Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-11
LUCK IN THE HORSESHOE.
The Supcrstitioa IL Of Many Years
Standing.

(From the Chicago JournaD.
OF all tho emblems for good fortune.
the horseshoe stands among tho first.
Everybody knows it is unlucky to pass
Il horseshoe on the road without picking
it up. 1t Is luck emblem of the great
est power. Again, we are indebted for
this statement to old tales centuries IN
age, that have descended from father to
son. from mother to daughter. through
the years. 1t is necessary to notice how
the horseshoe lies before picking 1t up.
If the ends are away from one. the sign
is that fortune will be within grasp, but
by extravaganza. carelcssncss. or the
operation of rogues, II may depart al
most as soon as IT comes. A sign to take
care is given. therefore. The right thing
to do is to turn the horseshoe around.
so that the ends are toward the finder.
before picking It up. And in carrying It
home IL Is correct to hold II with the
ends upward or the earth viii attract
to itself all the promised fortune.
When the shoe is nailed up on the door
or window In it's destined place the ends
mist ice upward or the whole luck em-
blcm viii be nulliiod Instead Of keep
,nG evil spirits away. the shoe in tho
NlbiE NbSUlOn. VIII Hitratl tll'ml III
stead Of bringing good fortune. the luck
of the house will be diverted. It Is sup
posed that the element Of electricity
enters into the matter. From the shoe
proceeds a current of bcnencent rays
that, with the ends upward will spread
over tho house as Il protecting influence:
with tho ends downward. the good ray
are drawn into tho all-receiving, all
giving earth and with thcm many of tho
good influences that are ABOUT the place.
A century aEo II was very common to
see upon II cNwshed door tho horseshoe
that scared of witches who would milk
the COWS or dry them up. Nowadays they
are not so common. vet here and thers
they are still seen.
The old myths repay research. The
luc. of tho hnrscsho" has most re-
spcctahlc beginning. It "a traced to tho
| +, lig!on of tho old Greeks and their sea
gol poseidon. who was identical with
tho Roman sea rod Neptune. 70 Posei-
don horses worc sacred ard to him they
wero sacrificed. poseidon was believed to
| lnVc created the first horse when he
struck the ground with his trident and
q horse snrang from tho hole. which
afterwards became spring The sea
god was tho lord Of springs To him all
springs were ascribed. In the shape of :,
horse he sometimes wandered by the
shores of his ocean domain. and where
he struck his hoofs deeply there tho
waters gushed ont and permanent springs
were found. THIS is the reason why
horSeshoes are reckone1 lucky Going to
the root Of the matter one secs ma
ture myth rs the root principe. From
the sea all rain comes, and to the sea
all springs owe primal origin and TO the
lain and the fresh water sea derived
We owe all fertility on earth.
/ The old Greeks. therefore. worshiped
/ Pcseidon ms the fortune-giver through,
| his springs. They gave him horses his
| precious beasts and they adored the
footprints or horses when they found
item. f,r they might be the very foot
prints c' the god himself. When horses
! came - he shod the transition OF the
luck emblem from the footprint itself 10
/ tho shoe mark-pra ctically the same
thing was easy.
Pegasus. the winged horse from whose
! boots the water springs pushed copious-
| l. when he came to earth has been
| credited with the origin of the horse
shoe luck. Some legends called him thu
son Of Poseidon. and therefore gifted
| hy his father with power to call the
waters from tho earth Other legend:
state that Pegasus snrang from the
trunk Of Gorgon Meduaa, after PerseIs
had cut off her head He had the power
of producing famous springs. whicl
gave the gift OF pocsy. Of art. Of intel
lcctual powers. From these springs the
muses. drank yearly. The horseshoe was
specific against earthquakes. II woult
keep house safe from harm by cartl
| shaking. Again one NorCeVcs the sef
myth. Poscidon was the shaker Of The