The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-11-01
SALUTING "A SNEEZER
A CUSTOM THAT BELONGS TO EVERY
NATION AND CLINE.

GUS ON THAT BELONGS TO EVERY
NATION AND CLINE.
Tho~e Arc Many and Varied Answers
tn the Question, why Do We Do IT
That Was Asked by Pliny Some
Nineteen Centuries Ago.
"Why do we salute the sneezer?" ask
ed Pliny nineteen centuries ago. We
still ask the question, and one Won
ders if Pliny could collect so many
ingenious replies as the ana of the
twentieth century furnish.
In Caxton's 14S3 edition of "The
Golden Legende" is an account Of a
pestilence in Rome in the time of Greg
DRY the Great, from which many died
suddenly. 'Ln this manere, sometyme
snesying they deyed, so that when any
persone was herd snesying, anone they
that were by said to hym, God helpe
you, or Cryst helpe, and yet endureth
the custome." AS Pope Gregory reign
ed in the sixth century Pliny's query
far antedates the explanation in 1.-THE
Golden Legende."
at least $50 B. c., it is related that
Buddha, when preaching one day to
his disciples, sneezed, whereupon all
exclaimed: May the Blessed Lord
live! May the welcome one live!" thus
seriously interrupting the discourse.
Buddha said, '"Tell me, when person
sneezes, if the bystanders say, May
you live,' will he live the longer or
die the sooner for IT." Certainly not,
lord" So he forbade them to say it.
But the people took ofrense because the
priests did not thus salute them, and
Buddha revoked his command.
The Talmudic tradition is that the
custom dates from Jacob. Before his
time man did not die Of disease, ~but
when his appointed time was come he
sneezed once and was dead. Jacob pc.
titioned for exemption from this law,
and his prayer was granted on condi-
ton that among all nations sneeze
should be hallowed by the words, God
bless you"
The Greeks traced the custom back
to the myth of Prometheus, who made
an image Of clay and wished to give it
life. From the sun he stole reedful
Of rays, and, fastening back to his
statue, he placed the reed under Its
nOstrils, producing sneeze-a phe-
nomenon we may at any time produce
by standing in the sun. At this sign
of life in his creation Prometheus e1ac-
ulated blessing and a prayer for its
preservation, and this response to a
sneeze has been handed down through
all generations.
Also In the story of the Shunamite
child restored to life by the prophet
Elisha do we find the idea that this
convulsive effort of nature is the first
sign of life THE child sneezed seven
| times, and the child opened his eyes,"
According to Scottish folklore, new
born child is under the fairy spells un-
til it sneezes. Aristotle mentions the
practice of physicians who, when death
seems near, give medicines to induce
sneezing, hoping thereby to arouse the
failing faculties. Aristotle seems to
have given much attention to omens
| of sneezing. He says sneeze on the
right hand brings good fortune; on the
left hand it betokens i'll.
In the Odyssey, when Penelope calls
on the absent Ulysses to punish wrong:
Telemachus then sneezed aloud.
The smiling queen the happy omen bless
$50 may these impious fall by fate op-
pressed"
| st. Augustine records that when the
ancients arose in the morning If they
sneezed while putting on their shoes
they Immediately went back to bed
again in order to get up more aus
! piciously and so escape misfortunes
| likely to occur during the day. If
Hindoo sneezes while performing his
morning ablutlons in the Ganges he
touches his forehead, nose, chin and
cheeks with the tips of his fingers and
recommences his prayers from the very
beginning. In illness sneezing is con-
sidered good omen, a sign of return
Ing health. Howell in 1859 said, HE
that hath sneezed twice. turn him out
of the hospital" Among the ancients
II any one sneezed directly after din
ner dish was brought back and tast-
ed to avert misfortune.
The custom Of saluting belongs to
every nation and CLINE. In Ethiopia
when the king sneezed those about
him saluted SO loudly that they were
heard and echoed through the whole
city. In 1912 De Soto had an inter
view in Florida with cacique who
during conversation happened to
sneeze. All his attendants bowed their
heads. opened and closed their arms
and saluted the prince with MAY the
sun guard you. shine on you, defend
you, prosper you." and similar phrases.
An italian child's primer Of 1858 says,
Being prompt in saluting any one
who may sneeze and returning thanks
to any who on such an occasion may
have wished you we'll"
An epigram In the Greek anthology
shows it was customary to say God
bless you" The ancient Romans said
O~1 ,v~ ~ ~