The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-30
QUEER ANIMAL SUPERSTITIONS.
Play Important Part In Many ReHgiens
OF the world.

The pig plays q part In many beliefs. Mr..
Hickson, who travelled much In the Celebes
and adjacent islands. says tho London GLOBE.
found . tribe vino believed that the whole
earth 10 borne by q pig belonging to the god
Mak-a- wa-lang. who dwells In tho under
world and that the frequent earthquakes
In that region arc caused by the pig rubbing
itself against the trees.
Some Of the Inhabitants. however. assert
that the world does not stand on the pig
itself, but on . number Of piles and 1t IL
against these that the porker rubs itself.
with such terrible results. Another example
of pig superstition u found In the mythology
OF the East. from which ono learns that when
the earth was hidden away by the malice OF
a giant the god Vishnu took upon himself
the form OF a great boar. This animal had
fiery tusss, with which 1t rooted the earth
up from the depths of Patalas. putting 1t
once more In its proper place. This circum-
stance places the pig high in the estimation
OF large portion Of the people OF Asia by
associatins 1t with his third Avatar. in COM
memoration of which the god Is sometimes
represented In Hindu temples with the
head Of pig.
Animals generally. however. have not
insignificant positions In the realms Of super
stition. Thus, in Holland and Belgium. to
kill a stork is considered one Of the greatest
misfortunes that could happen to q man.
life In the Ural Mountains tho peasantry
believe that II a wolf sees q man before the
man sees the wolf the man will be struck
dumb and remain 80 - long ~ the wolf
lives. The Esbdmos consider that bad for
tune will follow a hunter unless whenever
ne kills = polar bear 10 cuts OF the anlmalh
nose and throws II on the ice. The Lspps.
too, believe that the bear is Invested with
supernatural powers. and conseau entity never
r..n<,nc hlo ma snAnkin1 ~ him sCodsa
dog, or the old man IL the fur CLOAK" The
screechlns of an owl or the killing OF one.
IS we'll a. the croaking OF raven. or the
Growing Of hen. are also sometimes regarded
a. Indications Of coming calamity.
But some Of the most !nte-estlns super
stitions are connected with death. In
some country districts Of England and Cor
many there Ia an idea that II the bees swarm
upon Q rotten tree there will be . death In
the family owning or living on the property
within q year In Greenland when . child
dies the natives bury q live dog with It. to
be used by the child as guide to the other
world, because. they say. dog can find its
way anywhere
A prettier custom prevails among tho Sen
eca indians when maiden dies. A young
bird Is imprisoned until 1t first BE- gins to
sing, and then thcy kiss II and set 1t at liberty
over the girls grave. believing that It will
not fold its wings nor close Its eyes until
II has flown to the spirit land and delivered
It's burden Of affection to the departed one
In this way II is not uncommon for . score
of birds to be set loose over the same grave,
The Mojaves say that all tho dead who are
not cremated are turned into owls. and tho
screeching Of one OF those birds at night
they ina CINE to be caused by the spirit Of
some dead Mojave.
And In the Mohammedan creed animals
have a place. Among the beliefs Of the fol-
lowers OF the Prophet Is one that eleven ami
mails were admitted to Paradise. These
were the dog Khatim. Of the Seven sleepers
of Ephesus: Balaam ass; SOlomon's ant.
the particular one which reproved the slug
gard; Jonahs whale. .Ishmsels. ram. the
camel Of Saleb, the cuckoo OF Belk!s, the OK
Of Moses; Al borak. the animal which con.
yeyed Mohammed to heaven: the ass on
which Christ rode into Jerusalem, and the
she paid her famous visit to Solomon This
is not. however. by any means the only super.
stltious belief concerning Paradise. For
Instance, many Of the South Sea Islanders
believe that heaven can only be inherited
by persons whose physical forms are perfect.
Where this idea prevails man will die rather
than submit to amputation. It would seem
that John Chinsmsns .plgtail owed Its ak
istence to the belief that II. would form, q
convenient handle by which ono day ne
would be lifted into Paradise.