Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-12-21


something. too
NOT TO THE LOWLY ALONE.
II is not among the peasantry alone
that superstition Is deep-rooted. In
many no4senoIus OF the better class
erc ls Tar. more faith In the healiu4
efficacy OF some magic concoction than
IN the drugs OF doctor. II some
servant chances 10 be smitten win
some atlment recourse is first had TO
the nearest wizard OF wise woman, who
supplies some supposedly mysterious
powder, which. mixed with salt is
placed in a saucer. This Is sprin-
hed over the patient TO the aCcompani-
ment of a hodsepodge OF an incanta-
tiou. Such treatment is supposed to be
ST. p specific for all the common ills.
Ordinarily 1t Is only when the witCn
OF wizard fails that the doctor Is CALI
ed inf ID be not then too late.
A witch cor wizard Is to- be found ion
every village of commune These my,-
terious people roughly divide into two
classes-the ordinary witch or "vied-
mo- simply engaged in the black cult
without having any special religious
propensities and The "proro,' or seer,
supposed 10 be inspired by God deeply
religious and well versed I'm tales OF
the saints. their different likes. dis
likes and customs-an important asset
ranges his seed time ana harvest ac-
cording TO the Saints calendar and be-
lieyes that the Seven Sleeping Brothers
can give him fair or foul corn
cutting as surely as spring follows the
winter. The "prorok generally has "a
smattering Of learning, can read and
add up. write his name and his neigh
bors. "prorok' are rarer than "vid-
my as they need the above mentioned
qualifications but they are supposed
10 be- much more powerful ana rule the
commuues which are happy enough 90
possess them. Their fields are larger
and their barns better filled than their
ueighbors'-thauks TO the credulity Of
the latter who would not offend the
prorok' for anything IN the world.
Kolec2wsH belonged 90 this latter
class.
SOUGHT AS AN ORACLE.
But whether the wizard be religious
or not he is applied 60 for advice on an
occasions and under every misfortune
and difficulty that besets the peasant
Surprising a man IS unlucly with his
sheep and they die on in largo NUM-
beers. lie believes that an evil spirit
has got into his sheds and must be
hunted out before the misfortune can
be got rid OF. Tradition tells him that
the head Of dead man. buried al the
cross roads. must be hung up over
the door OF the sheep sheds. This
alone viii drive away the evil spirit
III the gruesome relic has once be-
louFed go shepherd. all the better.
only the local witch Or wizard knows
W here such things are 90 be found.
having knowledge Of cross roads and
the secrets they contain. The peas
ant goes 90 the witch or wizard. who.
on payment OF Zee (Which varies ac-
Cording 90 the peasasts wealth and the
number 1f sheep he has losD promises
90 nnd ont by lamentations whore A
corpse lies buried. The harassed peas
ant returns to the attack in a few days
and r. then led 10 the cross roads that
contain what he wants. With many
incantatlons the head Ia dug up, taken
home and nailed over she sheep shed.
what the wizard does remains "a sec-
ret. but 30 D. 10 be presumed that am
Intimate knowledge ~ graveyards am I
tho possession ~ "a shovel and "a knife
"do tho tricki' The strange part
about IL q that every peasant VIII tell
you that this remedy never has been
known 90 fail
FIGHT FOR SUICIDES HEAD.
As suicides are buried AZ crossroads.
there a. terrible amount of compCii-
ton in order 10 get ossessiOn OF the
NNNNNN Ut NNl|H.' NNNNNA W. NNNNH'H NNHH
ants will walk for miles, lnger round
suicides grave for hours and fnally
fight over the corpse in order to gee
the head FOR their sheep sheds The
wizard b. not only The sleeps doctor
ne curos tho shepherd TOO. when
peasant has rheumatism he goes
10 the wizard who gives him "A hare'H
foot. dried in the August sun-any
other sun won't do--to wear round his
mock Such charms are sold hy auc-
lion after their Dosscasors death ana
fetch various prices. from lean hen
to "a plump chicken. The tail ~ n liz
ard. whom dried and spelled" by a
wizard rs "a preventive Against cholera..
A RATS head, prepared in the same
way, kous on fever
10 the peasants mind, his home and
immediate aurroundingH-th tho fields.
granaries and meager foresta-aro fun
OF spirits. who have 90 be apneased
al certain seasons ~ the year and
who. N neglected or offended. Will
WTeak their vengeance upon him and