The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-23
HALLOWE' ZEN SUPERSTTIONS.
INTERPRETATIONS OF STRANGE
SIGNS, DREAMS AND oMENs. E
Various Ways In Which the Fairies
Tell Maidens the Name of Future
Lord and Master.

The lads and lassies. particularly of
Scotland and Ireland. and the young
people of Wales and England. as well
as the youth of this and other coun-a
tries have for centuries hailed the
night Of Halloween. the last night in
October. as prophetic.
The first ceremony of Halloween
among the Scotch IS the pulling of a
stock or plant of kali. All the company
go out and with closed eyes each pulls
the first plant of this kind ne or she is
able to lay hold of. Its being big or
little. straight or crooked, IS prophetic
of the size, shape and other character
istics Of tine grand object Of all the
Halloween spelIs-the husband or wife.
If any earth remains clinging to the
root, that signifies fortune. and the
state of the heart of the stem, as per-
ceptible to the taste Is Indicative of the
natural temper and disposition Of a
future spouse.
Burning nuts is a famous CALIFORNIAN
charm. Two hazel nuts, sacred to the
witches, one bearing the name Of the
lad and tie other of the lass, are laid
in the fire, side by side, and according
ly as they burn quietly together or
start away from one another. SO will
be the progress and issue of the court
ship.
Certain forms must be observed to
insure the success of q. given spell. and
in the following one there must be no
departure from the formula: A maiden
should steal out, entirely alone, to the
kiln and throw into the pot a ball Of
blue yarn, holding fast to the end She
should then begin winding the yarn ur-
til itresfsts, WheTeupon she should de-
mand who holds this yarn?" An an
swer will be returned from the lilnp0t,
naming fIe EtffriSfiar and GlIrrIT1e1 of
her future spouse.
Another test is for her to take a cam
die, and, going alone. by it's light only,
stands before a. mirror and eat an APP
pie. Some traditions say one should
comb ones hair instead of eating the
apple, The conditions of the spell being
perfect, a sfadowy face, supposed to
be that of the maiGen's future husband,
Will be seen in the glass, as If peeping
over her shoulder.
Another Scotch ceremony into which
the uncanny largely enters as an eie-
ment, is described as follows: One or
more go out, as the case may be flor
this is a special spelD, to a south run
ming spring or rivulet, where "three
lairds' lands meet" and dip the left
shirt sleeve. Go to bed in sight Of a
fire and hang the wet sleeve before it
to dry. Lie watching carefully, and
the exact figure of the grand object in
question will come and turn the sleeve,
as if to dry the other side of it.
An interesting Halloween dfvination
that solves matrimonial doubt and ban
ishes uncertainty is accomplished by
arranging three dishes upon. the hearth.
Into the first is put clean water, into
the second clouded or muddy water,
while the third is left empty. The can
to &c s.aIx FOIL LODI Ie1
to the hearth where the dishes are. The.
left hand is dipped, and if by chance
it be in the clean water, the wife that
is to be will come to the bar of matri-
mony a maid; if in the muddy water,
a widow; but if in the empty dish, it
forete1ls with equal certainty no mar
riage at all. This ceremony is three
times repeated, the arrangement of the
dishes being each time changed.
To the old Scotch Halloween super
stitions there has been added other for
merly unattached superstitions. until it
is now difficult, if not impossible, to
trace whence came many of the OBJ
that mark the closing day of
October. In certain parts of the world
the old Druid fires are still lit on Hal
lowe'en eve but without knowing that
the surviving custom is a relic of pa
ganis1n. In Ireland. as we'll as in
are current, one of theETl
being the ceremony of the making of
the dumbcake. Several young women
should each take a handful of wheaton
-four and add water and salt to make a
dough, which should BE kneaded by
them with their left thumbs, unbrolIen
silence being maintained by all the
Each one must then roll her
cake I'D and spread it thin and broad,
marking on it with a large new pin the
initials of her name. The several cakes
are then set before the fire, and each
sits quietly in a chair as far
from the cakes as the room
will permit. This must all be done soon
after II o'clock at night, and between
that time and II o'clock each person
turns her cake once. and a few min
utes after midnight the husband If her
that is to be first married will appear
and lay his hand on the part of the
cake marked as aforesaid. A supple
ment to the durnbcake ceremony will
show the occupation of a girls future
lord and master. This consists in MELT
ing a quantity of lead and in pouring
the molten metal carefully through a
symbolic brass key into cold water.
The shape assumed by the resultant
metal mass indicates the trade, bust
ness or profession of the longed-for
knigh<.
The matter of occupation or social
state is also determined by taking a
walnut. hazelnut and a nutmeg, and
grating them well together. Mix them
with butter and sugar, and of the plas-
tic mass make small pills. of which
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