The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-31
ANTIQUE HORSESHOE LORE.
Ancients Gave Credence to the sper-
stitiOns Regarding the Emblem.
the Philadelphia Enquirer.

From the Philadelphia Enquirer.
why is a horseshoe lucky, and why is
it hung over the door to bring luck to the
home, and why don't everybody have
one?" demanded the small questioner of
the household.
1t seemed an easy matter at first to an
swer this rush of questioning, but 1t was
a surprise TO discover, on making a care
full research for horseshoe superstitions,
how widespread and how ancient is the
belief in the power of the horseshoe to
ward off evil.
In the long ago. the horse shoe SUPER
stition seems to have had several differ
ent origins, among them being the facts
that its shape was very early considered
an emblem of good luck; 1t was worn by
the horse, which was looked upon as the
most useful and the most lucky of ami
mails and it is made of iron, which is
popularity believed to be endowed with
protecting qualities beyond those Of any
other metal. Even now the most rapid
enemy of superstition will half-laughing-
ly pick up an old horseshoe and carry il
home with him.
The horseshoe has often been the
means of saving life. English lore tells
how Queen Margaret. watched the battle
of Blore Heath in 1853, and when she
saw the battle would be lost made her
escape on horseback, having the black
smith Ceverse the shoes of her horse so
that 1t would appear she was galowing
toward the scene Of the battle instead OF
away. During out Civil War this scheme
was put into practice. and Yankee wit
was credited with originating It, Back
in the Middle Ages, thirty-three years be-
fore Columbus started on his famous voy-
L 49,
of this plan to save her husband and his
followers This is the earliest authenti-
Gated instance Of the scheme.
The Romans drove nails into the walls
of their cottages as an antidote for the
plague. The Arabs believe that the evil
gent which sends the simeon upon them
can be appeased by the shout, Iron,
ironH and when overtaken by that storm
that Is the cry they raise. The Scandi-
navian constantly carries in the bottom
of his boat an open knife or nall driven
in a reed to ward off the water spirits
Many nations have long held that iron
is a poten; breaker of the spell of witch
craft, so the finding of old iron is lucky
and as old iron is mostly found In the
shape of horseshoes, and as the horse
shoe Is the lucky crescent shape, the
horseshoe has come TO be considered a
lucky emblem.
In English folk lore horses were looked
upon as luck-bringers, and in Yorkshire
II is still thought that disease may be
cured by burying a horse alive, while in
some rural districts, 1t Is a common prac-
tice TO place horses hoofs under the beds
Of invalids to cure disease. Near the
close of the last century the belief in the
power of horseshoes reached its hight
and in the West End OF London horse
shoe was nailed over the door Of almost
every house. Fifty years later there were
but half a many. and the present day
sees only a scant few, as education over
rides superstition.
over the door OF one OF the principal
churches of Suffolk prominent horse
shoe was worked into the architecture
probably with the idea of keeping the
witches out. Az that time. fifty years
ago, many churches had horseshoes nail
cd over the doors. The Irish peasants
modify the custom and nail horseshoes
on the thresholds. planting cloves of wild
garlic over the door. There Is n pre-
vailing custom of affixing horseshoe 10
the foremasts Of ships. and many of the
most famous battleships have carried this
emblem in the past