Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-12-07
THE FOLK LORE OF CATS.
sUPeRSTiTloNS ABOUT PuSS RE-
LlGIOUSLY HELD BY MANY.
Some Of the Peculiar Beliefs of Jack Tar.
The Cat Used TO Cure OF Transfer Dis
ease-The Black Cat sure to Bring Low
ers to the Lassie.

ease-The Black Cat sure to Bring Low
ers to the Lassle.
Cats have the reputation Of being
weatherwise. an old notion which has
given rise TO a most extensive folk lore.
1t Is almost universally believed that
cal washes herself. hut bad when she
ticks her coat against the grain. or wash
es her face over her ear. or sits with her
tail TO the fire. AS, too, the raj Is sup
posed not only To have a good knowledge
of the state of the weather. but a certain
share in the arrangement of it. it is con
sidered by sailors to be most unwise to
provoke it. Hence they do not much
like to see a cat on board at all, and when
one happens TO be more frisky than usual
they have "a popular saying that 1.-The cat
has got a gale Of wind in her tail.
A charm often resorted to for raising
a storm is TO throw a cat overheard; but,
according to a Hungarian proverb. as a
cat does not die in water, its paws dis
turb the surface; hence the flaws on the
surface Of the water are nicknained by
sailors eats paws" In the same way,
also. a larger furry of the water Is a
eats skin:" and in some parts Of Eng
land a popular name for the stormy
northwest wind Is the seats nose
GERMAN sUPERsTrTIoNs.
Among other items of weather lore rs
ISOLATED with the cat, there is "A supersti-
ton in Germany that. ii 1t rains when
womenshave a large washing on hand, II
is an infallible sign that they have a
spite against them. owing 70 their not
having treated these animals well. We
may also compare the Dutch idea that a
rainy wedding day results from the
brides not feeding her cat; whereas. in
the valleys Of the Tyrol, girls who are
fond Of cats are said always 10 marry
early. perhaps. as Mrs. Busk remarks.
IAN evidence that household virtues are
appreciated in them by the men" Once
more, there is a German belief that any
one who. during his lifetime, may have
made cats his enemies is certain to be
accompanied to the grave amidst storm
of wind and rain.
Apart. however, from the weather
lore superstitions associated with the cat
there is an extensive class Of other be-
liefs, as, for instance. those relating to
folk medicine. Thus, in Cornwall. the
little gatherings which come on chill
dren's eyelids. locally termed "whilks."
are cured by passing the tail of a black
cat nine times over the part affected. AS
recently as the year 1867, in Pennsylva-
MIA, a woman was publicly accused OF
witchcraft for administering three drops
Of a black cats blood to a child as a rem
edy for Group. She admitted the fact,
but denied that witchcraft had anything
to do with it, and twenty witnesses were
called to prove its success. Again, lin
many regions" we are told by Mr.. Con
way. "a three colored cat protscts against
fire, and a black cat cures epilepsy and
protects gardens"
Formerly in Scotland, when a family
removed from one house to another. the
cat was always taken. n reason being
that it served as a protection against dis
ease. Indeed, before a member OF the
family entered the new abode, the cat
was thrown into it. There was a super
stitious notion that, il a curse or disease
had been left on the house, the cat be-
came the victim and died. to the saving
of the family's lives. 1t is curious, how
ever. to find the opposite practice kept
up in Ireland, where it is considered
highly unlucky for a family to take with
them a cat when they are moving.
more especially. too, when they have to
cross q river.
IN TIMES OF ILLNESS.
Mr.. Gregor also tells US that, in the
northeast of Scotland, If a Gov or other
domestic animal was seized with disease,
one mode of cure was to twist a rope of
straw the contrary way, join the two
ends, and put the diseased animal
through the loop along with a cat. BY
this means the disease was supposed to
be transferred to the cat, and the ami
mails life was so saved by the cat dying.
This, of course, was only one of the ex-
tensive charms of which the leading idea
was that of substitution.
A remedy for erysipelas lately prac-
tlCeu III tie pdiioh VI LotAaiAShs IL WIG
northwest highlands, consisted in cutting
of one-half of the ear of acat and letting
the blood drop on the part affected.
Abiding, moreover, to the numerous
other items Of folk lore in connection
with the cat, there is o popular notion
that . May cat--a cat born In the month
of Mays or no use for catching rats
and mice, but exerts an injurious infiu-
ence ON the house through bringing into
il ~disagreeable reptiles of various kinds.
Mrs. Latham. in her West Sussex SUI
perstitions," says that q May cat is sup
posed Ito be inclined to melancholy. and
to be much addicted to catching snakes
and TO bringing them into the house"
had heard that this west country belief
existed in our village; and, very lately,
observing a most detected looking cat by
the fire in a cottage, said In jest: II
should think that cat was born in May"
"Oh, YES" said the owner Of 1t; that
abe was, and so was her mother; and she
was Just as sad looking. and was always
bringing snakes and vipers within doors
Mr.. Henderson, speaking OF this super
stition, tells us that an old north country
woman ON one occasion said to . lady;