Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-11-15
SALUTiNG A SNEEZER
= CUSTOM THAT BELONGS TO EVERY
NATION AND CLINE.

10 the ouestson, why DO We no rtf
That Was Asked ny PIIny som.
Nineteen Centuries Ago.
Why do we salute the sneczerr' ask
ell Phny nineteen centuries ago. We
stu ask the question. and one won
GERS IL Pliny could collect so many
ingenious replies as the ann OF tho
twentieth century furnish.
In Cations 14S3 edition OF .sThe
Golden Legende" IS an account of n
pestilence I'm Rome I'm the time OF Greg
ory me Great. from which many died
suddenly. In this manere, SOMETIME
snesying they deyed. 80 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
ell In the sixth century Pllny's query
iar antedates the explanation In THE
Golden Legende"
In the Buddhist Scriptures. dating
AZ ieast 100 h. G., Il is related that
Buddha, when preaching one day 20
MS disciples. neezed. whe-eupon all
exclaimed. May the Blessed Lord
live, May the welcome one Iiver' thus
seriously inteTupting the discourse
buudha said. Tell me. when n person
SneezeS. II the bystanders say. May
you i've will he live the longer or
uie me sooner for IT, Certainly not.
lord SO he forbade them TO say II
But the people took oncnsc 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 aud was dead. Jacob ne.
utioned for exemption from this law.
ana his prayer was granted on condi-
ton that among all nations a sneeze
should be hallowcd 10y the words. God
bless you
Inc Greeks traced the custom back
To the myth Of PromcthCus. who made
an Image or clay and wished 10 give II
lie. From the sun he stole n ree,iful
or rays. and. Fastening back To his
statue. ho placed thu reed under its
noStrilS. producing d sneeze-a phe-
nomenon we may az any time produce
10y standing I'm the sun At this sign
OF life I'm his creation Promethcus eiac.
uiated a blessing and prayer FOR its
preservation. and this response TO a
sneeze has been handed down through
all generations.
Also I'm the story or the Shunamite
child restored 10 life 10y the prophet
Elisha DO we find the idea that this
convuisive effort OF nature is the first
sign OF life. The child sncczed seven
times. and The child opened his eyes
According % Scottish folklore. a new.
born child is under tho fairy spells IN.
al 10 Sncozes. Aristotle mentions the
practice of physicians who. when death
seems near. give medicines 10 induce
snoczins. hoping thereby To- arouse the
failing faculties Aristotle seems 10
have given much attention % omens
Of snecziug he says q Snecze on the
right hand brings good fortune: on the
left hand 90 hctokcus no.
In The odyssey when Penelope calls
on the absent Ulysses 20 punish wrong:
Tc'cmacbus then succzcd aloud.
The smiling queen tho happy omen bless
ca.
$50 may those implous IAN bv fate on
pressed"
81. Augustine records that when the
0ncients arose I'm the morning IL they
snee1cd while putting ON their shoes
they Immediately went back To bed
again n order 20 get up more aus
plciouSly and So escape mlsfortuncs
likely 10 occur during the day. II
Hindoo sneezes while performing his
morning abluuons Ia the Ganges he
touches his forehead. nose. chin and
checks with The tips OF his fingers and
rccommcnces his prayers from the very
beginning IN illness sneczlng is con
sidcrcd good omen. sign Of return
inS health. Howell in 1859 said. lie
that hath Sneczcd twice turn him out
OF the hospital" Among the ancients
If any one sneczed directly after din
ner a dish was brought back AMI tast-
ell 10 avert misfortune
The custom Of Saluting belongs 10
every nation and CLINE. In Ethiopia
when the King Sneezcd those about
him Salutcd 50 loudly that they were
heard ana echoed through the whole
city. In 1912 De Soto had an inter
view IN FLORIDA with a caclque who
during conversation happened tc
snceze. Al his attendants bowed their
heads, opened and closed their arms
and saluted the prince with May the
sun guard Yen, shine on YOU. defend
you. prosper YOU" and similar phrases.
An Italian chld'S primer OF 1903 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 I'm the Greek anthology
shows 1t was customary TO say God
bless YOU" The ancient Romans said
"Salve." The modern Roman OF the
lower class says. "FlSli maSchi" Clay
you have male childrcn) The north
Germans say. Your good health" in
Vienna, God be with yOu:" In Ireland
the peasant says. God bless your hon
or" Long lie 10 your honor" The
Russian form Is To your good health"
or How do YOU dog" English folklore
Is fun Of rhymes about Sneezing on
certain days. In DevOnShire they say:
Sneeze on Sunday morning fasting.
You'll enjoy Your own true love everlast-
ing
This Is but one of the many that are
in use all over the land.