Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-11-05
;ROf: 5ypERoTlTloNs.
She Metal Wan Regarded by Esyp-
tinns rs Accused and Impure.

fiunS Accused ans iiuPuhSs
In Eay5t i.5ii -. nc:ainally accurs-
ed, even WHEN = oG.,o used it all day
long and every day. II was 1.-The lm-
nure metal,-"the bones of Typhon, -
father OF evil No n.,n could touch it
without sin. lie ,Hu 10 penance and
make atonement. That was tue theory
as long rs the Egyptim race endured.
In practice iron had been handled freely
for several thousand years. The only
niece of metal found in the great pyra-
mid was an iron bar. The Same conflict
of ancient faith with growing con-
yenienco was urged everywhere 10
doubt. but tie record does not exist. III
was lost before the classic time and so
Greek and Roman sasos puzzled over
odd little customs handed down from
days of old.
Cicero asked il vain why q tool of
iron must rot be brought into tho sa-
cred grove OF the aryals or, il brought
by accident, must be expiated by the
sacrifice of pig OF lamb, and Plu-
tarch wondered why tho archon OF
platpa might not touch iron except at
tho yearly festival concentrating the
triumph of Greece. There is no end TO
such instances. The sacred old Pons
Sublicius had to be repaired without
using iron; so had the ancient temple
of Jupiter Liber. In imperial times,
when the meaning OF such rules was
lost a special law abrosated them.
One may survey mankind from China
to Peru and fluid the same superstition
everywhere. Iron tools were forbidden
in the building of the temple at Jerusa-
lem The late Rajah Yizanagram. a
member of the council, a man OF great
learning and enlightenment, would not
allow iron TO be used i'll any building
throughout his territory. He believed
thatan epidemic would follow. Negroes
of the Gold Coast must remove any an
ticles of iron Oh their persons when con-
sulting the fetch. Upon the other hand
q Sikh must always have a pieco of
steel or iron about him. Burton tells
how "the pious Moslem stretches out
g finger exclaimine: Iron! OH, thou III
omened onet when a dustStorm ap-
proaches the MISUNDERSTANDING 1T to
be directed ny a jinnee.
In Scotland many traces survive. To
use iron in kindlins the "reedire'
was awful impiety. When fisherman
swears during bad weather ut sen. his
comrades still grasp the nearest Bit of
metal. crying. "Cauld iron!' 1t is nos
so long since people thrust 4 nail or q
knitting needle through each article 0!
food in the house or dipped it IL the
LIQUOR when person died. This ii
enough-Dersons interested i'll the sub
jecr Will find reams OF evidence i'll books
devoted 10 folklore. We may crediE
that the superstition arose everywhere
ut the time when fierce invaders. armed
with iron, overran the country, mas
sacring the helpless people and destroy
ing the antique religion. 1t was the &C.
cursed metal.
Afrerward by natural process the
evil thing often came to be regarded as
a protection against other ovil things
witches and demons and charms and
death itself. English babies were de.
Tended from fairy kidnapers by put
ting key, knife, pair Of tongs and above
all. scissors, in the cradle. In many of
those pretty tales dealing with "swap
maiden the girl cannot recover hel
plumage because it is locked in chest
with an iron key. Sometimes she gets q
mortal TO open the chest and flies away
upon the instant In other stories she i:
released by touch Of iron, i'll one IA
vorite version by the husband throwing
his bride at or 10 her-the iron bit is
fatal.-London Standard.