The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-28
RUSSIAN SUPERSTITION,
INSTANCES CURIOUs IND HQRRF-
BILE From PEASANT ANN4LS.
How to Fix over D-resses-Points on
Hooks and Eyes-Flannel for the Wear
of Babies.

How to Fix over DresSes-f0tnys on
Hooks and Eyes-Flannel for the Wear
of Babies.
The Russians were the last European
race to be converted to Christianity, and
are still within a distance of heathenism
that is easily measured. 1t is, therefore,
little to be wondered at that a number Of
singular superstitions should still survive
among the ~peasantry rather like those
prevailing in France and England during
the Middle Ages. The Russian journals
are not much read in this country, but If
they were more within the linguistic re-
sources of English readers eager after
novelties they would be much astonished
at not a few items of news reported, Had
newspapers been published in a. d. l4OO
in London, they would, we fancy, nave
frequently chronicled similar events to
those we find recorded in the columns OF
the Russian press today. Since the time
of DRdalus flying men have been objects
of suspicion, and we should certainly adj
wise ~aeronauts to hesitate before making
an ascent in Russia.
Not many years ago a Russian noble
man made q balloon ascent n had the
misfortune to come down somewhere in
the Baltic provinces, where not even a
picture of a balloon had penetrated.
There was, of course, the chance of being
mistaken for q messenger of the gods and
honored in consequence, but the peasant
who inhabited the district where ne
alighted were apparently victims OF p,essi1
mism, and concluded he was the devil
descended from the sky to Dersecute
them. They did not stay to wonder what
the evil one was doing 50 far away from
his usual habitat. which is supposed to be
remote from the clouds; but in q state OF
mixed theologic and scientific Ignorance
the panic-stricken mob tore the aeronaut
to pieces. If a similar descent could
nave been made in Yorkshire 400 years
ago the aeronaut might have met with a
similar fate or have been regarded as a
messenger announcing the Divine WRATH
and the final dissolution of all things-a
panic to which the English people has
been peculiarly liable, This superstitious
terror about balloons, however, - an
amiable weakness when compared with
some other 1t was only a week or Two
ago that the Russian newspapers related
how q peasant had, with the approval OF
his neighbors, murdered his aged aunt
because he believed her to be a witch.
A still more revolving case oil superstl-
| ton was recently reported in the KGdkdz,
q leading Russian journal. The story
would be too horrible for belief IL the evil
dence were less circumstantial. An old
! peasant woman living neal Sookoom, IN
Caucasus, was suspected OF witchcraft.
| Beyond the infirmities of age, and per
haps of ill-temper. the unhappy wretch
was no doubt as innocent us the victims
of our own witch finders" were. Her
son died, and Immediately the rumor ran
that she had slain him with the assist
ance of the Evil One, whose cooperation
she had claimed. The neighbors sat in
Judgment over her and decided that she
Should be submitted to "the ordeal
by fre'-that is to say, she was to be
| burned and tortured in hope that she
would confess her supposed crime. Inc
terror of the poor old woman deprived
her of coherent speech. This was as
sumed to be proof of her guilt. She was
seized and tied to a pole and burned TO
death. What gives a still more tiendish
aspect to this carnival of cruelty is that
her surviving son was among the most
energetic of those who tOrtured his
mother. 1t will take several generations
of education and progress before the
%peasantry of these remote districts get
rid of such bloodthirsty superstitions. AS
a race they are generally amiable ana
affectionate, rarely quarrelling in their
CUBS, as is too frequently the case in Eng
land. 1t is only when their supernatural
terrors are aroused that they seek what
they think is their own safety in mal1g-
nant manifestations of fanatic cruelty.
In the Ukraine the people believe IN all
sorts of supernatural beings, from vam-
pires to water spriteS.
Among the most grotesque of the SUI
perstitions is the ceremony performed in
some remote places to bring on the rain in
a season Of drought. An old woman,
without a rag to cover her, is at mid
night harnessed to a plough and driven
through the village, while the male per-
ton Of the population is supposed to be
sleeping. Her drivers are the village
maidens in their nightgowns. If any of
the men, except the graybeards, look on
tune will befall the community There
is a romantic side to these degrading SUI
persitions, fortunately. In South Russia
every stream and tree is believed to have
its spiritual denizen, bringing mortals to
the luck they deserve. Russia 10 q q
Of contrasts. where obsolete slfperstitions
iostle with the latest inventions Of the
nineteenth century.-ATtington EI-
press.