Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-10
CHARMS that BRING LUCK
SUPERSTITIONS AND FADS
FROM OVER ALL THE WORLD.
Tongues of Animals in Favor as
ADMINISTRATORS Of Birds
Ward OFF Misfortune.

From TtBlts.
All the world over, in both unciviized
areas and such enlightened countries as
Great Britain, there are many people who
still place their implicit trust in charm
to bring them good fortune and in not
a few cases will expect it to heal them of
disease The tongues of animals have been
and are still favorite amulets. A tongue
cut from a living fox is said to ward
off diseases of all kinds, but as the per-
son carrying it will surely die If he hap
pens to meet fox at any crossroads the
charm is seldom used. The tongue OF the
vulture plucked out with iron and hung
about a mans neck in a new cloth will
bring him what he desires, and some In
dams believe that il they do not bite off
the tip OF the tongue of any wild ami
NAL they kill they will not have good luck
hunting.
Fathers Of birds, too, have also been
used from earliest times to insure luck,
good and evil. II the feathers Of vul-
ture are burned the smell drives away
serpents and other evil spirits. If the
feathers Of the right wing Of a blackbird
are hung up In the middle of the house
Oh a red thread which has never been
used no one will be able to sleep in that
house until the wing has been taken
down. EskimOs court good favor by fix
ing feathers from the golden eagle at the
bows OF their boats. Fiends can also be
frightened away by means Of q vulture' 9
heart bound UP in a lion or wolf skin. The
head of a kite bird worn on the breast,
according to our forefathers brought the
love and favor OF all men and women.
while If the heart of an owl was laid on
the left side OF a sleeping woman she
would confess to all the wrong she had
done. + woman wore the heart OF a
turtle dove wrapped in the skin Of a
wolf she would ever after be faithful.
The Irish believe that to nail bat over
the house door prevents the magician
from entering. A saying which. curious
ly. is still current is that II one picks
his teeth with the nail of the middle toe
of an owl he will never have the tooth
ache.
Bones of, Elephants.
The natives of Bernia in west Africa
keep the bones and nails of elephants as
charms for good luck. The people Of
upper Egypt prize very highly the tufts
Of hair from the name Of the hyena. and
the skin of this animal will secure for
the possessor the love and faithfulness of
husband or wife, as we'll che favor of
the great. The Cingalese believe the
monkey to be entitled to sacred honors
and that any house built on The bones Of
one of these animals will be cursed The
visitor to Mourzak in central Africa will
be somewhat surprised to see the heads
of asses arranged around the gardens of
the natives These are placed there to
ward off evil spirits. The Chinese sleep
quite peacefully at night if an image of
a cat is on the roof Of the house.
Charm Against Gout.
Sufferers from govt have been known
to wear. tied around their legs, blue rib
bon, which is studded with shells of gray
snails This is said TO allay the pain.
Lord Bacon says "a band of green peri
wrinkles tied about the calf OF the leg"
or wearing on the fingers rings made of
seahorse teeth" will cure cramp So firm
is the trust of the natives in these charms
that in some parts of the world they are
never known to take medicine. In CEN
trail Africa, for instance. the natives SIM
the back of the crawfish. throw the crus-
tacean over their shoulder into the river
or sea without looking at it. believing
the disease will go.
Gamblers are among the most super
stitious people to be found, and scarcely
any will dare to enter the casino without
their favorite charm. A gruesOme little
mascot took the form of the right fore
finger bones Of man who was the sew
strangely enough. was carried by a we'll
known theatrical lady in the form Of
brooch when she visited .ionte Carlo
Among those of special interest are
catskins, which are worn from the neck:
human knee bone, an owls heart.
small red feather and the tail Of lizard.