The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-01-12
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT IRON
We're Prevalent in Ancient Times and
still Have Local Existence.

We're Prevalent in Ancient Times and
still Have Local Existence.
In Egypt iron was nomlnally accnrs-
ed, even when people used 1t all day
long and every day. Ii was "the i'm
pure metal"Z"the bones of Typhon.'
father of evil. No man could touch It
without sin; he must do penance and
make atonement. That was the theory
as long as the Egyptian ace endured;
in practice iron had been handled free
~ for several thousand years. The only
piece of metal found In the great pyra-
mid was an iron bar. The same con-
fliet of ancient faith with growing eon-
venlence was urged everywhere. no
doubt; but the record does not exist. Ii
was lost before the classic time, and so
Greek and Roman sages puzzled owe
odd little customs handed down from
days of old. Cicero asked in vain why
a tool of iron must not be brought In
10 the sacred grove of theArvals-or il
brought by accident. must be eXpiated
by the sacrifice Of Il pig or a lamb; and
P1utarch wondered why the Archon Of
Plataea might not touch iron except at
the yearly festival commemorative the
triumph Of Greece. There is no end TO
such instances. The sacred old Pons
Sublicius had 10 be- repaired without
using iron; 20 had the ancient temple
of Jupiter Liber-in imperial times,
when the meaning of such rules was
lost. a special law ~abrogated them.
One may survey mankind from China
TO Peru and find the same superstition
everywhere. Iron tools were forbidden
in the building of the temple at Jeru.
salem. The late Rajah Nizanagram, a
member Of the council. n man of great
learning and enlightenment. would not
allow iron TO be used in any building
throughout his territory. He believed
that an epidemic would follow. Ne
groes OF the Gold coast must remove
any particles of iron on their persons
when consulting the fetish. Upon the
other hand. n sikh must always have
"A piece of steel or iron about him, Bur
ton tells how the pious Moslem
stretches out a finger exclaiming, Iron,
oh. thou ill-omened onetn when a dust
storm approaches the caravan-beliey-
ing II 10 he directed by a Djinn.
In Scotland many traces survive. To
Use iron in kindling the "needfire' was
awful impiety. When Il fisherman
swears during bad weather at sea his
comrades still; grasp the nearest biz OF
metal. crying "Cauld IRON 1t is not
so long since people THRUST a nail or a
knlttlng-needle through each article OF
food in the house, or dipped it in the
liquor, when n person died. This is
enough-persons Interested In the sub
ject will 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, overran the country,
massacring the helpless people and
destroying the antique religion. IT was
the accuIsed metal. Afterward. by a
natural process, the evil Thing often
came 10 he regarded as a protection
against other evil thlngs-wltches and
demons and charms and death itself,
English babies were defended from
fairy kidnapefs by putting a key, knife,
pair of tongs. above all. scissors. In the
cradle. In many OF these pretty tales
dealing with a swan maiden" the girl
cannot Iecoyer her plumage because
IL Is locked In a chest with an iron key
sometimes she gets a mortal TO open
the chest, and flies away upon the In
slant. In other stories she is released
by a touch Of iron; IN one fayorite YER
sion by the husband throwing his
bride at or to her-the iron bit is fatal.
London Standard.