The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-06-17
lsNY KINDS Of
CURIOUS CHARMS
Tongues Of animals Are Still
Favorite Amulets and Portend
Good Luck
the VULTURE'S HEART POTENT
i,,srt Of Dove for Faithful Woman
.ek that Drives Away Toothache--
ails Of Elephants Bring Good Lucl;
"A Gruesome Mascot.

"a Gruesome mascot.
kll the world over, in both uncivi
lized areas and such enlightened
countries as Great Britain, there arc
many people who still place their i'm.
plicit trust In charm to bring them
sood fortune and in not a few cases
will expect 1t to heal them of diseases
The tongues of animals have been
and are still favorite amulets. A
tongue cut from living fox is said
rs the person carrying 1t will surely
die If he happens to meet fox at
any crossroads the cham is seldom
used The tongue of the vulturo
plucked out with iron and hung about
mans neck in new cloth will bring
him what he desires, and some In.
dams believe that IL they do not bite
OF the tip of the tongue of any wild
animal they kill they will not have
I9od luck in hunting.
Feathers of birds too have also been
used from earliest times to insure
q vulture are burned the smell drives
away serpents and other evil spirits.
Il the feathers of the right wing OF q
b.ackbird are hung up in the middle
@ the house on q red thread which
has never been used no one will bo
Gble to sleep in that house until tho
wing has been taken down. Esqui.
raaux court good favor by fixing feath-
ers from the golden eagle at the bows
o. their boats.
Fiends can also be frightened away
b. means OF vulture's heart bound
up in lion or wolf skin. The head
O, "a kite bird worn on the breast. ac-
cording 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 sleep
Ing woman she would confess to all
the wrong she had done II woman
wore the heart of turtle dove wrap
lsjn the skin of wolf she would
y after be faithful. The Irish be-
that to nail bat over the house
Il prevents the magician from en-
lR8. A saying which curiosly is
i current is that If one picks his
,c-.h with the nail of the middle toe
OF an owl he will never have the tooth.
ache.
fhe natives of Bernia in West Afri-
CA keep the bones and nails OF ele-
plants 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 possess
sor love and faithfulness of a husband
or wife as well as the favor of the
great.
The Singhalese 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
Gee the heads of asses arranged
around the gardens of the natives.
These are placed there to ward off
evil spirits. The Chinese sleep quite
peaceably at night II an image of 4
cat is on the roof OF the house.
Sufferers from gout have been
known to wear tied around their legs
blue ribbon which is studded with
shells OF gray snails. This is said to
allay the pain. Lord Bacon says "a
band Of green periwinkles tied about
the calf Of the leg" or wearing on the
finger 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
Central Africa, for instance, the ma.
tVes simply cut their nails and tying
them to the back Of crawfish throw
the crustacean over their shoulder
INTO the river or sea without looking
at 1t, believing the disease will go.
Gamblers are among the most
superstitious 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 forefnger bones of
q man who was the seventh son of a
seventh son. This, strangely enough,
was carried by well known theatri-
cal lady In the form of brooch when
she visited Monte Carlo.
lmong others of special interest
IRE catskins. which are worn from
'hS neck; human knee bone, an
owfS heart. small red feather and
the tall OF lizard.