The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-13
TURKISH SUPERSTITIONS.
Epitome of the Many Signs That Go.
ern the UnspenkabIe Turk.

Constantinople. in New York Press.
There is no land on earth where more
speakable Turk. Some of them are very
interesting. II by any chance a sparrow
or swallow flies in the window and circles
that blood relation of some one present
is about to die. There are very many signs
and happenings that are supposed to pre-
diet marriage. For instance, if the fasten-
Ing of young girls trousers breaks it
promises speedy marriage, and If
Street She is positive that her til time e has
nearly come. If her hair becomes unfast-
ened she knows that she will soon be sought
for, and If she goes to eat a peach and finds
its kernel split she is equally certain that
she will soon be welded. There are fully as
many little charms tried by the Turkish
maiden to know when she will marry as by
her Christian sisters and, strange as it may
seem, she is quite as anxious to enter that
state.
When in summer a bee flies In at the win
dow it is regarded as the harbinger of
good news, as is also a thistledown or
beetle. a moth at night flying about a
light means thoughts and good wishes from
immortals; the unexpected brayiug of a
donkey visit from an unpleasant acquaint-
ance. If a man leaves his home for bust
ness and walks along the street and a
bird alghts exactly in front of him three
times he turns his heel and goes home.
and no power short of an imperial frman
will make him pass that place again that
day, for he is sure that if he attempts to
do SO something will happen him. A dog
running three times across his path will
also turn him back.
When a Turk is starting out upon an i'm
portant venture he will say to himself:
1.-The issue will be as L desire it il the first
three persons i meet have blue eyes. Blue
eyes being far less common than black, he
takes the chances, and sometimes sees the
three blue-eyed ones first. L never could
reconcile the belief in written destiny and
in the omens and signs together If it was
the destiny of some one to be killed by ac-
cident at such a place and moment, of
h. n
good one? He is bound to be killed anyhow.
Augury is also made by the forms Of the
clouds and by the entrails of fish, animals
visions in the pulp. If a red
orange was peeled by accident the person
perity and gold When the Sultan is about
to undertake anything, however insignif-
can't all the signs are consulted. If he is
to go to the mosque all the known means
are employed to discover whether it would
be more propitious for him to 30 by land
or water. Probably there is not a foreign
minister or emba ssador who has ever been
accredited to Turkey who has not been an
noyed beyond measure on account
a dinner to be given him at the imperial
palace, postponement that always
seemed to come in the most awkward and
fnexplicable time. But IL they had known
the truth it would doubtless have been
found to be that on consulting the augurs
it was found that some condition or other
was unpropitious, and so the dinner was
suddenly postponed until the fates were in
some measure appeased-
1t would take volume to tell all the
qualifications of the superstitious beliefs in
Turkey. and unimportant as they would be
under other circumstances, they really have
much to do with the deciding of important
questions of international significance, and
he who intends to make that country his
even temporary home would do well to
study up their many superstitions and try
to conform with their outward observance
as far as Is possible.