The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-03-30

knightly achievements. One of the
Lords of Cheturde in Buckinghamshire
Eng. killed wild boar which devast-
ated the country, and was granted
therefor yearly tax on all cattle found
within his manor from October 80 to
November Z. Tho Poland boar tradi-
tionally haunted the north of England
1t slew several knights, but was finally
killed by a Polander. The Gordons
had the boar as cognizance on their
coat of arms, one of their ancestors
having slain celebrsSed one in 1898.
Guillame Compile de la Mardrey was
nicknamed The Boar of Ardennes,"
because he was as furious as the ami
NAL he delighted to hunt. Richard III.
Of England was called the boar. be-
cause his arms were illuminated with
that animal as a cognizance. Gray
sings of him:
The bristed boar
In infant gore
Wallows beneath the thorny shade.
The same monarch was popularity
called the Hog, and a couplet ran thus:
The Cat, the Rat and Lowell the Dog,
Rule all England under the Hog.
Catesby was the cat, and Radcliffe
the rat.
There are other curious stories about
the pig and sundry superstitions con-
nected with it. There is a popular
superstition current in parts of Ger
many, Great Britain, and in our own
country, that pigs should be killed at
full moon. When this is done the meat
swells in the pot; otherwise, if killed
during the waning moon, it will shrink,
and is, therefore. unsound.
Omens are frequently drawn from
this most unimpressionable animal. 1t
was long ago considered an unfortunate
thing if sow should cross in front of
any one setting forth on journey.
Crosse. an old English writer, says some
accident is sure to befall unless you
kept the animal from crossing until
you had passed. A SOW and litter of
pigs was, however, a good omen. 1t
is in Scotland thought unlucky to meet
a SOW the first thing in the morning.
In Germany, if you meet pig when
setting out, you will be unwelcome
wherever you are going, and it is also
a bad omen to meet herd of swine.
Hollanders also dislike to meet pig
while out walking. Fishermen in many
parts of England, Scotland and Ireland
abhor the pig. To meet one is so I'M
lucky that they will frequently return
for the day. A pig was secretly home
introduced into a fishing boat, but was
Immediately thrown overheard when
discovered. 1t must not even be
named when out fishing.
In Brandenburg, if, when pig is
killed, the spleen is found to be turned
over, it is said to foretell death in
the family that year. 1t is said in
North Germany that if single man
will, on Walpurgis night, ride on a
broomstick to the stable, knock three
times, and then go the pigsty and
listen until Il pig grunts, he may know
whether he will marry a young or old
wife, according to the age of the first
grunter.
Hogs are also weather-wise. Two
English sayings are recorded as signs
of coming storm:
allow restless are the snortirg swine,
Their litter is not tossed by sows unclean."
In the "EIusbandman's Practice"
QS6D we are told: when swine car
ry bottles OF hay or straw to hide them,
rain is at hand" Our own games
say the same, when the pigs hide in
the straw. In other places it is said
to be sign Of cold weather when
they are seen to pile and store straws,
leaves, etc, and especially fortells a
cold winter when seen in the fall. In
Texas, a "norther' is expected when
they go about with sticks in their
mouths.
Another old work, 1.-The Cabinet of
Nature Q65O tells us: when hogs
run grunting home, storm inpends. V"
Cold is in this country predicted when
they are uneasy and huddled together.
If they rub the side of the pen in WIN
ter thaw is coming. Some farmers
say the winter will be colder during
the first months if the forward end of
pigs melt is the thickest, but if the
other end is thictest the final months
will bring the most cold, In West
phalia, pigs are thought to see the
wind coming.
There are number OF sayings con-
nected with pigs, some OF which are
well known, others moro or less OBJ
scure. A "hog in armor'' is really
Hodge in armor. please the pigs" is
please pigm (Anglo-Saxon for the Vir-
gin). You have the wrong SOW by
the ear is said to the pickler or
''souser" when he takes the ear OF the
wrong sow or tub. TO buy a pig in a
poke is in French "acheter chateu