The record-union., 1895-06-05
MYTHS OF THE NEGROES.
Strange Beliefs Regarding AIIigators
Pigs and Owls.
Some Curious Superstitions Concern
ing Snakes-The Rabbit Brings
Bad Luck.

An interesting fact to students of folk
lore is the prevalence in many parts OF
the South Of views in regard to the hare.
or rabbit, almost identical with those
noted by Caesar, in Britain, 1000 years
ago. As an article Of food this creature
is to not few an object OF aversion ;
the traveller deems it unlucky to see
one hopping across his pathway; and the
unaccountable manner in which it some
| times bewilders the hunters pack-ln
manner worthy of Reynard himself-has
caused it to be looked upon as one OF
the tavOrite animal forms assumed by
ghosts and witches. Cats, too, are by
some considered uncanny. They will ma
liciously nibble the exposed parts OF
corpses, and suck the breath" of sleep
ing infants. A dog may be prevented
from straying by placing under the front
door step bit OF hair cut from The end
of it's tail. Dogs share with horses and
hogs the power of seeing supernatural
beings which are invisible to men. Old
Africans assert that dogs see SPLITS De-
cause they have putty in their eyes,
ByrOn's line in Don Juan-"Ask the pig,
who sees the wind"-needs no comment
airy here, where hogs and horses alike
possess this peculiar gift. Hogs see
the wind" an old negro informed me,
land it is red like fire." Some negroes
believe that if one eats the ears" or
small lobes, from the heart of beet or
hog it will make him garrulouS. Otners
think the penalty will be deafness.
Southern children believe that coach
whip suake is able to roll rapidly along
the ground in the form of a hoop and
that In this manner it will pursue de-
fenseless child and whip 1t TO death.
While the whipping is in progress the
snake is said to pause occasionally to
insert its tail in the nose OF its victim.
If it feels the Child's breath 1t will re-
sumo the attack, but if respiration be
suspended it will loosen its hold and
glide away. A very common snake IN
lower South Carolina is the 'rattlesnake
piIot," which derives its popular name
from the notion that its movements
mark the exact path to be followed by
q rattlesnake within twenty-four hours.
When a snake is killed its tail does not
die until sunset, and unless the head is
cut Off or the body cut In two snake
doctors" are likely to bring the reptile
back to life, particularly II 1t Is left
near pool or stream OF water. Dead
snakes are turned on their backs or
to bring rain in dry season. The famll-
lar glass snake superstition prevails here
to some extent.
Alligator flesh is considered a great
delicacy by most of the low country
negroes, but there are portions OF II
about the forelegs and head which some
think are poisonous. The harmless little
brown and green lizards, which are
among the most common reptiles of this
Ilyy 06 a.
GUS. The man who kills toad will lose
his cow and calf. Children believe that
when an angry tortoise closes its man
dibles upon any object it will not let 60
until it hears thunder. They also think
that decapitated tortoise will come back
to life ii even the smallest shred of skin
is lett to connect the head and neck.
4 parallel to some of the curious old
English beliefs. chronicled by IZaak
Walton, in regard to the generation of
fishes, is found here in the motion that the
common catfish is a hybrid, being a cross
between the eel and the tortoise. The
sense OF smell is popularity attributed TO
fishes, and asafoetida and other odorous
substances are used to render the anglers
bait attractive Ii q maid or q widow
goes fishing and catches an eel it is a sign
that she will marry a widower.
Blue jays all 60 to hell every Friday to
carry sticks for the devil. The negroes
say that the man who kills rellig Ia
small yellow bird which l have been I'M
able to see and IDENTIFY will soon meet
with an accident, breaking an arm or
leg.
II is not strange that the curious insect
known as the devils hone" is favorite
subject of popular superstition wherever
it occurs. The name itself bears witness
to the fact that it is looked upon as some
thing supernatural. In South Carolina
the mantis is said to pray for its daily
food, and to return thanks for eating,
though in hypocritical way, being an
agent of the devil. Field hands fire.
quently meet it on cotton stalks in the
picking season, and they are careful to
give it wide berth, for if it spi.s in ones
eyes he will go blind. Its bite also is re-
garded as venomous. Another object
of fear is the ''cowkiller," large n.y.
menopterous insect Of a brilliant scarlet
color. Its sting, as indicated by the
name, is supposed to prove fatal to cattle.
A common belief among the negroes is
that if one wantOnly kills ants their COM
panions will revenge themselves by COW
ering his body just previous to burial.
The fact that small black ants in large
numb ers are often found associated with
plant lice in cotton fields has given rise
TO superstition that the lice are Matched
from eggs laid by the ants.
Last summer a lady living in South
Carolina employed several negro children
to weed a flower bed. When they stopped
work she went out to examineit, and was
surprised to find large grassy spot left
untouched. 'Cyan't pull up dat grass"
the children explained, "kaZe hits xiv
cred wild sperst spit" Spirit-spit is the
name given to the small tlecks of froth
which conceal the pupae of the spittle
insects (Cercopidae), and the negroes
think that many evil consequences would
come if they should touch it. Much the
same notion prevails in regard to the
larger patches of yellow brown froth