The Breckenridge news., 1906-02-21

Though many of the old omens and
buperstitiOns have passed, there still
remain among every race hundreds
and thousands of popular beliefs.
Early religious teachings, fanatical be-
liefs, worship Of idols, sorcery, necro-
NANCY and the like perhaps laid the
foundation for the supcrStitiOns found
among the peoples of the globe. 1t
may be interesting to specify few
particularly BY comparing them with
those which have come under his own
observation in the United States the
reader will be astOniShed at the SINH
larity Of number and set TO wonder
Ing how they became so widespread.
Did they i'm some form exist before
the confusion of languages, or were
they carried from country to country
by restless individuals i'm their travels
and explorations during the centuries?
How is it that the most important and
degraded tribes on the other side of the
world have some superstitions in COM
mon with the most civilized and pro
gressive countries on this side?
The Eskimos believe in ghosts Ts
change the wind they drum, chant and
howl, shoot against it, build fires and
as a last resort fire the graves of the
dead When child dies in Greenland
the natives bury a live dog with it to
be used by the child as a guide TO the
other world. When asked about this
superstition they answer that "a dog
can find his way anywhere" Similar
to this custom is the pathetic one pre-
vailing i'm some parts Of France, where
a mother buries her dead child with It's
favorite toy or her own hair, that 1t
may not feel quite alone"
Speaking of France the belief 10
popular that the position Of drowned
body may he discovered by floating
loaf Of possibly the only scien-
tific basis being that the loaf is apt TO
be carried by a current just as body
Is. In Java n live sheep is thrown into
the water to locate Il drowned body by
sinking near It, In certain sections or
the United States shirt belonging TO
the deceased or some near relative Is
thrown in to float on its grewsome mis-
sion, but in Norway those in search or
q drowned body row to and fro with a
cock in the boat fully believing that
the bird will crow when the boat reach
es the spot where the corpse lies.
The cock and certain Omcns have
long been connected in various cOun-
tries. If il crows at a particular time
In Persia it is the sign of some event
affecting the family. and the master OF
the house rushcs out TO feel the birds
feet: if they are cold it is forerunner
Of death. but if warm, the sign is prOpi-
tiouS In West Virginia the Growing of
n cock before the door tells of a COM
ing company" while it is believed
in other portions of the south not by
the rural populations Of other sections
of the I'nion-that the shrill clarion aft
er sunset indicates early weather
changes or the announcement Of un-
welcome news.
The natives Of Cuba have one belief
at least in common with Americans
they regard the hootms of IN owl as
very bad sign If they can succeed in
killing the owl they believe this will
break the spell involving the life of
some member of the family. There is
something weird in its hooting. and |
have known persons to get ont of bed
at midnight To drive it from the tree
or corner of the dwelling believing
il harbiuger of ills. Perhaps the bird
is held in awe in other countries. 9th
ers of the feathcrcd tribe are so held
or regarded with reverence The peO-
pie in the south of Ireland are particu-
larly fearful of the robin entering their
houses; it is prognOStic of severe SHOWS
and frosts The crow ana pigeon are
looked upon as unlucky in Poland.
where the goat is Il harbingcr of good
luck, In Sweden il one kill wren lie
will break bone before the year Is
out.
The animals and insects that in
fricndlinpSs live near the abOdes Of
man ought to have Outlived the super
stitons surrounding them long ago, but
they have not. In Switzerland if
huntSman going out i'm the morning
sees u fox cross his path or meets an
old woman he turns back home. The
first means no game, the second that
he will shoot a man hidden in the
leaves or do some other lrreparable
mischief. I'm America it is the rabbit
crossing ones path which brings some
sort of bad luck In Hull, England, it
is unlucly to kill crickets. In Lanca-
shire it is thought they cut holes in the
stockings Of those who kill them. In
portions OF England also it is Gus
tomary to announce TO the bees death
in the family, especially that Of the
master. while If a swarm settle on the
dead branch OF tree death will Oc-
cur in the family within year. In
rural America if one kills the first
snake he sees in the spring it presages
that he will overcome his enemies dur
ing that year. On the other hand, the
African natives reverence the snake,