Daily Republican., 1889-07-03
SUPERSTITION OF THE HORSESHOE

The horseshoe was OF old held to be of
special service as q security against the
attacks Of evil spirits,
This virtue may have been assigned,
perhaps, by the rule of contraries, from
1t being a thing incompatible with tho
cloven foot Of the EVIL One; or from the
bears to the rays Of glory which in ancient
Of saints and angels; or, finally, from
eome notion OF its purity ecQuiied through
passing through the FIRE.
The latter supposition receives some
countenance from the method resorted to
for the cure of horses that had become
vicious, or afflicted by any distemper
which village fsrriery did not understand;
such disease was invariably attributed to
witchcraft, and the mode of cure seems
| to imply the belief that the imperfect
publication by iire of the shoes which
the animal wore had afforded an inlet to
Inalevolent influences.
Accordingly, the horse was lei into the
smithy; the door Yves closed ard bsrred;
the shoes were taken of and plnced in the
tlre,aud the witch or warlock was speedily
under the necessity Of removing the spell
under which the animal suffered.
we nave iurAilef proui Jhhs tuc tui-
cacy of fire constituted part OF the vir-
tues Inherent in tho horseshoe, ia the
manner of rcclaiming bewitched milk.
All who hive the management OF n
dairy know that at certain seasons OF the
year butter viii not "come" from cream,
nor milk be converted into curd, with the
same ease as at others.
The modern Ieasoners on the causes oi
things look upon this rs being occasionea
by the sort of food the cattle take; but
all the farmers wives of last century
knew perfectly well that 1t was the eliec,
of nothing else but some enyious persons
evil eye, and they took their measures
accordingly. #5-.
On the return of the milkmaids from
he loaming with their milkingpails upon
their heads, when the foremost io.k down
her vessel In order to pass under the
doorway, the mistress WAS ready TO drop Il
horseGoe heated red hot into the milk.
1t WAS necessary that the ceremony
shou d be performed at the instant When
; the young woman was lowering the pail
and as It was further required That no one
should be aware of the good dances in
tention, the troop Of milkmaids WAS offer
, throwG into the utmost distnay by th'
su iden bub'hing aid kissing, and I'd,
screams OF theif companion more I'M
mediately concerned.
The loss of the whole meal Of milk wal
the usual consequence, to say nothing o
the work created for the cooper by thu
cash of the tumhllng cogues; but tliee
were matters of Inferior Importance, th'
future productiycness OF the milk belnl
an ample set oil against lesser nischence
and that, it need scarcely I've added, Wa,
invariably secured.
A horseshoe was com nonly aaiiet
upon the door of the COW. HOUSES; bu
this was not at all times a sufficient pro
lection, as in the summer the cows wer'
not driven home at night, hut were milk
ed aieid, and shut up IN in oren inclo:
ure.
When people begar to C half ashame,
, OF superstition, Instead of mailing tn
horseshoe OH the outside, they hXei it t
the IN ide Of the doors both of dwelln
hous . and farm-oilicee, aud IN hat situI
ticn 1t may at this day be detected /
many parts OF the country.
Thus the devil, thongh not openly dt
fled, might come to burn his fingers If b
were to attempt an entrance.
Sailors are, Tor the most part, Garrett
to have II horseshoe nailel to the IN 2zer
mast, or some where on deck near MID
ships, for the protection of the vessel
The Chinese have their tomhs built
the shape OF the horseshoe, as we ar II
/ formed by Captain Hall, in his vJysge
Leo Choo, which custom is very curiou
as 1t may fairly be regarded as a brauC
of tue superstition long prevalent anon
ourselves.