The record-union., 1891-07-25

any COuulTy IS atteuueu with many GILL
culties. The Scotch are almost as evasive
as the Irish. and delight in mystifying
qualifications. The intellectual classes
rather resent the possible uses to which
such information is to be put. The aver
age Scotchman of the middle classes feels
aggrieved that so noble race as his own
should be suspected Of possessing super
stitions. And the ignorant and lowly
have well defined notion that the charm
is lost if it be divulged to disbelievers.
To illustrate: 4 certain eminent litera-
tor of advanced age IN Edinburgh, him.
self an elucidator of the very heredity of
Scottish superstition, when L applied to
him humblY enough for his own veritica-
ton of very weird practice which l alb
solutely know still exists among the
Highlands, told me in goou round terms
that the meddling with such matters by
English and American intellectual trampS
in general was most damnable imper
tinence." On another occasion / ordered
a suit of clothing from certain town or
acle, the tailor, who, in many respects,
was a second, though severe, edition of
delicious old Mansie WAUGH, for the sole
purpose of securing the lore and supersti
tions of his own craft. With all the di-
plomacy possible l approached the COW
eted disclosures, but the moment this
fellow comprehended the import of my
wishes, condolences were at an end, and
his dignity was SO sorely tried that he de-
clined holding further intercourse with
me save through the chilling medium of
a deaf and dumb assistant! Among the
peasantry, and especially the crofterS and
coaStWise fishermen, however much you
may gain confidence and friendship, the
Touch me not with impunity!" OF Sco
tia'S national motto is stubborn fact
/ <l,.
overcome, on countless occasions, l have
been met and batf1ed in folklore re-
searches by the canny remark:
''Guid truth, gin Iwad tell ye onything
ye wad shune haze it in prent; an tn good
OFT ia me wad be dunei''
But determination, diligence and hon
esty of spirit in research will accomplish
much in years time, even in Scotland.
1t is easy enough to find in the main
striking affinities between Scottish, Eng
! liSh, Irish, and even New England,
omens, portents and superstitious beliefs
of the more trivial and ordinary charac-
| ter. There is no end to these, and few
| examples will illustrate their universal
| lty OF adoption and adaptation.
| A babe must never see its image in q
| looking-glass until all its teeth are cut.
| Bad luck always follows the removal of
| the wedding ring, If you find two spoons
| i'll your cup or saucer it IS a certain omen
| that you will never wed. Some one is
! thinking of you when your nose itches.
| The omens connected with a burning
sensation in the right or left ear are the
same as with US. The itching of the
right palm indicates that you will soon
| shake hands, and of the left, that you are
| to receive money, while, if the soles of
! your feet disturb you in like manner, you
are to journey over strange ground. The
| potency of the horseshoe is the same the
4 world lO1lt n fin Il
| one you must throw it over your left
shoulder in order to secure good luck
| during the month to come. The spilling
of salt is unlucl<y, but evil may be warded
! off if you will toss portion over your
| left shoulder. When the fire is blown, if
sparks fly spitefully, strangers are to visit
| you. Even numbers are lucky, and odd
ones are calamitous. In handing any OBJ
ject or article of food to another, If it falls
or spills, it is certain sign of much fur
ther intercourse, but. if by chance, any
two persons wash in the same bowl of wa
| ter they are certain to quarrel. Entering
service, or beginning any enterprise or
journey on Saturday, will compel an un-
! fortunate outcome. The same supersti-
tions regarding cauls, and children born
with cauls, exist in Scotland as elsewhere
in Europe. When a spider is found on
ones clothing or person, money will
shortly be received. A gift of knife or
| OIuer SudT Tp-SuSGu ul0uSll Is always 10 D0
| avoided. There are countless weather
omens and portents in Scotland which
are common in England and Ireland, and
which any student of American folklore
will find have passed into usage in our
own country.
| Again, innumerable traditionary GUS
toms and beliefs of the simpler sort will
| be found peculiar to the Scottish people
themselves, of which give few exam
| pies. Ifyou first see the new moon with
empty hands you will be unfortunate
for month to come. If you see COW
lick either of her fore feet you will imme-
| diately hear of death. Seeing a snail
on bare ground is bad omen, but to
! find one on the grass is a sign of plenti-
ful year. In Roxburghshire those meet
ing black snails take them by the horns
and throw them over the left shoulder in
| order to go on their way prosperously.
| The sudden loss of hair is d prognostic of
| the less Of children, health or property.
To dream OF ones teeth falling out is a
certain sign of the death of friend. The
| shrinking of meat in pot while cooking
presages downfall in life, and should it
swell you will be prosperous. 1t is un-
lucky to be recalled, after having set out
on journey, to be told of something you
| have forgotten, but you can destroy the
spell by at once partaking of meat and
| drink. When you first put on new coat
]
pocket you will not know want, but if, by
mistake, you place it in the left hand
| pocket you will be in need as long as that
coat is worn. To sweep house by night
is the greatest possible insult that can be
offered to the fairies and the spirits of the
dead; and To sweep out the dust by the
! front door is to drive away good fortune.
A dock leaf will cure nettle sting if yon
will meant
Nettle out dock In;
| Dock remove the nettle sting,
during the operation. Down about Yet
holm if any of the travelling tinklers or
peddlers on setting out in the morning
meet person whose face they do not
| like, they turn back, for to have pro-
ceeded would have given an unlucly
day. Highlanders to this day, at mid
night of August 1st (old Style. bathe in
Lochmanur, Sutherlandshire, to cure
themselves of all bodily ailments. repay
ing the Spirit of the Lake in coin for these
benefits Soap and salt are still smeared
over cows afflicted with 1.-The evil-eye."
And Goals and salt must be tossed into a
new house, before taking possession of it,
| to drive out lingering evil spirits.
The Scotch baby is the subject and OBJ
| ject of very many traditional supersti-
tious safeguards and ominous portents.
pretty, you do not add, ''Save itr' your
eye will take on it, ''Save it'' wards
away the "evil-eye" It is equally nec-
essary, when praising your neighbor's
cattle or fowls, to add, My eye will not
take on it!'' Babes are at the mercies OF
the fairies before baptism. For partial
safeguard against their bewitchment some
article of clothing belonging to the ehild's
father should always be thrown over it.
In Border shires it is believed that if a
babe happens to be sitting on the floor
and anyone should step over it, or walk
entirely around it, it will become q
weazened pigmy. If the babe lakes q
| snnon first In its left instead of its rinht