them. Such a book would have much
chronological and SOCIOLOGICAL value. In
single article the merest reference to the
quaint things discoverable on this line
OF study among the Irish people can
only be made. For in less than a
years contact with the peasantry Of
Ireland the number of these odd things
secured has been astonishing; but an in
teresting fact at least to myself has been
the gradual change in my own supersti
ton regarding Irish superstitions. When
/ first began setting them down. l confess
that they often seemed of a very savage
and grewsome character. But | gradually
came to know that however grim-visaged
the face Of the one Confidlng the weird as
sertion OF uncanny belief, that secretly
the masses of the peasanJry secuted and
hOuted them all, save those of a tender
and winsome character. Indeed among
the most unlearned Of the peasantry there
Is an exquisite vein of brightness better
than wit and more palpable than humor
which, rejecting the essential slavery OF
superstitious practices. insists on retaining
the pleasure OF subscribing to the super
stitions themselves. Thus the quaint and
weird things which might seem unac-
countable and often repulsive to US, have
become, in lien of book-lore, folk-and-
freside-lore, out Of which endless enter
tainment Is secured; and underneath
much of this there is a deep and earnest
tenderness such as all hearts know for
many things without apparent reason,
that grow into life from ancestry, oft-re-
peated hcmeside tale, beloved custom, and
that mysterious hallOwing which comes
upon changeless places and objects TO men,
The single superstition OF which every
one has heard. and which is almost uni
versal in Ireland is of the banshee. Beam
sl65e Is the Irish name for this wonderful
creature, and it literally means the
woman Of the fairy mansions Her
Office is to announce a coming death. For
several nights she appears, sometimes as a
radiant maiden sometimes as q decrepid
old woman with long flowing hair, and
walls her plaintive lamentations for
the approaching death. If the de-
mise is to occur by natural all
ment, the 'keening' OF the banshee
Is simply measured and pathetic;
10 be associated with il, then her lamenta-
tions.are loud and clamorous But she is
easily disturbed and vexed, and If ever
frightened away, Viii never return during
the same generation. This would be a
calamity; for, while the Irish banshee
favors no particular class, caste or religion,
she only comes to families of long and re-
spectacle line. She comes as a friendly
spirit to these, not as an inimlcal one, and
10 be known as a family deserving and
possessing her pathetic guardianship is
regarded as honor OF a very tender and
sacred character. Many truly believe the
banshee to be the spirit OF some former
member OF the family. In Munster there
is powerful queen OF the banshee. Her
name IS CliOdhna or Cleena, and her pow
eTiul spells are well known to the peas
antry Of the south.
The coach-a-bower or "death-coachr
seems 10 stand in something the same re
latlon 10 the peasantry as the banshee.
This is a black hearse with white plumes
OF human hair, and is always drawn by
the skeletons OF departed friends. 1t passes
the house by night; in some instances
thrice encircles It; and Che creaking OF its
wheels may be plainly heard. This is
certain token OF impending death, and
where the family has not the hardihood
among its neighbors to claim superior pos
session Of a banshee. the "death-coach"
viii pretty generally he found as its sub
stitute
The weird superstitions concerning the
dead are many. Every twelfth night the
dead walk. They sit, too, upon every tile
o. the house waiting to be freed from pur-
gatory By prayer. The most potent charm
known 10 those given over body and soul
70 superstition, Is the hand OF an unbap-
tlzed babe, taken from the grave in the
name OF the evil one The hand Of a
murderer so taken is also very powerful
The magic or charm of these are in the
uncanniest directions. 4 lighted candle
Or "spiinteT" can never be extinguished
IN such a hand; and wherever it is placed
at night all near it must sleep the sleep Of
the dead until IL is taken away. Gar
ments and other articles which
have come in contact with the dead
are very eficaCious in disease. Candle
ends used at wakes are highly priced for
scalds and burns. Over in COnnamara TO
this day a funeral procession on its way
70 church will halt at some distance away
and cast together a huge pile of stones.
This IS a trick on the evil one. The latter
on his way after the soul stops at the heap
and rummages within II, searching long
and carefully, and poor Pat, the deceased,
has been IN this way given little adyan-
tage IN the race in the territory OF the
"Bevant" The last one buried in a
chUrch-yard IS believed to do all manner
OF mental service for those having been
previously buried. This accounts for
the otherwise inexplicable bloody fights
when two funerals happen to come to the
burial place 81 the same time. An AMIGA
bic adjustment OF such difficulty is to have
every spadeful of earth turned at the same
instant and the bodies simultaneously in
TERED. The dead are believed TO have
the bitterest experiences il buried at any
distance from their homes while living
and this belief Is SO fixed that the keen
anguish of the aged in leaving their
neighborhoods IL largely accounted
for. When abroad at night one never
turns at the sound of footsteps behind.
For these are often those of the dead hun
geriug for human companionship, and
their glance is fatal. When the dead are
sent back to the earth with messages an
nouncing other deaths, they are them
selves thus released from purgatOrv.
When a corpse retains animal heat over
long, another member of the family is to
die within the year. Death Omens OF a
minor character such as the bowling of a
dog with ITS head toward the house for a
near, and away from the house for dis.
tant relative, the croaking of ravens, ring
ing in the ears, March roosters Growing