The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-10-15
ORIGIN OF EARRINGS
THE CURIOUS LEGEND THAT IS TOLD
BY THE MOHAMMEDkNs.


How Abraham Enabled Her 10 FuI
MI It-Men, Women and ChiIdrel
In Many Lands AdOrn Their Ears
The Mohammedans have a curious
legend to account for the beginning Of
the custom Of wearing earrings. They
say that Sarah, being jealous Of Ia
! gar, vowed that she would not rest IN
! I'll she had imbrued her hands in the
/ blood Of her bondmaid. Abraham
/ quickly pierced Hagar's ear and drew
q ring through il, 50 that Sarah was
able to fulfill her rash vow without
danger to the bOndmaid's life.
From that time, they say, il became
customary for women TO wear ear.
rings. The story Of Rebekah's earring
is only one of many early Biblical al
lusiOns to the ornament. When Aaron
made the golden calf, it will be re.
membered, he called upon the Israelites
TO break OF the golden earrings which
are in the ears Of your wives, Of your
sons and Of your daughters and bring
them unto me-" And out Of these and
other golden ornaments the calf was
made. From this it is plain that ear
rings were worn by the Hebrews with
out regard to sex or age.
In Great BEtain the familiar orna
ments have been worn for many CEN
turtles, and not by women only. Charles
l., it is said, wore pearl earrings Of con
siderable value and the day before his
execution took one from his ear and
gave it to Bishop Yukon for transmits
sion to his daughter, the princess royal
Rabelais says that it was in his day
the era of Henry VII. of England
that men in France first began to wear
earrings.
1t is worth noting that at least one
existing portrait Of Shakespeare repre-
sents him wearing such an adornment.
This is at Wentworth Park, Yorkshire,
and shows the poet with mustache and
beard and an earring in his left ear.
Lord Sherborne possesses at Sherborne
House, near the old world town Of
NOrthleach, portrait Of one Thomas
Dutton, a sixteenth century worthy,
who is represented, says his lordship,
Gin the prime Of life and wearing a re-
markedly fine pearl in his left ear. The
right ear is not shown, but presumably
he wore a corresponding earring in it."
Nowadays few men wear them save
some sailors and fishermen and nav
vies. Among the people Of the south
en part OF Europe their use by both
sexes is more common and often be-
gins at an early age. In Spain babes
ears are bored soon after birth. The
family doctor performs the operation
and inserts a gold ear wire Boys wear
these ear wires till they attain man
hood, when the wires are removed.
The idea is that the process has a most
beneficial influence on the eyes.
A Spanish woman writes, "Ophthal-
mia and scrOfula are rare in Spain, and
the natives maintain that freedom
therefrom is owing to ear piercing
In Portugal and Italy and frequently
In France children usually have their /
ears pierced at an early age. Many
men in the south retain their earrings
after reaching manhood Cardinal /
Mezzofanti, famous for his powers as /
4 linguist, is said by his biographer to /
have worn them from infancy as a pre- /
7entive against an affection Of the eyes /
10 which he had been subject.
The popular notion that piercing the /
sar exercises a beneficial influence up- /
IN the optic nerves is widespread. An
English traveller Of little more than a
century ago noticed that many men in
Vienna wore earrings and was told
hey were wUTn a good deal for the
yes, "the hole in the ear and the
weight Of the earring drawing any hu-
nor in the eyes to those parts" which
S hardly scientific.
Village folk in England believe in
he good effect Of ear piercing on the
We just as firmly as their like in Italy
md elsewhere abroad. In fact, in some
'laces ear piercing is regarded by the
ustics as a remedy for many troubles.
1t the other side of the world boys
ave their ears pierced from a different
motive. A writer on Chinese supersti-
ions says that John Chinaman pierces
us little boys ears and makes him
year earrings, for If an evil spirit hap
ems to see him he viii mistake him
or girl and will not take the trouble
D carry him away.-LOndon Telegraph.