Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1898-11-25
SUPERSTITIONS
IRON.
ABOUT

accused even When people us"
it all day long and every day.
It was the impure metal
"the bones of Typhon.' father
ofEviI. No man could touch
it without sin; he must do
penance and make atonement.
That was the theory as long as
the Egyptian race endured; in
practice iron has been handled
freely for several thousand
years. The only piece Of metal
found in the Great Pyramid was
an iron bar. The same conflict
of ancient faith with growing
convenience was urged every
where, 10 doubt but the record
docs not exist. 1t was odd little
customs handed down from days
of old. Cicero asked III vain why
a tool Of IRON must not be
brought into the sacred grove OF
the Arvals-or if by accident,
must be expiated by the sacrifice
of a pig or q lamb and Pluta~ch
wondered why the ArchOn OF
Platea might not tonch iron eX-
cept at the yearly festival cons
memorating the triumph of
Greece. There is no end to such
instances. The sacred old Pons
Sublicins had to be repaired
without using iron so had tbs
ancient temple ofJupiter LiceI-
in imperial times, wien the
meaning Of such rules VS. lost,
2 special law abrogated hem.
One may survey mankind
from China to Peru and find the
same superstition everywhere.
Iron tools were forbidden IN
the building Of the Temple Of
Jerusalem the late Rajah
flanagan, a member Of the
council, man Of great earning
and enlightenment, would not
allow iron to be used in any
building throughout his terri
tory. He believed that an
epidemic would follow. Negroes
of the Gold Coast must remove
al, articles OF iron on their per
SOUS when consulting the Fetish.
Upon the other hand, a Sikh
must always have piece OF
steel Of iron about him. Burton
tells how "the pious Moslen
stretches out finger, exclalm~
ing, Iron OH, thou i.lomcned
orc =" when a dust storm APP
proachcs the caravan believ-
ing it to be directed by a Djinn.
In Scotland many traces sur-
vivc. To use iron III Eindling
the "nccd,ire" awful lnpiety.
When a fisherman swc2rs during
bad weather at sea lis comrades
Still grasp the nearest bit of
metal, crying, "Cauld iron 1t
is not so long since people thrust
a nail OF a knitting needle
through each article Of food in
the house, or dipped 1t i'll the
liquor when a person died.
This is enough persons interesr
ted in the subject VIII find reams
Of evidence in books devoted to
folklore We may credit that
the superstition arose every
where at the time when fierce
invaders, armed with iron, over
ran the country, 1nassaCring the
helpless people and destroying
the antique religion. After
wards, by a natural process, the
evil thing often came 20 be re
garded as protection against
other evil things-witctes and
demons and charms and death
itself. English babies we're de
Tended from fairy kiduaopers by
putting a key, knife, pair OF
torgs, above ali scissors. IL the
cradle. In many OF those pretty
tales dealing with a ''sWam mai
der" the girl cannot recover
her p1umage because II is locked
in a chest with an iron key
sometimes she getssa mortal tC
open the chest and flies away
upon the instant IN other sto'
ries she is released by i touch OF
iron: in one favorite version by
the husband throwing his bri,
die at or to her-the iron bit is
fatal.
STATE OF ONO, CITY OF TOLEDO, !
4 = rnI-N-T'N- :