Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-26

Curious Fstichss which People Wear Upon
Their Watch Chaina

Their Watch Chaina
scARABs AND GOLDEN EYES FROM ANCIENT
EGYPT - SEALS FROM BABYLON AND FOSSIL.
rRILoBrrEs - HORSE cHEsTNUrs, PorAroEs
AND LUCK PENSIEs-souRcEs FROM WHENCE
SUCH sUPERsrITIoNs ARISE.
GONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE OBJ
~ jects OF art nowadays are hung upon watch
guards. There is a well-known washingtoniau
whose scarf is usually adorned with an Egypt
ian scarab worth $1,000 Its appraisement is so
high not 80 much on account of its exquisite
workmanship as because it was found in the sar-
cophaSus OF Rameses the Great and is believed to
have been the royal seal. The beetle was the
emblem Of the Creator in the mythology OF the
people who lived in ancient Egypt and great
numbers Of scarabei are discovered with the
mummes in the tombs.
THE EYE IN GOLD.
In the tornbs Of the Pharaobs bave o,so hee,
found very curious representations of the bu-
man eye in gold Some of them are left ewes
and others right. They are beautifully eye
cuted, the brows. lids and pupils being carved
out OF little rectangular pieces of metal. II is
oeNeved that they were carried abou. by peo-
PIE Tor a protection against diseases of the eve
winch In northern Africa have always been ex-
tremeiy prevalent. The glare of the white
sandy plains produces dangerous ophtbalmia'
whLe every modern traveller is familiar with
inc little flies which lay their eggs within the
iios, the larvae Matched therefrom feeding upon
the tissues Of the organ.
NEGLIGENT NATIVES.
After the oriental manner the natives Of
Egypt have always been entirely neslectful of
remedial measures for the treatment of such
cOmDlalnfs In fbo ol1 Ia
golden eyes for the purpose of warding off the
evil influences which were supposed to cause
such diseases. person whose right eve was
SICK would carry the corresponding optic
carved in metal, and vice versa Probably il
was the eye of the goddess Isis which was rem
resented. When the good god Osiris was set
upon by the Egyptian satan. whose name was
Iyphon, and cut to pieces, the fragments of
ms BODY being thrown to the gnomes, she wept
so much that the river Nile was formed by her
tears. subsequently she managed to collect all
the bits and made him as good as new again
Recently it has been quite a fad to hang coun-
terfeits OF these golden eyes upon the watch
chains.
HOW AMULETs ARE WORN NOWADAYS.
1t is upon watch guards nowadays that
amulets such as these are mostly worn. They
are supposed to possess all sorts of virtues
supernatural. 1t is astonishing how many
people even in this enlightened nine teenth cen
fury have faith III them Although belief in
ghosts and witches no longer prevails, yet the
dread OF the mysterious and unknown in nature
retains more or less influence over every human
mind. Individuals are often heard to say that
they 'have no superstitions," but in reality
there is no one who does not cherish a few
secretly. The form in which this weakness is
most commonly exhibited is in an unreasoning
faith that luck inheres in certain objects. You
pick up copper cent in the street and keep it
fnr sly,nG IL :.
an amulet pure and simple.
ANCIENT OBJECTS OF VARIOUS KINDS
are utilized as amulets. some charm being
imagined to belong to them. Thus the little
cylinders of stone which the Babylonians Of
old employed for seals are often seen dangling
from watch chains. For the same purp ose
jewelers. mount in gold silver small fossil
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. found in rocks that
were formed perhaps 40, 0O0. 900 years ago. the
ancestors OF modern Holsters and crabs
Gamblers and actors are of all people most
given to superstitions respecting luck, and it is
not surprising to find that they are greatly ad-
dicted to amulets OF various kinds. carrying
them on their watch guards in scarf pins and
set In rings for the fingers. Miniature bears
tusks and the shells so much affected by
gypsies are both of very ancient Priapic
origin What they signify can easily be found
out by any one who cares to inquire.
sUPERsrITIoNs.
Horse chestnuts and potatoes carried in the
pocket to keep off rheumatism or for other SUI
perstitious purposes are amulets, The virtues
supposed to be possessed by amber beads are
varlously familiar. Belief in the supernatural,
qualities OF amber is very old indeed. 1t arose
originally from its peculiar electric quality,
from which was derived the word 'electricity. :"
electron being the Greek name for amber
Miniature arrow heads cut out of Jasper and
carnehan are found to this day bv Arabs in the
desert sandsand strung In necklaces for charms
Inc Etruscans OF old used to mount similar
arrow heads In gold, and one sees them worn
even now in scarf pins. Thus is the stone age
brought down to the very present time.
SOME MAsCorS.
Peoples fingers, cut from the hands Of the
dead, are sometimes carried as amulets by the
ignorant and superstitious. Dried lizards
sewn up in leather serve the same purpose
The Indian hunter will cut the shape of an
animal out of stone. have it ''blessed" bv the
medicine man and believe that it gives him
good fortune in the chase of the beast repre-
sented. When he kills one he dips the fetch
in the blood Perhaps he wraps about it
beads, signifying money, and attaches to it
little arrow heads. which represent the execu-
tive function OF slaughter. So as to secure as
much help from the unknown as possible he
hangs charms all over his person. In Corea
three spirits are supposed to enter the world
with every infant, guarding the child until it
grows up. For these mysterious protectors
three little bags are sewn upon the child's
waistband, each containing lock of its hair.
WHAT SUPERSTITION Is.
Superstition is simply blind fear of the I'M
known. TO the untutored savage the world,
being full Of mysteries which he cannot under
stand. is filled with terrors, because whatever
Is unknown Is always at least possibly harmful
Nature surrounds him with maleficent in
tiuences. II n rock falls from cliff above him
some giant up there must have thrown it at
him. Respecting other natural phenomena he
concludes in similar fashion. There IS some
thing in them which is disposed to hurt him.
Storms, earthquakes floods, pestilence are all
intended to assail him. Aqueer shaped boulder
has arrived where it is by strange means Is
not that an evidence that 1t is supernatural?
Either it has flown hither itself or some one
has thrown it. In the former case it has life
and is to be feared; in the latter, he who threw
it Is formidable.
PROOF AGAINST GHOSTS.
In this fashion the primitive man peoples the
world with ghosts. He cannot fight them with
ordinary physical weapons, because they are
invisible and SO infinitely more powerful than
he. But he can defend himself to some extent.
perhaps. with charms. There are wise men in
every generation who profess to have the power
accommodating with these unseen spirits The
evident working of good and evil influences in
nature proves that there are good spirits as
we'll as bad ones. These wise men are able to
secure the help Of the former and to placate or
lar horvv lasa fha1 oft