_SUPERSTITIONS RELATING TO ANIMALS._
Many other superstitious notions still exist among us with respect to
certain animals, which have, no doubt, had their origin in remote
times--some of them, doubtless, being survivals of ancient forms of
animal worship. The ancient Egyptians worshipped animals, or held
certain animals as symbols of divine powers. The Jews made a division of
animals into clean and unclean, and the ancient Persians held certain
animals in detestation as having a connection with the evil spirit;
while others were esteemed by them as connected with the good spirit or
principle. Other ancient nations held certain animals as more sacred
than others, and these ideas still exist among us, modified and
transformed to a greater or less extent. The robin is a familiar example
of a bird which is held in veneration by the popular mind. The legend of
the robins in the _Babes in the Wood_ may have increased this
veneration. There was a popular saying that the robin had a drop of
God's blood in its veins, and that therefore to kill or hurt it was a
sin, and that some evil would befall anyone who did so, and, conversely,
any kindness done to poor robin would be repaid in some fashion. Boys
did not dare to harry a robin's nest.
The _yellow yite_, or yellow hammer, was held in just the opposite
estimation, and although one of the prettiest of birds, their nests were
remorselessly harried, and their young often cruelly killed. When young,
I was present at an act of this sort, and, as an illustration of courage
and affection in the parent bird, I may relate the circumstance. The
nest, with four fledglings, was about a quarter of a mile outside the
village. It was carried through the village to a quarry, as far on the
opposite side. The parent bird followed the boys, uttering a plaintive
cry all the way. On reaching the quarry, the nest was laid on the
ground, and a certain distance measured off, where the boys were to
stand and throw stones at it. While this was being done, the parent bird
flew to the nest, and made strenuous efforts to draw it away; and when
the stones were thrown, it flew to a little distance, continuing its
cry; and only flew away when it was made the mark for the stones. These
boys would never have thought of doing the same thing to a nest of
robins. It was said to have a drop of the devil's blood in its veins,
and that its jerky and unsteady flight was a consequence of this. The
hatred to the yellow hammer, however, was only local. The swallow was
also considered to have a drop of the _deil's_ blood in its veins; but,
unlike the yellow hammer, instead of being persecuted, it was feared,
and therefore let alone. If a swallow built its nest in a window-corner,
it was regarded as a lucky omen, and the annoyance and filth arising
therefrom was patiently borne with under the belief that such a presence
brought luck and prosperity to the house. To tear down a swallow's nest
was looked upon as a daring of the fates, and when this was done by the
proprietor or tenant, there were many who would prophesy that death or
some other great calamity would overtake, within a twelvemonth, the
family of the perpetrator. To possess a hen which took to crowing like a
cock boded ill to the possessor or his family if it were not disposed of
either by killing or selling. They were generally sold to be killed.
Only a few years ago I had such a prodigy among a flock of hens which I
kept about my works, and one day it was overheard crowing, when one of
the workmen came to me, and, with a solemn face, told the circumstance,
and advised me strongly to have it destroyed or put away, as some evil
would surely follow, relating instances he had known in Ireland. This
superstition has found expression in the Scotch proverb: "Whistling
maids and crowing hens are no canny about a house."
Seeing magpies before breakfast was a good or bad omen according to the
number seen up to four. This was expressed in the following rhyme, which
varies slightly in different localities. The following version was
current in my native village:--
"One bodes grief, two's a death,
Three's a wedding, four's a birth."
Chambers in his Scottish Rhymes has it thus:--
"One's joy, two's grief.
Three's a wedding, four's a birth."
I knew a man who, if on going to his work he had seen two _piets_
together, would have refrained from working before he had taken
breakfast, believing that if he did so it would result in evil either to
himself or his family.
If a cock crew in the morning with its head in at the door of the house,
it was a token that a stranger would pay the family a visit that day;
and so firm was the _faith_ in this that it was often followed by works,
the house being _redd_ up for the occasion. I remember lately visiting
an old friend in the country, and on making my appearance I was hailed
with the salutation, "Come awa, I knew we would have a visit from
strangers to-day, for the cock crowed thrice over with his head in at
the door." If a horse stood and looked through a gateway or along a road
where a bride or bridegroom dwelt, it was a very bad omen for the future
happiness of the intending couple. The one dwelling in that direction
would not live long.
If a bird got any human hair, and used it in building its nest, the
person on whose head the hair grew would be troubled with headaches, and
would very soon get bald.
It is still a common belief that crows begin to build their nests on the
first Sabbath of March.
A bird coming into a house and flying over any one's head was an unlucky
omen for the person over whose head it flew.
It was said that eggs laid upon Good Friday never got stale, and that
butter made on that day possessed medicinal properties.
If a horse neighed at the door of a house, it boded sickness to some of
the inmates.
A cricket singing on the hearth was a good omen, a token of coming
riches to the family.
If a bee came up in a straight line to a person's face, it was regarded
as a forerunner of important news.
If a servant wilfully killed a spider, she would certainly, it was said,
break a piece of crockery or glass during that day.
Spiders were, as they are still, generally detested in a house, and were
often very roughly dislodged; but yet their lives were protected by a
very old superstition. There is an old English proverb--
"If you wish to live and thrive,
Let the spider run alive."
When my mother saw a spider's web in the house she swept it away very
roughly, but the spider was not wilfully killed. If it was not seen it
was considered all right, but if it fell on the floor or was seen
running along the wall, it was brushed out of the room; none of us were
allowed to put our foot on it, or wilfully kill it. This care for the
life of the spider is probably due to the influence of an old legend
that a spider wove its web over the place where the baby Christ was hid,
thus preserving his life by screening him from sight of those who sought
to kill him. Stories of a similar character are related in connection
with King Robert Bruce, and several other notable persons during times
of persecution, who, while hiding in caves, spiders came and wove their
webs over the entrances, which, when their enemies saw, convinced them
that the parties they were in search of had not taken refuge there, or
the webs would have been destroyed.
The common white butterfly was a favourite with children, and to catch
one and preserve it alive was considered lucky. Care was taken to
preserve them by feeding them with sugar. But the dark brown and
spotted butterflies were always detested, and were named witch
butterflies. Ill luck, it was believed, would attend any one who kept
one alive, but to kill one was an unlucky transaction, which would be
attended by evil to the killer before evening.
Beetles were held in aversion by most people, and if one was found upon
the person, if they were at all nervous, it was sufficient to cause a
fit, at least would set them screaming with a shudder of detestation.
But there was a variety of small beetles with a beautiful bronze
coloured back, called _gooldies_ by children, which were held in great
favour. They were sometimes kept by children as little pets, and allowed
to run upon their hands and clothes, and this was not because of their
beauty, but because to possess a _gooldie_ was considered very lucky. To
kill a beetle brought rain the following day.
The lady bird, with its scarlet coat spotted with black, was another
great favourite with most people. Very few would kill a lady bird, as
such an act would surely be followed by calamity of some sort. Children
were eager to catch one and watch it gracefully spreading out its wings
from under its coat of mail, and then taking flight, while the group of
youthful onlookers would repeat the rhyme,
"Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home,
Your house is on fire, and your children at home."
or
"Lady lady landers, fly away to Flanders."
But these practices were not altogether confined to children. Grown up
girls, when they caught a lady bird, held it in their hands, and
repeated the following couplet--
"Fly away east or fly away west,
And show me where lives the one I like best."
Its flight was watched with great anxiety, and when it took the
direction which the young girl wished, it was not only a sort of
pleasure, but a proof of the augury.
If a person on going to his work, or while going an errand, were to see
a hare cross the road in front of him, it was a token that ill luck
would shortly befall him. Many under such circumstances would return
home and not pursue their quest until the next meal had been eaten, for
beyond that the evil influence did not extend. This superstition is very
old, but it is not in every country or age connected with the hare. We
have already seen in a quotation from Ovid that this superstition
existed in his day, (page 2.) Probably the hare has been adopted in this
country from the belief that witches assumed the form of that animal
when on their nightly rambles, for how was the wayfarer to know that the
hare which he saw was not a transformed witch, intent on working him
mischief?
The cat was always a favourite in a family, and nothing was more unlucky
than for one to die inside the house. I have known cases where, when
such a misfortune occurred, the family were thrown into great
consternation, surmising what possible form of evil this omen portended
to them. Generally when a cat was known to be ailing, the animal was
removed from the house and placed in the coal cellar, or other
outhouse, with plenty of food, and kept there until it either recovered
or died. With the ancient Egyptians the cat was one of their favourite
animals. The death of a cat belonging to a family was considered a great
misfortune. Upon the occurrence of such an event the household went into
mourning, shaving off their eyebrows, and otherwise indicating their
sorrow. In Scotland it was believed that witches often assumed the cat
form while exercising their evil influence over a family.
It was pretty generally believed a few years ago that in large fires
kept continually burning there was generated an animal called a
salamander. It required seven years to grow and attain maturity, and if
the fires were kept burning longer than that there was great danger that
the animal might make its escape from its fiery matrix, and, if this
should happen, it would range round the world, destroying all it came in
contact with, itself almost indestructible. Hence large fires, such as
those of blast furnaces in ironworks, were extinguished before the
expiry of the seven years, and the embryo monster taken out. Such an
idea may have had its origin in a misinterpretation of some of St.
John's apocalyptic visions, or may have been a survival of the legend of
the fiery dragon whose very breath was fire, a legend common during the
middle ages and also in ancient Rome. Bacon, in his _Natural History_,
says--"There is an ancient tradition of the salamander that it liveth in
the fire, and hath force also to extinguish the fire"; and, according to
Pliny, Book X. chap. 67,--"The salamander, made in fashion of a lizard,
with spots like to stars, never comes abroad, and sheweth itself only
during great showers. In fair weather, he is not seen; he is of so cold
a complexion that if he do but touch the fire he would quench
it."--_Holland_. This is quite opposite to the modern notion of it that
it was generated in the fire, but such legends take transformations
suitable to the age and locality.
The goat has been associated both in ancient and modern times with the
devil, or evil spirit, who is depicted with horns, hoofs, and a tail. In
modern times, he was supposed to haunt streams and woods in this
disguise, and to be present at many social gatherings. He was popularly
credited with assisting, in this disguise, in the instruction of a
novice into the mysteries of Freemasonry, and was supposed to allow the
novice to ride on his back, and go withershins three times round the
room. I have known men who were anxious to be admitted into the order
deterred by the thought of thus meeting with the devil at their
initiation.
While staying at Luss lately, I was informed that a mill near to Loch
Lomond had formerly been haunted by the goat demon, and that the miller
had suffered much from its mischievous disposition. It frequently let on
the water when there was no grain to grind. But one night the miller
watched his mill, and had a meeting with the goblin, who demanded the
miller's name, and was informed that it was _myself_. After a trial of
strength, the miller got the best of it, and the spirit departed. After
hearing this, I remembered that the same story, under a slightly
different form, had been told me when a boy in my native village. This
was the story as then told:--A certain miller in the west missed a
quantity of his meal every day, although his mill was carefully and
securely locked. One night he sat up and watched, hiding himself behind
the hopper. After a time, he was surprised to see the hopper beginning
to go, and, looking up, he saw a little manakin holding a little cappie
in his hand and filling it at the hopper. The miller was so frightened
that this time he let him go; but, in a few minutes, the manakin
returned again with his cappie. Then the miller stepped out from his
hiding-place, and said, "Aye, my manakin, and wha may you be, and what's
your name?" To which the manakin, without being apparently disturbed,
replied, "My name is Self, and what's your name?" "My name is Self,
too," replied the miller. The manakin's cappie being by this time again
full, he began to walk off, but the miller gave him a whack with his
stick, and then ran again to his hiding-place. The manakin gave a
terrible yell, which brought from a hidden corner an old woman, crying,
"Wha did it? Wha did it?" The manakin answered, "It was Self did it."
Whereat, slapping the manakin on the cheek, the old woman said, "If Self
did it, Self must mend it again." After this, they both left the mill,
which immediately stopped working. The miller was never afterwards
troubled in this way, and, at the same time, a goat which for
generations had been observed at gloaming and on moonlight nights in the
dell, and on the banks of the stream which drove the mill, disappeared,
and was never seen again.
To meet a sow the first thing in the morning boded bad luck for the day.
If a male cat came into the house and shewed itself friendly to any one,
it was a lucky omen for that person.
To meet a piebald horse was lucky. If two such horses were met apart,
the one after the other, and if then the person who met them were to
spit three times, and express any reasonable wish, it would be granted
within three days.
If a stray dog followed any person on the street, without having been
enticed, it was lucky, and success was certain to attend the errand on
which the person was engaged.