The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-31
MODERN SUPERSTTTIONS.
WITH ATHEISM GOES BELIEF IN 10.
PERNAT URAB INTERFERENCE.

LONDON, Dec. 49, Ostentatious independence
OF speech boastful oynlcism. and affected
atheism being the present characteristics OF
society, IL became Inevitable that with these
strong minded qualities. superstition. n belief
in the mythical and the supernatural should
as they have always done-Ro hand in hand.
There is yoarning for traditional myths. for
spiritual manifestations, and n growing de-
sire to assimilate the beliefs OF other coun.
tries and tran plant the EN- into ones own. Lon.
don cannot quite commemorate the anniver-
sary OF St Martin as medlGvally as 1t is OBJ
served in the country. but surreptitlously
young people have this year renewed the old
custom Of setting out overnight vessels filled
with water. II not In the expectation OF finding
them the next morning changed into wine. at
least in the hope OF detecting on the surface,
grown flmy. a vision Of the future
| st. Martin is all over Europe the patron OF sol.
ders the collateral forofather OF the old Bnross
| OF Barnstable. who, like tho present Arch
bishop OF York, carly exchanged the sword for
the cassock. and eventually became Bishop Of
| Tours. In Great Britain alone 100 churches
are consecrated to him. and the day appointed
by the Church for the celebration OF his festi-
val was substituted for the original one In
honor OF Bacchus. which took place at the
| same epoch. With seeming incon sistency the
| Michelmas goose appears to be closely con-
nected with the saint who lie frequently and
nnIvely represented with this fowl at his side
| The Bacchanalian origin OF tho feast can
still be traced in Germany, where huge stores
| Of sausage meat are laid In on that day; In
| tho grape-growlng districts the new wines are
| first drawn and tasted on st. Martins Day to
| insure a good quality Of the vintage. In Eng
| land, on some estates. the tenants paid one
| penny to the landlord In Communication OF the
| duty imposed on them by tenure OF carrying
! salt from market to larder In sign OF plenty.
Grewsome superstttions prevail to this day
on the Continent In the Kingdom OF Naples
the dangerous bite OF the tarantula is not
cured by physio or surgery but by totally
alien functions. Absolute confidence is placed
In the efficacy OF lively imoton and the bitten
person Is made to dance. sometimes with the
stimulus OF q horsewhp till no sinks to the
ground from sheer exhaustion. These methods
are applied to patients. possibly in the belief
that the violent agitation OF the blood caused
by exercise counteracts the torpor produced
by the bite OF the tarantula. But this motive
docs not apply to another form OF cure whom
the dancing is done By othera In some Nea-
politan villages tho sufferer is buried up to
his neck In manure and twenty-one female
dancers are selected to surround him with
their quick gyrations: seven are widows.
seven wives. and seven maidens. When they
drop of from lassitude he is extricated from
his position and showed into q moderately
bite or the treatment the charm Is said 10
to have worked.
In Hungary and Roumania the belief In the
mythical vampire invests this being with fatal
reality. II in village q youth or maiden.
waes tse edsl. Ise
orally conclude that there must be q vampire
In t the locality The creature Is no. Rst Or
sd sldsd which e sSs dead Feds ii lis tomb On
hey tSs sriss S com him
supposed vampire. the comm lid is burst open,
with the color on It's aes ssS Oceans
that their suppostions are correct, and their
With savage Rowis and imprscations the sft tpi
dent is plHns cd lin the breast Of the body. the
flesh and blood and the fury Of the ayenssfs
Then only T. the vampire really dead. and q
attributed but solely 70 the nightly OUTRAGE.
child the FTs1ih p ps9Inss Of the BBerEy
among thelr.hoards for some golden trinEet-
under the caves OF house one or two hundred
y YARDS OIL, registering q vow that e certain
remln cence Of the old pagan custom Of pro-
pi,iatipg fate by visible saeritice9
faith that nothing stable can be accomplished
without previous effusion OF blood. and some
for example; q new gate was constructed In a
.s s sss under
old Mussulmans to this day say an animal
Wb bnauSHrate monument or an enterprise.
solsmnly opened. tho rails at the terminus OF
ne Holy Eity were erimsoned With the bloodof
Not ali sapsrstitions. however,. are Of so cruel
ana brutal character In the lair lands OF
81 the tron6adours hailows them. In ordsr 10
s mniS chiLdren with nae voice the grand
cuts ther nas vtR dolls s sef trss TP tss
sreI in az ea aIs S asw o or resey they
wood where their parents. Sodfsther and GOD.
nF Ss ss proceed e perform the dew BAPTISM.
:ash IN eom w,s Hnng an axe opens huge
'swning SIT in the trunk the Infant is repeat.
with arcps Of dew eFfSS en ss
and fs srdSs fad cha % and L
In another province one can 81 see e'r very old
ss s Sa1 81 the open AIR combias the
~ stra; locks that may remain in nth the ' sSmt
I1ss eI qo t6sm them they spit or them three
re-: "yads retro satanss! Val Il mega cou-
S!ai f.' q ns .n%ss h SIs
caip diseases are washed. and their little linen
ne fountain, In brittany very Few lew NATIVES k IS
G shoS bsa them Pd1y lest
,nce, the land OF witches and sorcerers; il is
ommon to hear OF people on whom a tour
as been cast 4 tour is a species Of maleh-
emit charm which can only be coniured by
aylng mass said by priest wearing
rimson Vestment. and on condition Of re-
lrning home after hearing il without uttsrinK
word TO any one IL these rules are COM
lied with IL Is heaceforth the soreerer who
lffers the ills he would have inflicted on his
ctim; lie will be heard shriskinR at night
his bed, and those who listen say deyoutlV
The devil Is soourging himl"
In other districts burns can be cured By
certain magic formulas in which
10 names Of our Lord aud OF Judas are
'upled; The thAtehed roofs OF Normandy.
Ter which roses trail and MOSES grow are
'ry liable to catch tire, while the appliances
q putting IL out and the help OF fremsn are
Try scarce. Therefore 1t is necessary 10 re-
ny 70 supernatural agencies. A man must
FOUND who Is acquainted with the magic
ords and 10 endowed with the power to ut
Z them; He is brought with certain eeTs-
onlss before the flaming homestead; he
axes the sign OF the cross. uses the same