Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-03
EARRINGS IN MOSES TIME.
Men, Women and Children Adorned
With Pendants in Many Lands.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
The Mahometans have a curious legend to
account for the beginning of the custom or
wearing earrings. They say that Sarah.
being jealous of Hagar, vowed that she
would not rest until she had imbrued her
hands in the blood of her bondmaid. Abra-
ham quickly pierced Hagar's ear and drew
ring through it, so that Sarah was able
to fulfil her rash vow without danger to the
bondmaid's life.
From that time they say. it became Gus
tomary for women to wear earrings. The
story of Rebekah's earring is only one of
many early biblical illusions to the orna-
rnent. When Aaron made the golden call.
1T will be remembered he called upon the
Israelites to break off 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 earrings were worn by
the Hebrews without regard to sex or age.
In Great Britain the familiar ornaments
have been worn for many centuries, and not
by women only. Charles /. it is said, wore
pearl earrings of considerable value. and the
day before his execution took one from his
ear and gave it to Bishop JuXon for trans
mission 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.
II - WoIl III HOtlilS tiidl dl ledSl one eAlSt-
ing portrait of Shakespeare represents him
wearing such an adornment. This is at
Wentworth Park, Yorkshire, and shows the
poet with mustache and beard and an ear
ring in his left ear. Lord Sherborne pos
sesses at Sherborne house. the old
world town of Northleach, a portrait of one
Thomas Dutton, sixteenth century worthy,
who is represented, says his lordship. lin
the prime of life and wearing remarkably
fine pearl in his left ear. The right ear is
not shown, but presumably he wore CORE
| spending earring in it
Nowadays few men wear them, save some
| sailors and fishermen and navvies. Among
| southern people their use by both sexes is
more common, and often begins at early
age. In Spain babes ears are bored soon
| after birth. The family doctor performs the
operation and inserts 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 most bene-
| fetal influence on the eyes
Spanish woman writes "Ophthalmia
and scrofula are rare in Spain, and the ma
| tiveS 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 a linguist, is said by his
| biographer to have worn them from infancy
| as a preventive against an affection of the
| eyes to which he had been subject.
The popular notion that piercing the ear
exercises a beneficial influence upon the
| optic nerves is widespread. An English
! traveller of little more than a century ago
noticed that many men in Vienna wore ear
rings, and was told they were worn good
deal for the eyes-"the hole in the ear and
the weight of the earrings drawing any hui
NOR in the eyes to those parts'-which is
hardly scientific.
Village folk in England believe in the good
effect of ear-piercing on the eyes just as
firmly as their like in Italy and elsewhere
abroad. In fact, in some places ear-piercing
is regarded by the rustics as remedy for
many troubles. AT the other side of the
world boys have their ears pierced from a
different motive A writer Chinese SUI
persttions says that John Chnaman pierces
his little boys ears and makes him wear
earrings, for If an evil spirit happens to see
him he will mistake him for a girl and will
not take the trouble to carry him away.