Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-30
NEGRO %sUPERsTITI0Ns.
Strange Notions to Which the Col
Ored People PerSistcntly
Cling.

Interesting contributions TO the collec-
ton of the Maryland traditions and super-
st:iions We're made recently at a meeting
CT the Ealtimqre Folk Lore Society, says
the Baltimore Sun.
The paper by Miss Spears. who represent
ed the Lend-a-Hand Club OF E.arleish
Heights. was devoted to traditions and folk
lore prevalent among the colored people Oh
ALhe Arundel county, especially the Older
ones. 'All that societies like this can DO
Will only convey TO poSterity a faint idea
OF the Quaint piciuresGueness OF coiored
folk lore" said Miss Spears. Then she re-
lated an Anne Arundel tradition as 10 how
the colored man came upon earth. Accord
lnS to the story the devil was one day;
dcTinS Creations dawn. wandering around
upon earth. He met an ape, and never
having seen one before. was considerably
astonished. All his efforts to open friendly
communication with the ape failed. how
ever, ard finally, in disgust and anger.
the devil threw Il spell upon the ape, VINO
then and there became Il co!orcd man.
Miss Spears also told the Anne Arundel
explanation as 10 why the colored man
Is sometimes called coon" Many years
ago. when superstition held greater sway
than now and the influences of the occult
and weird were most potent. Il cunning
negro slave had acquired the reputation
o; possessing a familiar spirit and of being
able to perform many uncanny mysteries.
His feuow-slaVoS. held him in great awe,
and even his master grew 10 q belief in his
powers. This finally led to a wager. in
which the greater part of the masters for
lI'!i' was iN' Wa lilf = .
ability. :. barrel was placed on the ldwI
and Il live coon placed under the barrel.
Then the negro soothsayer was sent TOR
and told to inform the crowd what was ny
der the barrel. He tried in various ways
t. escape the exposure. but without sue
cess. Realizing that he was Cornered. he
leaned on the barrel deiectedly and re-
marked: Well, you've got this old coon
At last WhereGpon a great shout APP
piauded what was considered Sambo's re-
n.ark;thle astuteness. and his reputation
was forever firmly established. Ever since
then. the tradition goes. the negro has been
called coon"
colored people of Anne Arundel county
Miss Spears relates as follows:
If You catch an eel on the full of the
moon. kill it. skin it and wrap the skin
about your arm. You will be cured of chills
and fevers.
Wrap the skin Of a blacksnake about
your waist and you will have no more
baCkaChe.
If a rabbit runs across your path you will
have bad luck. You must walk backward
rabbits path. y squirrel crossing your
path brings good luck. -,
Plant anything. that grows underground
on the dark of the moon.
a sovereign remedy for chills is to cut in
q stick of wood a notch for every chill:
blow your breath on it and throw it into
To cure warts: Cut them until they bleed;
catch the blood in Il handkerchief and drop
it III the road. When someone picks up
the handkerchief the warts will leave.
Superstitions concerning dreams nave the
most influence on, the imagination of aged
dream of a person who has died during the
preceding six months will bring rain.
Mrs Soussats paper was entitled: IS,
tanic Possession in Plantation Life" and
related instances of singular moral perver-
sion among colored people. sometimes ex-
tending through generations. She told Of
some peculiar characters who seemed pos
sessed of devils. and at any rate Were will
insly accorded that distinction by their
SuperStitious neighhors. In this connection
Dr. Henry Wood. president of the society,
said that many superstitions and ideas sup
posed to have originated in this country
really came froh Africa. Mrs. SoUSsat told
of = belief that Il woman regarded as Il
witch was supposed to carry her skin in I
bag under her arm whenever she went on
one of her uncannv missions.