Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-11-26
A FAYoR1TE SUBJECT.
There Are Many Curious Superstitions
About Bread.

~ "'"iN W SUI ~ hDihS1 ihbSehs -
there were not many superstitions
about bread. The one indispensable
article Of food is naturally in every
nation a favorte subject of folklore.
No French peasant begins a new loaf
without crossing it with the knife.
The English superstition that bread
cracked in the baking portends mis-
fortune in the family has taken root
in America. In Germany, too, the
housewife still believes that cracks
on top of the loaf of bread indicate the
death of some one in the household,
or, perhaps, misfortune to dear
friend, while cracks on the lower side
of the bread are taken to indicate a
birth.
AS many of us know, our bakers
mark the sign of cross upon the
dough before placing it in the oven.
The reason for making this sign be-
comes plain when we know the origin
ofthe custom. Almost all our super
stitions about bread date back to old
pagan days, though they have been
greatly modified so as to conform to
Christian beliefs.
The old domestic practice was mod
flied when Christianity became tri-
umphant, and, in place of a pagan
symbol, the early Christian housewife
not only used to make the sign of the
cross when she began to knead the
dough, but she marked that sign upon
her loaf before placing it in the oven.
Why? Simply because the sign of
the cross is the recognized Christian
protecting mark against the attacks
OF evil spirits, witches and the like.
Hence, bread marked with the cross
is supposed to be waterproof, will bake
all right, not crack across the top,
etc.
Just as the Jews have Passover
cakes, and other peoples have had
specially prepared food for their re-
ligious festivals, SO Christians have
cakes for certain seasons. Our hot
cross-buns on Good Friday are simply
modern representatives Of the cakes
used at some old pagan festival. In
days gone by, the cakes and buns
baked at Easter were supposed to pos
sess great virtue. Thus, it is an old
belief that the observance of eating
eross-buns on Good Friday insures,
so to speak, the house from fire for
the coming year. We still eat GER
tain kind of pancake on Shrove Tues
day, The practice is referred to in
"All's Well that Ends Well" where
the clown speaks of pancake for
Shrove Tuesday" In 'Pericles" they
are called ''flapjacks" "a term still
used in country districts.
In truth, to study the superstitions
about bread is to take wide lessen in
folklore These superstitions relate
to the kneading trough, the oven,
bakers and bread For instance, in
many parts of France the "arche," or
kneading trough, is more than a rude
kitchen utensil; it is often a pretty
bit of furniture. Mr.. SebillOt, who
has collected many of the supersti-
lions of the French folk relative to
bread, quotes the story of thief who
entered the window of house with
intent to commit burglary, but re-
fused to step on the trough still con-
tanning the dough, believing that to
do so would be an impiety, This is
similar to the American story of two
hungry burglars who refused to salts
fly their hunger with the meat which
they found in a well-stocked lsrder
because it was Friday.
A writer in one of our magazines
says that in Cortland the cross is still
signed before the oven fire is lighted
or the dough kneaded. This practice
is very common in the country dis
tricts all over Europe. In Brittany |
the housewife makes the sign of |
the cross with the right hand |
while she places the left hand in the
After the dough is kneaded |
the lid of the trough is shut, and so is
-he door; for if a cat should enter the
room the bread would not rise. Ger
tain charms or invocatons are used to
cause the bread to multiply itself
Thus, the peasant housewife adjures |
he dough to initiate the leayen, the
wheat, the miller, and to rise. She
would be very angry if any one should
sing or whistle in the room while she
S making the loaf
The loaf of bread itself is connect
ID with large number of supersti-
lions. According to an old English
superstition, if loaf accidentally
parts in the hand while an unmarried |
ady is cutting it, this may be taken
O indicate either that She will NOT he