Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
MOUNTAIN SuPERSTITIONS
EAST TENNEssEANs BELIEVE
IN GIANTS, AND SPELLS.
Many of Their Customs Can Be
Traced Back to Old England,
Whence They Emigrated.

From the Omaha Word-Hsrald.
Washington Irving would have delight
ed in the dreamy supernatural of the
southern mountains. and lovers of the
legends of Sleepy Hollow could find the
counterpart Of that region down In Ten
nessee. The supernatural is in the atmos-
phere. The inha bitants of the mountains
live It. not in slavish fear. but as part
of their lives from which they would not
be separated
Every act of life has its significance;
every hollow it's ghost or its charm. The
moon. the trees. are all intermediary be-
tween them and the unseen world OF
spirits and warn them of disaster bring
good luck or bad as it may be, or tell
them of death.
1t is probably only in the deepness of
the little explored Tennessee mountains
that one Will find the simple black art
praetlced in lis original purity. They pin
their faith to "hants' and spells and
charms. Trey do not talk about them
any more than they would relate their
private affairs to a stranger. But If you
doubt their aWfu. power they will. in
roundabout manner. relate to you that
experience of Jake Long which happened
down i'll the valley" last fall. Down in
the valley the polite way of intimat-
ing that Il man lives in one Of the numer-
Gus coVeS. The term "covite" for some
reason or cthe, is considered one of OPP
probrlI,u, IT, be resented
Killed Vaccination Idea.
Probably the most astonishing supersti-
ton which flourishes in the wilds of the
Tennessee mountains is that with regard
to vaccination. When smallpox was trav-
cling this way prevention was suggested.
But 1t wouldn't pass here. The noun
taineers stoutly refused to allow them
selves or their families to be inoculated.
when pressed for a reason they at last
explained that II was we'll known that the
first time a man used his arm after vac
c'nation 1t would drop off at the Shout
der. No illustration was given. but
neither has any native Tennessean in
this part of the state ever been vac
cfnated. They have no extra arms to lose
on experiments.
Every locality has its weather signs. but
mere is one not generally known. Per-
haps it doesn't work elsewhere. If it
thunders in February there will be frost
on the corresponding day in May 1t
Numbered last February IL and 13. Well,
1t didn't frost in May. but there was
nippy cold spell on that date.
As for the many. minor superstitions
.'Brer Rabbit has rival in the shape of
small bone found in the crayfish the
lucky owner of which will always be able
to find things he has lost and will be sue
cessful in all he undertakes If you kill
the first snake you see in the spring you
at the same time kill your enemy. II a
bird lights on your head YOU will speedily
hear of your own death the death of
some one else. In weaving a colt it is
absolutely necessary that you be up in the
signs of the zodiac, for If you should start
the process when the sign is in the head
the colt will calmly continue a sucker
for two years. while if you do it in the
sign of the knees the job VII be finished
in two weeks.
Dogwood Bad Luck.
A peculiar kind of cloud is called rain
Seeds" and when seen in the sky any
native knows 1t IS going to rain. One of
the most foolish things a man can do is
to allow the beautiful dogwood blossoms
to be taken into his cabin. They will
surely bring bad luck. Any one who has
lived in the mountains for many years
can tell you when to expect the dogwood,
the bla ckberry and the whippoorwill win
tiers. Spring may seem to have come 70
stay. but the Tennessean will not plant
his crops until these successive winters
have passed
Many of the superstitions can be traced
bacl, to old England, whence these
people emigrated a couple of centuries
agO-in fact, many OF their strange ldloms
of speech are Obsolete English. The
ancient mode of determining a childs
future by the articles il first notices is
gone one better In mountain lore. Here
the representation is made by the first
woodtick which fastens itself upon the
baby. and the parents have q say as to
their progenys future The tick is taken
out and killed on an ak If the parents
wish the child to be a clever workman;
on some clear, ringing article if he Is 10.
be a singer: on a book If he is designed
for a preacher.
But one of the most noteworthy oh
servances is that of keeping the Sabbath.
Men do not care much for work down
here Few will put in over three days
week. even when work Is pressing. but
they will work hard and make their fam
lilies work hard to finish up job before
Sunday. No natter how low or shiftless
man. he has a lower depth into which
to snk-to let it be known that he has
worked on Sunday. That is the worst
that can be said about the lowest and
worst