CHAPTER VIII
SIGNS CONNECTED WITH THE BODY.
SNEEZING
The custom of muttering a prayer or a pious wish after sneezing is as old as history. It was accounted very ancient in the time of Aristotle, who in his “Problems” endeavored to account for it, but knew nothing of its origin. According to him the ancients believed that the head was the seat of the soul and that sneezing in some way affected the spirit. Hence the necessity of uttering an invocation to preserve the soul from harm.
The Greeks and Romans had a number of formulas for sneezing, such as, “Long may you live!” “May you enjoy good health!” “Jupiter preserve you!”
Sneezing was often considered a lucky omen among the ancients. Their history is full of events of importance which were ushered in by a sneeze. The “Odyssey” tells of the “lucky sneeze of Telemachus.” History tells of the soldiers’ sneezing in adoration of a god that rose before them in the ranks, an event which Xenophon regarded as a favorable omen.
Aristotle considered a sneeze as divine, but a cough as vulgar. Petronius mentions the custom of saying, “Salve” (hail), when a soldier sneezed. Tiberius Cæsar never neglected to observe this formula.
When a Hindoo sneezes, bystanders say, “Live!” and he replies, “With you!” The Zulus believe that an angry spirit enters the body and that a sneeze is an effort of nature to expel it.
Aristotle believed that sneezing from noon till midnight was a good omen, but from midnight till the next noon was a sign of bad luck.
All nations have some formula for sneezing. The Germans say, “Zur Gesundheit!” The English say, “God bless you!” The French say, “A vos souhaits.”
If some one sneezes after you have made a statement, it places the seal of truth upon it and the statement may not be doubted.
According to mythology Prometheus made an artificial man, and the first sign of life he gave was to sneeze. It was through the nostril that life entered into his body.
In the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great, there was an epidemic of sneezing, and many of the afflicted died. The pope thereupon declared that a certain prayer should be uttered every time a person sneezed, to avert the calamity.
To sneeze three times in rapid succession is considered a good omen.
Physiologically considered in the light of modern science, sneezing is bad, as it spreads the germs of many diseases by spraying them into the air. One should always sneeze into a handkerchief.
SPITTING
In ancient times spitting was considered as having the virtue of averting witchcraft, and even in our time many superstitions cling to the habit.
Spit was considered as a charm against all kinds of fascination. Theocritus says:
“Thrice on my breast I spit to guard me safe from fascinating charms.”
Superstitious nurses will spit on their children to keep them from harm.
Alluding to this custom an ancient writer says:
“His lips are wet with lustral spittle, thus
They think to make the gods propitious.”
Bruisers and boxers before attacking their adversary, spit on their hands to insure success.
Boys, when making a pledge or asserting a thing to be “honor bright,” often spit on the ground to give emphasis to their good faith.
Coal miners in England when they form a union for any purpose, sit in a circle and spit on a stone, by way of cementing their friendship and loyalty.
Devout people often spit at the mention of the name of his satanic majesty, in an effort to keep away evil influences.
Mohammedans are said to spit at the mention of the name of Jesus.
To spit on one’s hands before undertaking a piece of manual work insures a successful result.
Spitting three times into their bosoms, was considered by the Greeks as preventive of danger when in the presence of a madman or an epileptic.
When a man hit another and felt remorse for the blow, he spit into the hollow of his hand, and thus freed the other from pain. This was a superstition of the Middle Ages.
Spitting to avert evil influences is still resorted to among country folks, and in some countries is almost considered a religious act.
In Ireland it is considered unlucky to praise a horse or other animal unless you spit on him and say, “God save him,” or other similar prayer. If after three days, any bad luck befalls the animal, it is necessary to find the person who praised him so that he may whisper the Lord’s Prayer into the animal’s right ear.
Hucksters, peddlers, and other tradespeople, have a habit of spitting for good luck when making a sale. The first money they receive in the morning is spat upon to insure good luck for the day.
It is customary in some parts when a rainbow appears to make a cross on the ground and spit on each of the four corners.
MOLES, TEETH, WARTS, ETC.
Moles may denote good or bad fortune according to where they are found.
On the throat they are lucky; on the lower jaw, especially of a woman, they denote the opposite. On the back of the neck they are said to predict a hanging.
Red or black moles are considered unlucky, but brown ones are lucky. If raised like a wart they foretell luck.
A mole on the forehead brings good fortune, so also one on the chin. As a rule moles denote coming wealth.
The hairs growing out of moles are considered harbingers of fortune and in some countries are carefully guarded and cultivated. In Latin countries one can see men go about with long hairs growing out of moles on their faces. They are careful never to shave them.
When a child loses a tooth it will hasten the growth of the new tooth, if the old is thrown into the fire.
When a tooth is pulled it should be thrown into the fire. In Switzerland it is carefully wrapped in paper with a pinch of salt and burned.
To cure a toothache, the name of St. Apollonia is invoked in Latin countries. She suffered martyrdom by having her teeth pulled out, and has since been the patron saint of those who suffer from similar pangs.
To dream of losing a tooth, foretells the death of a friend.
If a baby’s tooth first appears in the upper jaw, it is a sign that the child will die in infancy.
If the teeth are very irregular it is a sign of bad luck.
If there is a gap between the two upper middle teeth large enough to pass a coin through, it foretells wealth.
The Greeks believed that it was unlucky to count one’s warts as they would increase in number.
To charm away a wart, buy it from the possessor for a pin, and it will disappear within a week.
Another way to charm away a wart is to rub it with half an apple. Tie the two halves together with a thread, and bury it at the foot of a tree. Within a week the wart will have disappeared.
Spots in the nails foretell riches. If many, the person showing them will gain a fortune. White specks often foretell happenings without wealth. On the thumb-nail, they indicate honors.
YAWNING
Among many peoples, yawning is considered a sign of possession or obsession by an evil spirit.
When the Hindoo yawns, he snaps his thumb and finger and repeats the name of one of his deities. To neglect this brings misfortune.
When a Moslem yawns he puts the back of his left hand to his mouth and says, “I seek refuge with Allah from Satan.”
There is an old belief that when one yawns the devil may leap into the open mouth; hence the necessity of holding a hand over the mouth.
To yawn in the midst of saying one’s prayers, is a bad omen. It is better to say the prayer from the beginning again.
TINGLING AND ITCHING
It is a common superstition that when one’s ears tingle some one is talking about him.
Shakespeare says in “Much Ado About Nothing,” “What fire is in mine ears?” Beatrice deduces from this that a friend is talking about her.
Even the old Roman historian, Pliny, says: “It is an opinion generally received that when our ears do glow and tingle, there be some that in our absence do talk of us.”
The tingling of the right ear is taken to mean that good is spoken; while, that of the left ear is a token of the fact that evil is spoken.
Herrick writes:
The itching of the palm is considered an indication that the person will get some unexpected money. If continued for any length of time, a fortune will come to him.
The itching of the thumb or nose denotes a visitor, sometimes an unwelcome intruder.
One of the witches in “Macbeth” says:
STUMBLING AND FALLING
Falling has always been associated with the idea of evil, and its effects can only be averted by a quick-witted remark or a muttered invocation.
When Cæsar landed at Adrumetum in Africa, it is related that he tripped and fell upon his face. This was considered as an ill omen by his soldiers, but with great presence of mind he exclaimed: “Thus do I take possession of thee, O Africa.” Thus he changed a sign of bad to one of good fortune.
When William the Conqueror landed in England, he fell prone upon the ground. A great cry of despair went up from his army, but he raised himself smilingly and said: “I have seized the country with both my hands.”
To fall while going upstairs is a sure sign that the victim will not marry within a year.
The falling of a picture from the wall is universally regarded as a bad omen and frequently foretells the death of the original of the picture in the case of a portrait.
It is related that a well-known English archbishop on entering his study one day, found his portrait lying on the floor, the cord that held it on the hook, having snapped. The sight so unnerved the prelate that he became ill, and died shortly after.
The Duke of Buckingham had a similar misadventure. On entering the council chamber, he found his portrait lying at full length on the floor. He died soon after.
A fall from a horse, besides being very inconvenient and often painful, is supposed to bring evil consequences. If two persons part on horseback, and one of them falls off his mount, the two will never meet again.
The fall of a window blind is accounted unlucky, but the evil can be averted by at once replacing it in its sockets.
The fall of a knife or fork to the floor is usually considered a good omen and foretells a visit from a friend; a female in the case of a knife, or a male in the case of a fork.
To fall downstairs is a very bad sign and signifies loss of health or money.
To stumble in the morning on coming downstairs is a sign of ill luck during the day.
A horse stumbling on the highway brings bad luck to his owner.
Stumbling at a grave is considered a bad omen. Shakespeare says:
If you stumble over a stick or stone, turn back and kick it out of the way to avert trouble.
CUTTING NAILS AND HAIR
The paring of nails has given rise to some strange beliefs. So also has the cutting of hair. This is natural, as the clipping away of one’s body is in itself uncanny and apt to give rise to superstitious conjectures.
Sailors believe that to cut the nails or hair during a calm will provoke contrary winds. They, therefore, only cut them in a storm.
The ancients declared that nails and hair should not be pared or cut when in the presence of the gods, but in the secrecy of one’s home.
Among the Arabians it is considered lucky to cut the nails and hair on Friday.
In some countries it is considered unlucky to cut a child’s nails till it is a year old. They have to be bitten off.
In Scotland it is believed that if a child’s nails are cut before it is a year old, it will grow up to be a thief. In other lands, it is thought the child will stammer.
The Jews burn their nail parings with a piece of wood, as a species of offering to insure good luck.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE
When a woman’s eyebrows meet across her nose, it is a good sign. She will be happy whether she marries or not.
A woman whose hair grows down over her forehead in the shape of a peak, will never marry.
CLOTHES SUPERSTITIONS
On rising in the morning, great care must be given to the way one dresses, as accidents often foretell trouble during the day.
Augustus Cæsar put on his left sandal awry and nearly lost his life in a mutiny. A well-known writer says:
To put your shirt inside out is a good omen, providing you discover it in time and change it. If left on all day, beware of accidents.
To button your vest so that the buttons and holes come out uneven is a good sign.
It is well to put on the stocking of your right foot first and the shoe of your left foot.
To tear off a button while dressing is a bad sign. It should be remedied at once before going out of the house.
A hole in one’s stocking is a good sign on the first day, but brings bad luck on the second.
To put the right shoe on the left foot or the reverse, is a sign of coming trouble.
To rip a garment the first time you put it on, is a bad sign.
To rend one’s garments was in former days considered a symbol of mourning.
If you meet a person wearing new clothes, pinch him for good luck.
A proverbial saying when meeting a person with new clothes, is, “May you have health to wear it, strength to tear it, and money to buy another.”
Coin given to a person wearing a new suit will bring him good fortune as long as the clothes last.
To put on a suit for the first time on Monday signifies that it will soon tear. You will have bad luck in wearing it.
Tuesday—Beware lest the suit catch fire. Keep out of speculation.
Wednesday—Things will go well with you. Your speculations will succeed.
Thursday—You will always appear neat and well dressed. You will make a good impression and get what you are after.
Friday—Not a good day to put on new attire. You will be successful only as long as the clothes remain fresh.
Saturday—Beware of catching cold. There is an element of bad luck in a new suit on this day.
Sunday—Happiness and good luck will follow him who puts on a new suit on the Sabbath.
ON ARISING
To get out of bed with the left foot is considered a forecast of bad luck. When a person is cross or irritable, we often say, “He got out of bed with the wrong foot.”
To put your foot on a soft carpet or rug, on arising, foretells a successful day.
To stumble on getting up, is bad. You should go back to bed and try it again.
To say “Good luck” on arising, will insure success during the day.
It is considered unlucky to sing before breakfast. You may cry before supper.
It is unlucky to relate a bad dream before breakfast. It may come true.
To find a coin early in the morning is a sign for you to beware lest you lose money before the day is spent.
SQUINTING, CRIPPLED AND HUNCHBACK PERSONS
To meet a squinting or cross-eyed person on going out in the morning is a sign of trouble. It is well to go back a block or two and start over.
To walk with a cross-eyed person is sure to bring bad luck.
To touch a hunchback’s hump brings good luck. Gamblers, especially, often resort to this method to change their luck from bad to good.
To have a hunchback about the premises brings good fortune. In former years kings used to have a court fool who was usually a hunchback, not only to make merriment for them, but to insure good fortune.
To shake hands with a left-handed person is often regarded as unlucky.
To touch a blind man’s garment or brush past him is a sign of ill fortune. To help a blind man on his way, is an omen of good luck.
To be baptized by a left-handed priest is considered unlucky.
To meet a priest the first thing in the morning is a bad omen. This may be averted by throwing a pin at him.
To have a cripple tread on your toes is a very bad omen.
To meet a beggar as you leave your house in the morning, is a bad sign, and you should at once return and start over.
To give a coin to a cripple insures good luck.
DEATH AND CORPSES
Feathers or a bird in the room of a sick person are supposed to delay death. This idea is often resorted to where it is advisable to delay the last breath till some absent friend arrives.
At the moment of death the doors and windows are often opened to allow the spirit free egress.
Looking-glasses and pictures are covered as long as the corpse is in the house, to prevent the spirit from seeing its reflection.
In Scotland a piece of iron is thrust into all eatables right after a death, to prevent the attraction of other spirits.
A plate of salt is put upon the breast of a new corpse in Wales to purge out all the sins of the defunct.
Candles are lit at the head of the corpse, to ward off evil spirits.
A watch is usually kept by the side of the body until the funeral, to ward off evil spirits and also rats.
Tolling of the bell is usual in most countries. After some minutes of tolling there is a pause, and three times three tolls for a male and twice three for a female, is the rule.
Where bees are kept it is customary to tell the bees that their owner is dead and that they must remain and work for the new owner.
In Ireland a wake is the rule. Friends of the departed meet and discuss the good points and foibles of the dead. Refreshments are served.
THE EVIL EYE
The fear of the evil eye is very prevalent among the Latin races, and even in this country there is a belief that certain persons possess the “mal occhio” and can bewitch by merely looking with hatred or envy upon another. Many charms and amulets have and are still being worn to counteract any bad effects.
A cross of jet is frequently used as an amulet against the evil eye. It is believed that it will split if looked upon by a person having evil intentions.
The following are a few of the many substances used for averting the evil from this source. Skin from a hyenna’s forehead; madwort hung up in the home; Catochites, a species of stone, worn in a ring or about the neck; spitting on the right shoe before putting it on; a necklace of jacinth, etc.
Sweeping a child’s face with the bough of a pine tree, is considered a very successful preventive; so is hanging up the key of the house over a child’s cradle.
Other means of preventing the blasting effects of the evil eye are: Laying turf, dug from a grave, upon the cradle of a child; laying crumbs on the cradle; giving the child a piece of coral that was dipped in the font in which the child was baptized.
Hindoos decorate their children with a profusion of jewels to antagonize the evil eye. Mohammedans suspend articles from the ceiling over the cradle for the same purpose.
In Roumania a child or grown person decorated with red ribbons is supposed to be impervious to this terrible influence, and hence most people wear something scarlet about their bodies, and even the oxen in the field have something red tied about their horns.