SUPERSTITIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18347, 10 September 1921, Page 13

SUPERSTITIONS

WORTHY OP RESPECT. Dr Herbert Smith (writes "Pem” in John o’ London’s Weekly) was recently courageous enough to -declare in a letter to the Daily Mail that “superstition is worthy of respect.” He went on to say: “Folk-lore is the basis of primitive medicine, and still survives in the count o'—in ‘herbal cures,’ in tho wearing of sulphide rings, in tho ‘blue bag,’ and in the arrest of bleeding by cobwebs. .* . . “Tho cleansing by fire of ‘the earthly cottage’ at the last is the wise survival of an honoured and an ancient cult. “Yes, superstition is justified of her'cuildren!” FOLK-LORE. Folk-lore enibracea popular traditions, popular proverbs, and popular customs, a-s well as popular superstitions, and these superstitions have an outstanding interest, for it has been well said that "there is scarcely any child’s story or a vain thought that may not ho traced back to the boyhood cf the world.” There aro a thousand superstitions in everyday life that are still cherished despite the advance of civilisation and the discoveries of science, and it is a moat curious and suggestive fact that highly intelligent persons cling, against their better judgment, lo utterly reasonless superstitions. People who are unable lo' believe in tho existence of God will carefully throw salt over their left shoulders and will tap wood if someone tells them how well their children are looking. Apart altogether from the scientific interest of superstitions, they seem to me to demonstrate the unalterable conviction of the great majority of human beings that things are not what they seem, and that, however learned Horatio may be, there are more things in heaven and in _ earth than are dreamed of in his philosophy. SYMBOLICAL ACTS. Moreover, many of the practices that are denounced os superstitious are really very beautiful symbolical, acts. For example, tbeic was a common custom, which still survives in many parts of tho country, that a new-born baby should be placed in tho arms of a maiden before any other person touched it. Tho practice was the consequents of the belief that tho Virgin Mary was present at the birth of John tho Laptist, and was the first person- to hold him in her arms. Other superstitions are based on common sense —for instance, the belief that a baby should never bo allowed to sleep on bones — that is to say, on the lap. This is_ admirable common sense, for it is an obviously bad thing for a cluld to lie with its head of its legs lower than tho rest of its body, MAY MARRIAGES. Tho idea that it is unlucky to marry in May comes to us from the Romans, and is, of course, enshrined in the proverb; “Marry in May and you’ll rue the day.” It was believed that the firsfi child of a May marriage would be an idiot or have some physical U deformity. It is rather a curious fact that this May superstitution was not accepted in tho Middle Ages, tho month of May being the time when The King of Live and all his company Shall holde his feste fully rially and well. Juno, with tho Romans, as with us, was the most popular month for marriages. The poet Ovid was particularly anxious that his daughter should marry in June. There are many explanations cl the belief that to throw an old shoe after a bride and bridegroom is to bring them luck. It has been suggested that the shoe was a symbol of authority, and to throw a shoe after the bridegroom meant- to show that the authority over tho bride was transferred from her father to him. EBBING OP THE TIDE. The belief that deaths mostly occur with tho ebbing of the tide seems to -me to he particularly beautiful, linking man up -with the world in which he lives. This populur belief wan expressed by Mr Peggotty when his brother-in-law, Barkis, lay dying: “ People can't die along the coast except when the tide’s pretty nigh out. They can’t be born unless it’s pretty nigh in. Not properly born till flood. He’s going out with the tide—he’s agoing out with the tide.. It’s ehh at half-arter three, slack water -half an hour. If he lives till it turns, he’ll hold his own till past tho flood, and go out with the next tide.” , It will be .remembered that after many hours, “it being lew water, Barkis went out with the tide. ’ It is impossible in a short article to do more than nibble at the millions of interesting and suggestive superstitions. In a sort it seems to me that- a superstition may give an added dignity to tho commonplace events of one’s everyday life. Even the morning’s dressing raav become a sort of ritual. There is an old Jewish custom first to mit on the right stocking and the right shoe, but to leave the shoe undone; then to put on tho loft stocking and tho loft she-’, and to do up the left shoo before the rmht, so that the beginning and the end of the ceremony is with the right or hi city side.