The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1889-08-17
OMENS OF DEATH.
Signs That Herald the Approach
Of the King Of Terrors.
Superstitious Customs in Various Places
Concerning the Disposal of the
Dead-Nearly Every Ordinary
Act Presages Dire Disaster.

l. While the corpse is in the house
the looking-glass must be turned to-
ward the wall; otherwise. whoever
looks into the mirror will die within a
year. This custom is said to be most
common among Irish Catholics, but is
not confined to these. (Baldwinsville,
N. W
2. The clock should be stopped at
the time of death. as its running will
bring ill-luck. (Baldwinsville, N. W
Stop the clock at the time of death.
(New Hampshire.)
I The same custom is noted in Great
Britain and Germany. The object. no
doubt is not merely symbolic, as might
at first appear, but to limit the power
of death by introducing a new period
of time.
8. To keep the corpse in the house
over Sunday will bring death in the
family before the year is out. (South
birmingham, Mass.)
4. If the grave is left open over
Sunday another death will occur be-
fore the Sunday following. (Boxford,
Mass.)
In Switzerland, if grave is left open
over Sunday. it is said that within four
weeks one of the village will die.
5. If rain falls into an open grave
another burial in the same cemetery
will occur within three days. West
New York;
6. If rain falls on a new-made grave
there will be another death in the fam
lily within the year. (Baldwinsville,
N. Y; Poland, Me.)
A common saying in England is:
''Happy the corpse that the rain falls
on Thus it is said that if rain falls
at the time of the funeral it is a sign
that the dead man has gone to heaven.
Boston, Mass.)
Z. If hearse is drawn by two white
horses death in the neighborhood will
occur within a month. Central Maine
If a white horse draws the hearse
another death will soon follow. (Po-
land, Me.)
In Bohemia also white horses are re-
garded as warnings of death, though
to have a white horse in the stable is
also said to bring good luck. To dream
OF white horse is a sign of death,
both in the latter country and in Eng
land. In Sussex white animals mvs-
teriously appearing at night are said to
be death warnings. In the lore of the
English peasantry white horses play
an important part, and are variously
considered as of good and evil portent,
fact which is plausibly accounted for
on the ground that these beliefs are in
herited from a time when pagan deities
were considered to ride on white horses
Tacitus mentions the spotless white
horses reared in sacred groves by the
Germans of his own day. from whose
neighing auguries were taken.
In Bohemia death is considered as a
white woman Survival of the death
goddess Morana), whose apparition is
sign of death to the seer. This ex-
plains why, in England and Germany,
seeing white woman is of fatal au-
curry. The original idea doubtless is
that the goddess appears to and selects
those whose society she desires. That
she should be clad in white indicates
her deity; for white, as the color of
light, is emblematic of Heaven. Ac-
cording to the considerations it would
seem that the presage of awhile horse
may rest upon the character of such
animal as emblematic of the divine
being who summons mortal to the
other world. Should this be really
the case, much philosophy and much
history would be embodied in super
stion apparently frivolous.
1t may, however, be thought that
there is simpler Interpretation of
these omens, namely, their connection
with the custom of robing the dead in
white. Thus Artemidorous, in work
on the Interpretation of dreams, writ
ten in Rome in the second century,
considers that to a sick man a dream
OF white garments is ominous of death,
''because the dead are buried in white
ralment; but black clothes signify re-
covery, because not the dead but
mourners wear such apparel.
1t may be remarked that it is not
only in the north of Europe that the
messenger of death is represented as
riding. Readers will remember the
horse of Death mentioned in Reve-
lation. In Greek symbolism the de-
ceased person is often represented as
riding forth on his journey, conducted
by genius. A modern Greek bal
lad changes Charon the ferryman to
Charos the horseman; the young walk
before him, the old behind, young
babes he carried on his saddle.
8. 1t is unlucky to pass through a
funeral, either between the carriages
or the files of mourners on foot. (Bos-
ton, Mass.)
This is a general superstition. The
custom, which has become instructive
with many persons, is usually set down
to the score of decency and propriety.
y. Ii any one comes to a funeral after
tho procession starts another death
will occur in the same house. (Ohio.)
10. Whoever counts the carriages at
. passing funeral will die within the
year. peabody, Mass.)
II. The corpse must not pass twice
over any part of the same road. BALD
winsville, N. "
II. The funeral procession must not
cross river. (Baldwinsville, N. W
-. t is unlucky in funeral for
those present to repass the house where