SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT DOGS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume X, Issue 572, 28 August 1880, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT DOGS.

According to tho Aryan religion, Yama was the lirat lightning-horn mortal who discovered tho way to the other world, where he has reigned ever since, and, for the sake of mon, (tends tho wind, under tho form of a' flog, to conduct thoir souls in death across tho hcavonly waters and over tho Milky Way to his homo—the bright realm of blipp. Hence, whenever this mesßongor of death vr*B heard, either howling outsi 'e the sick man's house or speeding along through the air with rapid pace, the inmates trembled, for thoy know that at any moment the soul of their friend or nlative be required of him. Thus, even at the present day, the howling of a dog under the window is supposed to foretell death—a superstition deeply rooted everywere in this as in most other countries. In (Jerinany, a dog howling before a house portends a death or a lire. If it howla along the highway, this is considered in Westphalia as a certain token that a funeral will Boon pass hy that way. The 8&mo notion, too, exists in Denmark. An intelligent Londoner told Mr. Kelly that lie had often listened to the howling of the dog, and verified tho fulfilment of this infallible omen. The dog'« mode of proceeding on such occasions is generally this :—The animal tries to get under the doomed person's window.; but if the house stands within an enclosure, and it cannot find its way in, it will run round tho promises or pace up and down before them. If it at last succeeds in making an entry, it will atop under the window, howl horriblj, finish with three tremendous barks, and then hurry away. This performance is ascribod by some to Ihe dog's keen sense of tho odour of approaching mortal dissolution ; whereas, others atlirin that this animal can see the spirits which hover around the house of sickness ready at the moment of death to bear away tho soul of the departed one. Thus, in the ' Odyssey,' ' t !'J? I 1 °B B of Kum;eus are represented as terrifled at tho si»lifc of Minerva, although she • was then invisible to Telemachuln both German and Aryan mythology the dog is said to see ghosts, acd whenever Mela, the (ioddess of Death, walks abroad invisible .to human eyefl, slio is seen by dogs. In Wales it is though that horsos have also the gift of Boeing spectres. Carriage horses have been known, saya Mr. Sike?, to display every sign of the utmost terror, when tin: occupants °of the carriage could see no cause for fright. Such an occurrence is said to bo highly ominous, and to portend that a funeral will soon pass by that way, bearing to his restingplace D 'io person juit dead at the time of the oci ji' t'ri ght. Very nearly alliod to Iho S'.ipe s.i",i)i which recognises a death omen 11.1 to l> v ling of n dog is that of the spectre hou ill which are said to be occasionally hoi d and seen in different parts of England anJ \Va 03. They are generally invisible ; but their fearful yelping, as it is heard passing swiftly through the air, resembles tho fierce and angry note of the bloodhound. They are supposod to be ' evil spirits hunting tho souls of tho dead, or, by their diabolical yelping, to betoken the speedy death of somo person.' In the North they are called the ' Gabriel hounds.' Mr. Hondorson relates that a fow years aj-.o' when a ohild was burnt to death at'Shoffwdd,' the neighbours immediately called to >nind how tho ' Gabriel hounds' had passed above tho houao not long bnforo. He also to,lis of a perBOU who was hastily summoned r ,to ni<dit to tho sick bod of a relative whoyo 'ilnessliad suddenly assumed an alarming character. As ho sot out he heard tho wild aouud of the oroatures above his head ; tlioy accompanied him tho whole way, about a mile, then paused, and yelped loudly over '„he house. He entered it, and found that tho patient had just breathed hor last, In Lancashire •pcctre hounds are loo;.lly termed 'Gabriel Ratchet?!,' and aro .supposed to foretell death or misfortune to all who hear their sound From 'The l), : g ami iti Folk Lore,' in the Gentleman'** Magazine' far April.