The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-09-16
HORSESHOE LUCK.
A Superstition Common to Nearly
All Races and Nations.

A Superstition Common to Nearly
All Races and Nations.
The origin of belief in horseshoe
luck" is SO ancient that it never has
been determined with certainty, and
10 superstition is more universal. Ever
since horses began TO wear shoes those
crcScents of iron have been accounted
lucky emblems of all peoples, races
and nations that have been acquainted
with their use.
The Chinese. for instance, say they
nail them up over their doors as Il
charm against evil spirits because of
the close resemblance in shape between
them and the arched body of the sal
cred snake. Nagendra. one of their
principal dcitirS.
Ask Il Turkish Mohammedan for in
formation Oh the subject and he will
t>!l yuu that it is because they are in
form like Il crescent. the sacred emf
hlr!-. Of Islam.
y Polish Jew will explain that ut the
passover the blood SpIEklcd upon the
Intel and loorpoStS. in the manner
directed by their ritual. forms the chief
points of IN arch; hence. obviously,
the value Of arch shaped taliSmans
such rs hurSrShUrS are.
The St0lid and uniluaginative Rus
sian peasant Oh tie other hand. MAIN
taiES that the luck associated with Tie
horseshoe is due chiefly to the metal,
Irrespective of its shape, iron being
additionally Il charm whcrewith To
nulIify tie malevolent designs of evil
spirits and COLLINS.
Very different is the story by which
the IrShman seeks To account for his
liking for the same talsmanic symbol.
The name "IrOnland' or Ireland" lie
will tell you. originated rs follows:
The whole island WAS once Submerg-
cd in the sea. out of which it only rose
once i'll seven years. and then only for
Il very short time. Many attempts had
been made To break riIe spell and i'll
duce the country to remain pcrmn-
ncntly above the waters, but all were
vain until one day Il daring adven-
turpr threw horseshoe from boat
on to the topmost peak of the Wicklow
mountains just as they were disap-
bearing beneath the waves. Then ut
last WAS tie ban removed. The Elmer
aid Isle began forthwith To rise again
fr,m the ocean depths into which it
lad sunk. And ii has been dry land
more or less since.
II England. mp 10 comparatively re-
cent tiEl;.S. horscSh0cS were extensive
L. used almost everywhere as anti
witch charms. and the custom is not
even vet an extinct one No WITCH ii
used 10 he said. could enter Il building
Ger TIE door of which horseshor-
or. better still three horSeSlocS-had
been affixed. rrongS downward.
I'll" origin of this particular belief is
rrf,riihlr Ia the Old legend of st.
IsUnStHn. This versatile English cccic-
"ia&tir WAS Il skilled farricr. and one
day willie ut work in his forge the evil
one entered il disguise and requested
IunStau to shoe his single hOof."
The saint. although le ut once rccng-
niZed his malign customer, acccded.
but caused him so much pain during
the operation that Satan begged him to
deSiSt This DunStan did. but only
after he had made the evil one prom
Use that neither he nor any of the less
or evil spirits. his servants. would ever
modest the inmates of a house where a
horseshoe was displayed.