Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-02-06

slays himself before his enemy's door,
In order to acquire greater power OF
iniuring him. Tylor, in his PIinsitirs
Culture, says that "there were toward
tie close OF the last century two Brah-
mans out of whose house a man had
wrongfully, as they thought, taken
forty thousand rupees, whereupon one
of Il e BrahmIns proceeded to cut off
his mothers head, with the professed
view, entertained by both mother and
son, that her spirit, excited by the beat
ing OF large drum for forty days,
might haunt, torment and pursue to
death the taker of their money and
those concerned with him.r In fact,
so widespread is found to bs this
superstitious belief regarding the infiu-
encs of sp' rits, ghosts and fairies, that
we here get clue to the practice OF
invoking the name or the Deity as pro-
lection against their agency: for in the
name OF the Deity Is thought to rest
the mysterious power OF driving away
all evil spirits, as well as rendering
them poweriess to do harm. So the
HighlandeTs believe that when a per-
son sneeZes he is liable to be stolen by
fairies, unless protected by some one
invoking the name OF the Deity. And
the New Zealander, with a similar
Idea, makes use OF n charm to prevent
harm when a child sneezes. But the
Scandinavian and Celtic races credited
their spirits with even more serious
influence, FOR they thought sneeze or
yawn enough to convert person into
a real fairy, unless the name OF the
Deity was invoked In time to prevent
the disaster.
ha - Frfo IL ri
the act of sneezIng with great dread,
for they believe it to Indicate the infiu-
ences OF ancestral Spirits" which
they must make haste to propitiate.
The Zulu must have the same idea, for
he exclaims when he sneezes, The
ancestral spirit is with me, for it is
that which causes me to sneeze; let me
hasten to praise itl'' Then, the Mos
lem, when he sneezes. Is saluted by his
friends with the formula, 'Praiss to
Allah!''-a custom, it is said, that is
conveyed from race to race wherever
Islam extends. And In Guinea, even
during the last century, when a prin-
cipal person sneeZed, all present fell on
their knees, kissed the earth, clapped
their hands and wished him happiness
and prosperity. d custom involving
the same idea is still kept up in the
Tyrol; il is that of crossing ones self
when one yawns, lest something evil
should come into ones mouth. In
France an indication OF the survival of
this superstition is seen by the follow
Ing quotation from a Book on Rules
and Ciyilities," of the year 1855: "If
his Lordship chance to sneeze you are
not to bawl out God bless you,' but
pulling off your hat, bow to him hand
somely, and make the observation to
yourself The custom among the
Jews, when a person INDUCES in 4
sneeZs. is to calculate "a long life to
you" In Italy they say Happiness,
and In Germany the people say ''Ge-
sundheit," (health). We also find this
singular superstition was very unIyeT-
sal among the Greeks and the Romans
and Is often referred 20 by classical
authors. Aristotle, for instance, has
devoted one of his Problems to the
question why the custom OF invoking
Jupiter StatOr was INDUCED in as a
safeguard against the dangers of a
sneeZe. and tells Us that his country
men regarded the sneeze as sacred. 1t
seems that in Greece it has always been
considered an unlucky omen for any
one to sneeZe at the commencement of
an undertaking; and that a sneeze to
the left was regarded as unlucky,
while TO sneeZs 10 the right was
thought NEST lucky sign. Homer
carries back these superstitions to
Olympus and to the gods who make
the vault OF heaven ring by Invoking
Jupiter when one of their number
isdulges In the ominous act Of
sneeZing.
Thus we see that from primitive
times on through successive ages OF
culture to the present age can be traced
this sneezing superstition, with its at
tendant joys and terrors. And,
though this superstitIous custom lad
Its root down in primeval philosophy,
and its real significance had long since
faded from mems minds, yet the old
formula remained aud was handed on,
showing how very slowly and pain
fully humanity gives up old customs,
even though they have dwindled to
mere suryivals of primitive culture.