Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-01-04
SNEEzER SALUTE
a Custom That Belongs to
Every Nation and.AA
Chimes.
Curious Answers to Habit
That Nobody Ever
Prevents.

L
Ingenious replies as the ana of the
twentieth century furnish.
In Cations 14S:; edition of '.The
Golden Legende" is an account OF Il
pestilence III Rome In the time Of Greg
ory the Great, from which many died
suddenly. In this manere, semetyme
| snesying they deyetl, so that when any
persone was herd snesying. anone they
that were by said To hym, God helpe
| you. Or Cryst helpe, aud vet endureth
the custOme." AS Pope Gregory reign
Ell In the sixth century PlinN's query
far antedates the explanation in THE
Golden Legende."
| In the Buddhist Scriptures, dating
at least $50 Il. G.. it is related that
Buddha, when preaching one day to
his disciples, sneezed whereupon all
exclaimed: May the Blessed Lord
i've! May the welcome one live" thus
seriously interrupting the discourse
Buddha said, Tell me, when person
sneezes. Ii the bystanders say. May
you live will he live the longer or
| die the sooner for it," "Certs,:nly not,
lord So he forbade them to say it.
But the people took otfense 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, hut
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
lie. FrOm@tlie sun he stole reetfful
Of rays, and, Fastening back to his
statue, he placed the reed under its
nOstrils. producing a sneeZe-a phe-
n0menon we may at any time produce
by standing In the sun. At this sign
Of life In his creation Frometheus ejac-
ulated blessing and a prayer for Its
preservation, and this response to a
sneexe 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
! conclusive effort of nature is the first
sign of life. The child sneezed seven
times, ana 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
sneezng. hoping thereby to arouse the
| failing faculties. Aristotle seems to
have given much attention to omens
| of sneezing. He says sneeze OH the
| right hand brings good fortlhle: on the
left hand 1t befokens ill.
| In the odyssey. when Penelope calls
on the absent Ulysses to punish wrong:
| Telemachus then sneezed aloud
! Tho smiling queen the happy omen bless
ed,
1 $50 may these impious fall by fate OPP
pressed"
4 It, Augustine records that when the
ancients arose In the morning IL they
sneezed while putting on their shoes
they Immediately went back to bed
! piciOusly and so escape msfortuMes
4 likely to occur during the day. II a
! HindOO sneezes while performing his
morning ablutiOns in the Gauges he
/ touches his forehead. nose, chin and
| cheeks with the tips Of his fingers and
! recommences his prayers from the very
i beginning. IL illness sneezing is con
sidered good omen, u sign Of return
ing health. Howell In 1853 said, He
that hath sneeZed twice, turn him out
OF the hospital Among the ancients
II any one sneezed directly after din
ner q dish was brought back and tast-
Ell to avert misfortune.
The custom OF saiuting belongs to
4 every nation and cline. In Ethiopia
when the king sneezed those about
him saluted SO loudly that they were
heard and echoed through the whoa
4 city. In 1912 De Soto had an inter
view In Florida with cacique who
i during conversation happened to
sneeze. All his attendants bowed their
heads, opened and closed their arms
and saluted the prince Will, May the
sun guard yo,I. shine on you, defend
you, prosper YOU" and similar phrases,
An Italian child's primer of l55y;, says,
Being prompt In saluting any one
who may sneeze and returning thanks
to any who Oh such an occasion may
have wished you well ~
4 An epigram IN tue Greek anthology
shows it was customary to say God
bless you. The ancient Romans said
s'Salye. Tile modern Roman OF the
lower class says, "Figli maschl" sIay
you have male children. The north
Germans say, our good health IN
Vienna. God be with you:'''s In Ireland
the peasant says. God bless your hon
or. 4ong lite to your honor The
i Russian form Is 10 your good health
or & How do you do r. English folk lore
IL full OF rhymes about sneezhlg on
certain days. III Deyonshlre they say
I sneeze on Sunday morning. fasting.
You'll enjoy your own true love everlast-
ins.
This = but one. Of the many that AZ
= - ~ evar thu AAA