Animal Superstitions

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ANIMAL SUPERSTITIONS by Thomas G. Ay les worth illustrated with

photographs

and old prints Everyone knows about cat superstitions. Black cats are bad luck. Cats can be witches' familiars. But cats were also used for rainmaking in Java, Sumatra, and Scotland.

Young readers might not know that a number of animals have inspired all kinds of superstitions, some familiar and some obscure. As far as chickens go, a white rooster was used to make rain in Western Europe. A cock's crow will frighten away demons. Why not try sleeping on a bearskin to ease a backache? Nail a wolfs head to your doorway and it will keep witches away. Cook a two- tailed lizard in oil and smear it on an enemy, and great

he

will die.

The author incorporates superstitions about crocodiles, elephants, toads, and rabbits,

among others,

in a sort

of bestiary,

arranged according to scientific tion.

This

new book offers fun

young people.

classifica-

reading for

%

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2014

1

https://archive.org/details/animalsuperstitiOOayle

't^'

ass

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR The Alchemists: Magic Into Science Astrology and Foretelling the Future Cars, Boats, Trains, and Planes of Today

and Tomorrow

ESP Geological Disasters:

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Graphology

Mammal's World Works Like This Monsters from the Movies Movie Monsters Into the It

Mysteries from the Past Palmistry Science at the Ball

Game

Science Update 77 Science Update 78

The Search for

Life

Servants of the Devil

Storm Warning The Story of Dragons and Other Monsters The Story of Vampires The Story of Werewolves The Story of Witches Teaching for Thinking This Vital Air, This Vital Water Traveling Into

Tomorrow

Understanding Body Talk Vampires and Other Ghosts Werewolves and Other Monsters

Who's Out There? The World of Microbes

THOMAS Illustrated

G.

AYLESWORTH

with photographs and old prints

McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY New

York

•

St.

Louis

•

San Francisco

•

Montreal

•

Toronto

'AO d. /Iff

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Thomas G

Aylesworth,

SUMMARY:

2.

superstitions.

Details superstitions about animals held in a variety of cultures

in different epochs.

Superstition

Animal

Includes index.

Bibliography: p.

1.

Animal

—Juvenile

Superstition]

I.

lore

—Juvenile

literature. [1.

Animal

literature. 2. lore.

Title.

398'.369 GR820.A94 ISBN 0-07-0026658-0

80-21389

Copyright ® 1981 Thomas G. Aylesworth. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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BPBP

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

1

For Eleanor Nichols

A a

great editor

and

wonderful friend

r

Contents

PREFACE

/

I

Chapter

1.

MAMMALS

Chapter

2.

BIRDS

Chapter

3.

REPTILES

Chapter

4.

AMPHIBIANS

Chapter

5.

FISH

Chapter

6.

ANIMALS WITHOUT BACKBONES

/

/

5

43

/

/

75

/

85

93

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT ANIMAL SUPERSTITIONS INDEX

/

115

/

113

/

99

Preface

Sometimes

it

seems as though almost every

animal that can be seen with the naked eye has a superstition connected with

it.

And

if

when

microscope had been invented back these superstitions were

dreamed up,

would probably be crazy

amoeba and

Many

beliefs

the

there

about the

the paramecium.

of the strange ideas about animals

come from the world of witchcraft. Every witch was supposed to have an animal. These weird pets, called familiars, came in many varietiescats,

even

dogs, rabbits, toads, birds, insects.

The job

fish,

or perhaps

of the familiar

help the witch with her

little

was

to

chores, such as

1

Animal

2

Superstitions

Preface

ruining the crops or causing floods. So people

who

believed in witchcraft also thought that

some animals could work magic. There are animal superstitions about creatures that are just plain ugly, like the toad.

There are notions about other animals that are feared

by humans,

crocodiles.

And

like snakes,

there are

odd

wolves, and beliefs

about

An

exam-

animals that appear to work magic. ple of this

is

disappear in the

when

all

the folklore about birds that fall

that has

and reappear in the

happened

is

spring,

that they

have

migrated to a warmer climate.

On

the less magical side, there are supersti-

tions about using animals to cure diseases.

Many

people also have believed that they can

make themselves

beautiful or

handsome, get

rid of warts, or find their true loves

by using

animals, parts of animals, or animal products.

Even

in

modem

times, people

who

claim

that they are not the least bit superstitious

still

believe that certain animals have certain talents.

They

root for their fierce, frightening animals,

like the Detroit Tigers, the

University of Michi-

3

Animal

Superstitions

gan Wolverines, or the University of Kentucky

They cheer on

Wildcats. like the

their sturdy animals,

Chicago Bears, the University of Colo-

rado Buffaloes, or the University of Connecticut Huskies. They applaud their lightning-swift animals, like the

Miami Dolphins, the Toronto

Blue Jays, or the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits.

This book

rundown

a

is

of

many

of the

unusual ideas and myths that people in various parts of the world have believed about the

magic of animals. There are

five chapters

groups of animals with backbones

—mammals, And

fish.

{vertebrates)

birds, reptiles, amphibians,

there

is

and

and

one chapter devoted

animals without backbones as spiders

on the

{invertebrates),

to

such

insects.

Probably none of the superstitions in this

book are after

a

true.

But

if

you are

like

most people,

you hear about some of them, you

little

suspicious of your pet

you may never

dog or

will

cat.

trust a crocodile again!

T.G.A.

4

be

And

CHAPTER

Mammals The mammals

are the

most highly developed

group in the animal kingdom, and

human

beings belong to this collection of animals with

backbones

(vertebrates).

and nurse

their

Usually, the

Mammals have

young with mother's

young

are

bom

hair milk.

alive, after devel-

oping inside the body of the mother, not

laid in

eggs.

Modem mammals vary in size shrew,

from the tiny

than two inches long,

to

the

enormous blue whale, over one hundred

feet

long.

less

Most

of the

although some,

and the sea cow, of the

mammals

like

are land animals,

the whale, the porpoise,

live in the sea.

few mammals that

is

The bat

capable of

is

one

flight.

5

Animal

Superstitions

BADGER People in the Badger State of Wisconsin don't

seem

have superstitions about the animal.

to

But some of the lovesick young

women

there might

from the West stunt to

want

Indies.

awaken

love. Just

badger under your boy- or

he or she

will fall in love

borrow a

to

There

men and belief

an old voodoo

is

bury the foot of a girlfriend's

bed and

with you.

BAT As

a furry animal that can

unusual creature. developed about In

most

tion.

fly,

the bat

is

a

most

And many odd notions have it.

places, the bat has a terrible reputa-

Because

it

was thought

that the Devil

often took the form of a bat, the animal

was

a

symbol of death. In Europe, Asia, and the Americas,

it

the house,

has been said that

someone

if

a bat

flies

into

will die.

But in parts of England, the bat was not a fiend, but a mischievous animal.

that bats stole

neys.

6

And

It

was thought

bacon from farmhouse chim-

there are English children

who

Mammals chant a

rhyme when they

little

Bat, hat, get under

my

And

slice

Baf s blood was poses.

you a

Til give

Most

it

around on her broom.

in Central Europe,

a boy

for magical pur-

as one of the ingredients

to help the witch sail

make

of bacon,

recipes for flying ointment for

witches mentioned

And

hat

used

also

see a bat:

fall

all

a

girl

in love with her

is

has to do to to

add a few

drops of bat's blood to his beer. If

you don't believe

believe this

never

—a bat can help you become

invisi-

ble. Just carry the heart of a

right arm.

wear the

you

will

that,

Of

left

if

you are

bat under your

in the

German

Tyrol,

eye of a bat and no one will be able

to see you.

In parts of

you

Germany

Bats are

will

was believed

tied the dried heart of a bat

you would be lucky

see

it

that

if

on your arm

at cards.

good weather

predictors, too.

them flying around the fields at night,

If

you

there

be good weather.

7

Animal

Superstitions

BEAR The Norwegian hunters

of old drank bears'

blood to make them as strong as a bear. But

most of the other

superstitions

about

this

animal are medical. For example, there

is

the famous concoction

made from

called bear grease,

the fat of the

creature. In sixteenth-century Europe,

believed that bear grease It

it

was

would cure baldness.

would also prevent blight in the garden if you

rubbed

Want

it

on your garden

to cure a child of

the patient ride

unless the bear that

on is

tools.

whooping cough? Let

a bear's back.

gentle, there

is

Of

course,

a possibility

something worse than whooping cough

might happen To prevent

to the child! fits,

bear's belly, boil soles of

sleep

your

on a

it

take

some

in alcohol,

feet. If

you

fur from a live

and put

suffer

it

on the

from backache,

bearskin.

come in handy, too. Give one to gum on and the result will be strong

Bears' teeth

a baby to teeth.

Carry a bear tooth as a charm and

prevent toothache.

8

it

will

To some people, the bear was as mysterious an animal as the unicorn. Here is an illustration from a fourteenthcentury hook showing a fight between the two creatures, with another bear, obviously thirsty, looking on. Another old drawing of the bear. Since hears took honey from hives, they were often thought to be enemies of the bees.

Some

called this

animal the "bee-wolf."

9

Animal

Superstitions

One

The

cat can he a witch's ''familiar."

who

confessed in 1618, said that her mother

witch. She

saw her mother's

English witch,

was

also a

familiar, "the cat,

Rutterkin, leap on her shoulder and suck her neck."

10

— Mammals

BEAVER The Indians

of British

Columbia

a superstition about the beaver

baby

will

make her work harder

when

Canada had

—rub the body

with the body of a beaver. This

of a

girl

in

husband

for her

she gets married.

CAT In the Middle Ages, a cat

was

be the Devil himself, or familiar. Also,

often thought to

at

was an animal

it

a witch's

least

that,

it

was

could be a witch in disguise. But a witch

said,

turn

could

a

into

cat

only

matching the supposed nine

No

question about

it,

nine

times

lives of the cat.

the cat

is

associated

with luck. In most places, the cat that brings the worst luck

is

England a black

the black cat

is

cat.

lucky,

and a white

brings bad luck. In any case,

comes

stroke

it

Sailors

and

cat

on

cat

a black cat it

outside.

gently along the spine or

will take the luck of the

A

if

into the house, don't chase

You must

cats.

But in parts of

house with

it

it.

actors are particularly fond of

a ship brings

good

luck.

And 11

it

Animal

Superstitions

when

can be very helpful drive the

the deck

sail.

there

no wind

to

under a pot on

Just put the cat

and a good wind

is

come up. And

will

don't throw the cat overboard or a terrible

storm will occur. Every theater should have a

Some

cat.

actors think that

the cat looks

if

interested while the actors are rehearsing, the

play will be a success. But

stage during a performance,

Never kick the theater

runs across the

if it

cat or

it it

is

a disaster.

will bring

on

a

catastrophe.

In

some

places

it is

believed that cats creep

from young

into cradles to suck the breath

And these animals seem to have a lot to do with illness. Many used to think they

babies.

caused sickness and death. In the seventeenth century. Increase Mather,

New

the

England Puritan minister, wrote,

'There are some who,

comes it,

into a

who

to die

it,

will presently

be in a sweat

away." There were even those

believed that

if

a sick person

cats or a cat fight, the result

12

a cat accidentally

room, though they neither see of

nor are told of

and ready

if

dreamed

of

would be death.

The

cat has been associated

with the moon. The

grows

first bigger

moon

and then

smaller, just like the smile

on the Cheshire Cat

in

Alice in Wonderland,

which looks here crescent moon.

like

a

Animal Superstitions

To the Japanese, the cat could he a witch in animal form. This

is

a painting by the

Kuniyoshi.

14

It is called

famous Japanese "The Cat-Witch/'

artist

Mammals

On

the brighter side, there are

stitions

that

people.

If

technique the

claim that cats

someone tells

human

is

ill

super-

can help sick

in the house,

an old

how to transfer the disease from

cat— douse the wash water and chase

patient's

many

to a

cat it

with the

out of the

house.

A

dried cat skin put

toothache. Broth

consumption.

makes a

A

A

on the

made from whole

stye in the eye could tail

a black cat cures

cat boiled in olive oil

perfect dressing for

Just pull the caf s

cures

face

wounds.

be cured with a

cat.

over the affected eye and

say:

/

poke

1

poke the queff [stye] that's under the eye,

thee. I don't

poke thee,

O qualyway, O qualyway. It

was

said that this technique could also cure

warts and the

itch.

Cats are good for predicting the weather.

When a cat sneezes,

it

means

rain.

When these

animals scamper around wildly, there will be a

wind.

If

they

wash

their ears,

it

means

rain.

15

Animal Superstitions

and when they is

sit

with their backs to the

fire it

a prediction of frost or storms.

make

In Indonesia, cats can be used to All that

upside

is

necessary

down on

the ground

washes a

and

is

for a

rain.

woman to put a pot

her head. Then she puts fills it

cat in the

with water.

it

on

she

Finally,

water until the animal is half

drowned. This causes heavy can she figure out exactly

rains. (But

when

the cat

is

how half

drowned?) Cats are also associated with romance, especially in

There,

the Ozark regions of the United States.

if

a girl accidentally steps

on

she will marry within the year. But

an

it

tail,

must be

accident.

she can't

If

marry a

make up her mind whether

certain

man

technique called "leave hairs

from a caf s

of white

doorstep.

paper.

tail

if

it

to the cat." Take three

and wrap them

in a piece

Put the paper under the

The next morning,

the hairs spell

16

to

or not, she can use a

Y

unwrap hairs. Look to

carefully

the paper without disturbing the see

a cat's

for yes, or

N for no.

Since the cat was sacred to the

Egyptians,

it

might

seem reasonable that these animals were

made into mummies,

just like

important people.

—^fcj

.

^

™

1

'

41

1

Animal

Superstitions

Another Ozark

women

was

belief

they should toss a cat in animal. Whichever

be the

first

One Ozark cats,

when

should have a cat handy

have a quilting bee. Once the

will

that unmarried

it

quilt is finished,

and then

woman

they

release the

the cat heads for

one married.

warning.

If

a family keeps black

none of the daughters

house

of the

will

marry.

Sneezing cats have something to do with

romance,

too. In

many

once near a bride,

it

good marriage. But

more times

it

just

places,

means if

if

a cat sneezes

that she will

have a

the cat sneezes three or

means

that the

whole family

will catch cold. Finally, to finish off the cat, here are three

unrelated

superstitions.

Cats

are

good

for

hunting mice unless your particular cat was

bom in May. May cats are only good for killing glowworms and brew

belief that

nibbled by a

cat,

snakes. There if

you

you will

eat

is

an old He-

what has been

become

forgetful. In

the southern part of the United States, never kick a

18

cat.

You

will get

rheumatism.

Mammals

CATTLE There If

is

a

Hindu

idea that concerns the dying.

a person dies while holding onto a cow's

it is

certain that

he or she

In Europe just a ago,

ing

some people had off a cattle

be blessed.

more than a century

a strange

way

of ward-

epidemic. Slaughtered cows'

hearts were boiled

A

little

will

tail,

and stuck

statue of the giant ox of

her master, Paul Bunyan.

full of pins.

American legend, Babe, with

Animal Superstitions

DOG Dogs have been favorites ies.

humans for centurcity of Cynopolis was

of

In ancient Egypt, the

named

for the

that the people take in

even went

to

someone from

made

stray dogs. Cynopolis

all

war with a nearby town when that

The governor lover too.

A law there required

dog Cynos,

town

ate

one of

its

was

of ancient Babylon

He owned

so

dogs.

many dogs

a

that

he

four towns exempt from paying taxes as

And

long as the people fed the dogs properly. there

dog

is

an old saying

of the United States:

in the

Ozark Mountains

"A man who

can't

make

friends with dogs can't be trusted.''

Dogs brew

superstition claims that

between two men, they

will

if

a

the angel of death

is strolling

The Spaniards look on the lucky there to

call

dog passes

it

luck.

means that

through town.

brighter side.

It is

dogs by name.

Of course dogs

are sometimes associated

with medicine. Here for curing fever:

old He-

have bad

And if a dog cannot stop howling,

20

An

are associated with luck.

is

an old Hebrew recipe

Mammals Take seven prickles from seven palm

trees,

seven chips from seven beams, seven nails from seven bridges, seven ashes from seven ovens, ,

seven scoops of earth from seven door sockets, seven pieces of pitch from seven ships, seven handfuls of cumin,

and seven and

tie

hairs

them

from

to the

the beard of

an old dog,

neck hole of the shirt

with a white twisted cord.

There was an old Mesopotamian technique to cure a child of a disease

by

transferring the

sickness to a dog. First, put a loaf of bread

on

the child's head« Next, recite a certain incantation three times.

from head

Rub

the child with the loaf

to foot. Finally, feed the

bread to a

dog. The dog will get the disease, and the child will

be cured.

Speaking of disease, there

Hebrew

belief

you are

bitten

water that

is

another ancient

about hydrophobia, or

by

may

a

mad

rabies. If

dog, don't look in any

be nearby.

If

you were

to see

the reflection of the animal that bit you, you

would surely

die of the bite.

21

Animal

Superstitions

Did you ever have any birds? All

you have

to

do

you

if

hearts,

he or she

is

to

and

a fox's heart together

more,

desire to talk to the

cook a dog's and

eat them.

someone

kiss

will

What's

after eating the

be able to

talk to the birds,

too.

ELEPHANT made out of

In parts of Africa a ring or bracelet

braided elephant's hair will bring you good luck.

GOAT In

many

places

could ride goat.

was believed

it

off to a

And when

that a witch

grand witches' meeting on a the Devil appeared at these

witches' meetings, he

came

in the

form of a

goat.

In ancient

good

luck.

If

Rome, a she-goat could bring you one crossed your path as you were

leaving the house

good was going If

you

fall

it

to

down

was

a sign that something

happen a

lot,

to you.

here

is

a cure

desert goat's tongue in your pocket at

22

—keep a

all

times.

Mammals

HORSE Superstitions about horses have always

been

with us. The ancient Celtic people kept white horses in sacred groves. The Celts thought that

they could predict the future by watching their

movements. Centuries ago,

German

If

kept white

When a war was about

horses in their temples. to start,

tribes

one of the horses would be led outside.

the animal stepped over the threshold the

foot

first,

was

called

war would be

lost.

left

So the fighting

off.

In parts of India, a specially consecrated

horse was allowed to run free for a year. The

horse was protected by warriors sure the king

on whose

roamed would

either

In Europe

it

used

who made

territory the horse

pay homage or

to

fight.

be thought that a horse

could be a witch's familiar.

A traveling English

performing horse was burned as a witch in

Rouen, France, because

was thought Long ago

to

be a

it

was so

human

clever that

it

in disguise.

in the Pennsylvania

of the United States, children

Dutch country were protected

23

Animal

Superstitions

(Above) In a thirteenth-century manuscript, horses were pictured as the five senses. a row.

At

the right

rearing to

paw

left, all

From

left to

to taste?

of them are in

wings, and notice the

right are touch (a horse

the ground), hearing,

knows what happened

24

the

sight. It has

is

eye in front. (Below)

At

and

smell.

Who

Mammals from witchcraft by being passed through a horse

And

collar.

horse-head decorations on

German houses warded

the gables of

off evil

spirits.

Horses have one problem. They are susceptible to the evil eye. (The evil eye

is

supposed

to

way of harming a person just by looking at him or her.) To combat this, many horses were

be a

with fancy tack

outfitted

—brass pieces show-

ing the sun, the moon, or a heart.

many

Like so

handy

to

other animals, horses

in

amateur doctors. Horse hairs placed

around the neck were said child

came

to cure goiter.

If

a

has worms, make him or her eat a sandwich.

horse-hair

In

England,

was

it

thought that cancer could be cured with horse spurs (the callouses on the inside of the horse's leg). Just

powder them and drink them

mixture of

Hebrew

warm

milk and

ale.

There

is

in a

an old

idea that a horse's blood will cure

warts.

In England

was believed meant

there

and our own Ozark

that a

regions,

it

dream about a white horse

would be sickness or death

in the

25

Animal Superstitions

family. But a

color

dream about

was good

agree.

a horse of a different

Ancient Hebrews didn't

luck.

White-horse dreams were good, but

red-horse dreams were bad. At any rate,

own

horse

change

its

is

if

your

having a run of bad luck,

just

name, and

change

that will

its

luck.

In parts of the southern United States believed that you can't trust a

red horse.

help you

man who

And in the same regions,

make

When you

it is

rides a

horses can

sure that your wish comes true.

see a

hand and make

newbom

colt,

spit in

your

Or you can use the "stamping'' technique. Wet your right thumb and press the wet part into your left palm. Then the wish.

"stamp" a mule with the

left

palm. After

twenty different mules, your wish granted. it

You can stamp white

takes one

hundred

of

them

be

will

horses, too, but to

do the

job.

HYENA Hyenas were thought

to

be truly magic

ani-

mals, probably because of their cry, which

sounds so much

like

Arabs believed that

26

if

human

laughter.

a hyena steps

The

on your

Mammals

The hyena's cousin, the jackal, was associated with death. Here is an ancient wall painting showing the Egyptian jackal-headed god, Anubis, whose job was to guide the dead to the place of judgment.

shadow, you

will lose the

movement. And and

casts a

if

powers of speech and

your pet dog

shadow on

is

on the roof

the ground, the hyena

has but to step on the shadow, and the dog will fall off

first

the roof.

place

is

What

it

was doing

there in the

anyone's guess!

27

Animal Superstitions

A

hyena tooth worn around the neck,

ac-

cording to the ancient Greeks, will protect you

from both witches and night animals. To accomplish the same thing, smear hyena's

blood on the doorposts of your house. Hyena skin

hung on

wards

off hail

the gate of an English orchard

and

lightning.

Hyenas, according

man

help a

girlfriend

to the old Greeks,

can

in love. Just touch the lips of your

with a hyena's whisker, and she will

be yours forever.

Some that

if

primitive Australian tribes believed

you wore the heart of a hyena you would

become cowardly. But who would want such a piece of jewelry?

LION The

lion has often

been thought of as a symbol

of strength. East African

Masai warriors would

make them strong. But that didn't necessarily mean that all these people thought that the lion was brave. There were tales told that the lion was afraid of drink the blood of this animal to

the crowing of a rooster.

28

Mammals

Some thought

that a sick lion could be cured

with the blood of an ape. And, by the way, clothing to

wrapped in a lion's

skin

was supposed

be safe from moths.

In this scene from an Indian temple, the job of a lion pull the planet Saturn through the sky on a cart.

29

is

to

Animal

Superstitions

MOLE There

is

an ancient Hebrew love charm

might come in handy. to

fall

If

in love with her,

male mole and

hit

on

it

woman wants a man

a

she has to do

all

that

its

find a

is

The same

right foot.

thing works for men, with a female mole.

PIG For centuries, the pig has been either loved or

hated by

human

some, forbidden

The

beings.

It is

a staple food for

to others.

pig, like the horse,

is

said to be vulnera-

ble to the evil eye. But the animal does talent.

It

is

believed by

a weather prophet,

some

to

since

it

is

be able to smell or see the

to

wind. In parts of the United

supposed

have

know when

States,

a tornado

But never mention a pig to a

is

it

is

coming.

sailor or

it

will

bring bad luck.

There was an old with pigs. except

A

30

custom

that

had

to

do

pig in the house brings bad luck

on the

first

welcome the animal luck.

Irish

of in

May.

and you

On will

that

day,

have good

Mammals

The wild boar

is

a symbol of death

and destruction.

PORPOISE It is

said that

sea,

he

will

if

a sailor finds a dead porpoise at

have good

luck.

RABBIT Everyone knows that a

rabbit's foot is a

good-

luck charm. In the southern part of England,

it

can also be used as a love charm to bring back the affections of a lost love.

Rabbits can bring good luck in other ways.

31

Animal

Superstitions

ism

*

In

f/ie

known

old

Aesop

fable the rabbit

and

for cleverness. Illustration

32

the hare are not

by Arthur Rackham.

Mammals too.

On the first day of a new moon,

and shout

"rabbits'' or

go outside

"white rabbits" the

first

thing in the morning. This should be done before you say anything else that morning.

Some people

say that you have to go outside

and shout '1:)lack rabbits" the rdght before. And that should be the last thing

Good

evening.

And first

that

luck will be with you.

in Delaware,

on the

thing

you say

if

first

you

recite a rabbit

chant

day of the month, good

luck will be yours for the whole month.

If

you

remember to say it on New Year's Day, you will have good luck

for the entire year. Just say:

Rabbit, rabbit, bring

For

me

this is the first of

In England, a rabbit running street is

luck I

down

the village

thought by some to be a warning of

fire.

mean

various

to right,

you will

Rabbits crossing your path things.

If

have bad luck

if

one crosses from luck.

you

tear

left

But you can get rid of the bad

your clothing a

little. If

you are a

fisherman and a rabbit crosses your path, you

33

Animal

Superstitions

might as well give up. You won't catch any that day.

If

fish

a rabbit crosses the path of a

pregnant woman, she should tear a piece of

bum Otherwise, her child is supposed to be bom with a harelip. cloth

from her dress and

it.

Finally, a rabbit's foot is said to cure colic

both

and rheumatism.

In Lapland, reindeer were sacrificial animals. Their blood

was used on sacred

An

illustration

34

objects

and for medicinal purposes.

fror^a book published in 1555.

Mammals

A

pair of

strange-

looking seals,

probably

drawn by someone who had never seen the

animal. They

come from a book written in the 1700s.

SEAL According to the folklore of some Eskimos,

man

kills

a seal he

must make atonement

if

as

a if

He is forbidden to scrape frost from a window. He can't clean drips from his lamp. And he also can't shake his bed,

he were a murderer.

scrape hair from skins,

and work

in

wood,

stone, or ivory. If

a

woman

comb her

kills

hair or

a seal, she

wash her

is

forbidden to

face.

35

Animal

Superstitions

SHEEP Sheep can be lucky or unlucky England and Germany

In

considered good

is

it

for you.

luck to meet a flock as you leave your house in the

moming. And when you

lamb

in the spring,

tumed away from

it is

good luck

you. But

bears three black lambs,

see your

if

a

first

if its

new

head

is

German sheep

someone

in the family

will die.

The ancient Scots had a way of predicting the future with a sheep's bone.

They would

take a

"speal bone''— the blade bone of a shoulder of

mutton

—-and

make

the lines they found

Sheep can it

was

lover

a prediction based

on

upon

it.

also help the lovelom. In

England

said that a girl could get back a faithless

by

sticking a knife in a sheep's shoulder

blade and saying: Ifs not this bone I wish to stick

But

(so-and-so's) heart I wish to prick.

Whether he be asleep or awake III

An

have him come

unmarried

36

to

woman

me and

speak.

can go to the sheep

Mammals

A

thirteenth-century Persian astrological painting.

Mars

in Aries (the ram) and in conjunction with Jupiter, The figures below are, from left to right: Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn.

is

stall at

night

on Christmas Eve and grab an

animal in the dark.

If it is

a male sheep, she will

be married during the coming year.

If it is

a

female, she will have to wait until the next

Christmas Eve and try again.

Sheep come cases, too. Less

in

handy

in

problem medical

than one hundred years ago.

37

Animal

there

Superstitions

were cases in Devonshire, England,

where people thought been caused by

that their illnesses

One

witchcraft.

sheep heart and

stick pins in a

May

cure

had

was

to

recite:

each pin

Thus stuck

in

This poor heart In hers go

Who Till

Want

a cure for

so

she departs.

whooping cough? Take the

afflicted child to the

a sheep breathe

me

hurts

sheep

on him

stall at

or her.

dawn and let

Then push

the

down on

the

sheep away and put the child

ground where the sheep has been

lying.

SKUNK This animal

is

an important one

in the

Ozark

regions of the United States. Folklore there says that

skunk

when

it is

ailments.

oil

made from

trapped in winter can cure throat

On

the other hand, the smell might

be able to cure anything!

38

the fat of the skunk

Mammals

SQUIRREL Some Navaho tail

Indians used to

tie

a squirrel's

to a cradle to protect the baby.

WEASEL There were Indian

you

tribes

who

ate the heart of a weasel

thought that

if

you could predict

the future.

Gef, the

name of a ghostly weasel

that haunted a farmhouse

on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, it is said. Not only could he imitate several animals, but he learned to talk.

39

Animal

Superstitions

Wolves have often meant

Here is a black wolf serving as transportation for the demon Andras, who is responsible for stirring up quarrels.

40

evil doings.

Mammals

WOLF The wolf has been respected and feared

Even the ancient Romans thought

centuries.

that this animal

had some magical powers.

you see a wolf running

mouth

full,

other hand,

camp,

it

In

you if

had

was sure

to

some

will

a wolf

to

be

to

your right with

On

its

luck.

came

Roman army

killed. If

into a it

escaped, the

the

army

be defeated.

countries a wolf s head

their charms. if

If

have good

was nailed to

the door for protection against witches

that

for

and

And there are those who believed

you were robbed,

all

you had

to

do was

put a wolfs tooth under your pillow. You

would see the

thief in

your dreams.

41

r

CHAPTER mm

Birds

Birds

come

in

all

shapes and

from the

sizes,

male bee hummingbird, which

is

smaller than

the female,

whose wingspan

inches,

the wandering albatross,

to

wingspan can reach over eleven bird

largest

flightless

ostrich,

which can be nine

is

than two

is less

whose The

feet.

the North African feet tall

and weigh

over three hundred pounds. Birds are backboned animals are covered with feathers.

whose bodies

They have

air-filled

bones, and most of them can

have no

teeth,

and they

light,

fly.

They

lay eggs.

There are a few superstitions about birds in general.

A bird

that

comes

into a

house

is

43

an

Animal

Superstitions

The ancient Egyptians thought of the air as a

human-headed bird that went along with the

dead

to the

underworld.

example. In the United States, there that

if

bird of

the bird

is

white,

bad luck

is

a belief

will follow.

A

any other color in the house brings good

luck.

This same belief

is

found in Malaya, but

people there have a cure for the white bird's

bad luck— you catch the bird and smear oil,

then let it go outside.

the

bad luck with

44

it.

It

will fly

it

with

away, taking

Birds

An

Hebrew cure for headache goes like this. Wrap a thread three times around your head. Next, take the thread off and hang the old

loop in a

tree. If a bird flies

through the loop,

the headache will go away. Finally, here is a cure for hepatitis. Stare into

the eyes of any yellow-eyed bird,

and the

disease will be transferred to the animal.

BUZZARD In the Ozark mountains, you can

when you

see a flying buzzard.

doesn't flap

your wish

make

the bird

wings while you are wishing,

its

will

If

a wish

be granted.

CARDINAL People in the Ozarks seem to relate this bird to kissing.

If

a cardinal

flies

across a

she will be kissed twice before a girl sees a cardinal perched fence, she

make

must

a wish.

If

gets to the third true. If

start

girl's

nightfall.

flies

And if

on a branch

blowing kisses to

the bird

path,

away

it

or a

and

before she

blown kiss, her wish will come

she gets past three kisses,

it's

no good.

45

Animal

Superstitions

CHICKEN Chickens are the most numerous birds in the

They have been domesticated

world.

and so almost everyone

turies

familiar

superstitions

in the world

No wonder

with them.

for cenis

many

that so

have arisen about them.

Chickens were used by the ancient Romans to predict the future

through a technique called

alectryomancy or alectormancy This .

od

a meth-

of predicting the future using a rooster.

First it

was

up

draw

a circle

into sections

on the ground and divide

—one section

for

each

letter

of the alphabet, or twenty-six in the case of

English.

fewer

(Many other languages have more

letters in their alphabets.

for example.) Label letter

Spanish has

28,

each section for a different

and put a grain

of

com or wheat in each.

Next, get a white rooster and cut toenails.

or

off his

Say a few incantations and put him in

the middle of the

circle.

More

verses follow,

and then you watch which grain he Each time he eats one, replace

it.

picks up.

In this

way

the rooster will spell out the message. It is

46

said that this

method was used to predict

Birds

which person would replace the Roman emperor Valens Caesar. But the rooster ate only four grains, spelling the

was

that

word

Theo.

The problem

no one knew whether he was choos-

ing Theodosius,

Theodotus, Theodorus,

Theodosius

Theodectes.

was

the

or

eventual

ruler.

A

hen can be used

Hungary. into a

If

to get

back property in

you are robbed, take a black hen

room with you. Both of you must then go

without food

all

day

for nine successive Fri-

days. During that time, the thief will have to

retum

his loot or

The crowing

he

will die.

had

its

share of superstitious lore connected with

it.

of a rooster has always

All over the world, people

the cock's crowing at drives

away

all

dawn

have believed that is

^

Some have thought this

The noise

the evil night things. But there

are exceptions.

three times,

lucky.

someone

that

in the

can be prevented.

If

if

a rooster crows

house

will die.

you want him

crowing, rub his head with olive

oil,

But

to stop

and put a

garland of vines around his neck.

47

Animal

Superstitions

There are places in the United States where is

believed that

a rooster crows

if

there will be a visitor to the house.

it

on

a porch,

If

he crows

facing the house, at the front door, or facing a banister, there will

be a death in the house.

Crowing roosters can influence the weather, too. If a

cock crows while

it is

raining, the rain

And there is an old Ozark rhyme that

will stop.

indicates the rooster can cause rain: If a

cock crows

He'll get

when he goes

up with

to bed,

a wet head.

There are other ways that the rooster can

make

it

rain. In

rooster into lightning.

Germans

Germany, you can throw a

the air to cause thunder

During the Middle Ages, tried to bring rain

rooster, then filling

its

by

killing a

and

some white

body with myrrh, white

pepper, frankincense, milk, and wine. The next step

an

was to hold it up toward the sun and recite

incantation.

Some Germans

believed that every seven

years a rooster could lay one egg.

If

you were

lucky enough to find that magic egg, you threw

48

Birds

In the old days, witches were thought to cook up a

rainstorm by using a rooster. In this old print, if

it

looks as

they have been successful.

49

Animal Superstitions

it

over your house

—

to prevent thunderstorms.

who

There were those

could become invisible of a black

old

if

you

hen under your

Hebrew

should be

thought that you carried the heart

right arm.

And an

superstition says that a rooster

killed

if

he upsets a

dish.

This

clumsiness meant that he was possessed by

demons.

Ancient

Romans thought

that

locked door could be opened by using the

a tail

feathers of a rooster instead of a key.

Chickens can come in handy in curing diseases. In Scotland, burying a rooster in the dirt

floor

under the bed of someone with

epilepsy will cure the illness.

In

Germany,

hiding the head, heart, and right foot of a rooster in a house will

the Ozarks,

if

a black

ward

off all illnesses. In

hen and her chicks walk

over the body of a child

who

has chicken pox,

the child will be cured.

An

old

person

is

Hebrew belief says that lying on a feather bed

chicken feathers, patient.

pains.

50

The

it

is

better

to

if

a dying

containing

move

the

feathers will prolong the death

Birds

Chickens have cosmetic functions in the Ozarks. Freckles can be removed by putting

chicken blood on your face. to

be beautiful,

all

And if a

she has to do

girl

wants

eat a

is

raw

chicken heart.

When

it

comes time

to

Hebrew superstition says groom will have good luck

be married, an old that the bride if

a

hen and

are tossed over the couple. In parts of

ny,

the worst kind of luck

it is

party

on

way

the

two roosters

a

rooster

Germa-

wedding

church comes across

fighting.

Finally, in the

dream

to the

if

and

Ozarks

it is

very bad luck to

of chickens.

CROW The cawing

of a

crow has been thought of as

evil for centuries.

To some people, having noisy

crows

fly

over their houses in the evening

meant death.

On

could be useful.

the other hand, these birds In

ancient

Rome,

wanted

to scare

away demons,

do was

to kick a

crow in the morning.

all

The ancient Hebrews had a way

if

you

you had

to

of using a

51

Animal Superstitions

crow

unlock a door. Just smear the right foot

to

male crow with the

of a

the lock with

it.

fat of

In Czechoslovakia,

and rub you

if

ate

you would become a crack

three crow's hearts,

shot. In ancient Greece,

hearts raw,

a snake

if

you

ate three crow's

you would be able

to predict the

future.

Also in ancient Greece,

touch up your gray

you wanted

you would wash

it

to

in

was then supposed to turn But there was a warning. While you were

crows' eggs. black.

washing your with

hair,

if

oil

It

hair,

your mouth had to be

or else your teeth

would turn

filled

black,

too.

Crows can be used Ozarks,

if

for prediction.

two crows are

any unmarried

woman

circling

a dead tree branch,

But

if it

perches on a

over a cabin,

inside will find a hus-

band. In parts of England,

on

In the

it

live

if

a crow

is

perched

will rain before night.

branch, the day will be

fine.

In the Ozarks, there

when you

52

is

a

little

verse to recite

see crows flying together:

Birds

One's unlucky,

Two's lucky, Three's health,

Four's wealth, Five's sickness.

Six

In Babylonia,

it

and then

a crow

is

death.

was thought

let it

go,

it

that

will fly

if

you catch

away with

your fever. But to dream of a crow cawing

means

that

Finally,

Easter,

if

you

will

have sadness in your

life.

you don't put on something new

you

will find

for

crow droppings on your

clothes.

CUCKOO The ancient Greeks believed

tumed

into a

hawk during

that the cuckoo

the winter.

Most

of

the other superstitions about this bird have to

do with

its

song.

Let's take the cry of the first

cuckoo in the

spring. In

England and Scotland,

lieved that

you could

you would

live

tell

it

was

be-

how many more years

by counting the times

that the

53

Animal

cuckoo tell

called.

And an unmarried woman could

how many years

This felt

Superstitions

she would remain unwed.

was also true in Germany, but there it was that

times

it

if

the cuckoo called

must be

insane,

more than ten

and so was

unreliable.

There were places where you were supposed

In this illustration from an old hook,

Madmen

54

of

Gotam,

a cuckoo

is

Merry

Tales of the

talking to a

man.

Birds

to

wish

for

something when you heard the

And

cuckoo.

at the time,

if

you had money

in your pocket

you would have money

In England,

if

first

year.

all

by accident you heard the

first

cuckoo while you were in bed, someone in the family

would get

Scotland,

it

the hearer

was

sick.

just

bad

would tum

Fishermen should be cuckoo catch call

call first

no

fish.

If

this

luck.

happened

But in France,

into a lazy idler. careful. If they

hear the

thing in the morning, they will

On the

other hand, the cuckoo's

can cure disease. In Germany,

when you hear lumbago. And in England,

the grass

it,

you

if

roll

on

you won't get

scrape

up

from beneath your right foot and you cured of

in

the dirt will

be

fleas.

An unmarried man can use the bird's song to help

him

find a wife.

He

looks under his

left

shoe (when he hears the cuckoo) and finds a hair of the

same

color as that of his future wife.

The Danes believed

that the cuckoo, a bird

that uses other birds' nests,

clues to people that

nest of

its

it

was

so busy giving

had no time

to build a

own.

55

Animal

Superstitions

Birds

The eagle

is

power and leadership. Our as a United States emblem.

a symbol of

national bird

EAGLE Various parts of the eagle are supposed to have great powers.

herb,

cook

Mix

it,

its

and

madness. The eagle

and balsam cures

feathers with a special

eat

it,

liver

and

it

will

cure

mixed with honey

cataracts.

And

its

heart

is

a

love charm.

The Pawnee Indians made an

object called a

storm eagle. This was a dead eagle stuffed with magical objects that could raise a storm.

(Facing page) Doves were thought to be symbols of love. Here is Venus, the Roman goddess of love, riding in a

dove-drawn

chariot.

57

Animal

Superstitions

GOOSE In England,

you

it

eat goose

Michaelmas Day, you

will

on September

be lucky. There

29,

is

an

old saying, "If you eat goose at Michaelmas

Day you will never want for money round/'

And

all

the year

in Yorkshire, in northern En-

gland, you can predict the weather with a

goose.

If

the breastbone

severe winter.

is

dark, there will be a

If it is light,

the winter will be

mild.

HAWK A hawk seen flying from your right to your left means bad luck

in sections of America.

HUMMINGBIRD A

voodoo recipe

blows

it

how

a

man

can

woman. He makes a powder hummingbird flesh and herbs and

win the heart of dried

in Haiti tells

on

of a

her.

LAPWING In the Middle

Ages

would hang the 58

it

was thought that if a man

heart,

eye,

or brain of a

Birds

%

1

\

it

A

drawing from India of the god Brahma, riding on a magic goose.

59

I

Animal Superstitions

lapwing around his neck, he would improve his intelligence

and

memory. And

his

couldn't find a lapwing, a black plover

if

he

would

do.

MAGPIE People in Shropshire, England, once thought that

they saw a magpie flying from their right

if

to their

make

meant bad

left, it

when

a wish

luck.

They would

they saw their

first

also

magpie

in the spring.

Almost everywhere killing a

magpie brought

you should

in Wales,

when you

see

In southern

magpie sings ter.

But

in Britain

if it

terribly

tip

it

was

bad

felt

luck.

your hat to

that

And

this bird

it.

Germany it was thought that if a near your house it means disas-

merely chatters, a guest will soon

arrive.

When

magpies

fly together,

the future with this

One for

little

you can predict

poem:

sorrow, two for mirth,

Three for a wedding, four for a

60

birth.

Birds

Or with

this one:

One for

sorrow, two for joy,

Three for a

girl,

four for a boy.

MOCKINGBIRD There

is

an Ozark legend

that

a mockingbird at night, she

man's

hat.

That

will

if

a

woman hears

must put on a

ensure a happy marriage.

NIGHTINGALE This bird

is

famous

for

nonstop singing, so

you put a nightingale's eyes and heart next

if

to a

person in bed, they will keep him or her awake. Going one step further, grind up the eyes and heart and mix drink.

Then he

them

in someone's

or she will die of insomnia.

OWL Owls have been centuries.

faces

and

Many

associated with witchcraft for of

them have almost human

horrible cries that frighten the super-

stitious.

In the Ozark mountains, the owl

is

some-

61

Animal

Superstitions

In this drawing by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya,

many

of the common elements of witchcraft are shown two ugly old crones, a flying broomstick, and an owl.

62

—

Birds

times

the

called

"witch

chicken/'

thought to be able to charm chickens perches. But

if

you

owl over your door,

nail part of a great it

will

and

is

off their

homed

keep away witches.

In parts of Asia, you can place a dead owl over a child's bed to frighten

away

evil spirits.

These birds can be helpful in other ways. In

A

drawing of an owl painted on a coffin in Egypt almost It was a symbol of death and mourning.

four thousand years ago.

63

Animal Superstitions

India, there

feathers

was

under a

a belief that

woman's truth.

it

would put

The ancient Greeks had

a

you put an owl's heart on a

breast

And

washed

if

you put owl

child's pillow, they

the child to sleep. belief that

if

it

would

force her to

tell

gray hair would turn to black

the

if

you

epilepsy, but only

if it

with owl's eggs.

Owl-egg soup cured

was made from an egg containing

a male owl.

PEACOCK The peacock comes in handy when you want to predict the weather.

and It

utter cries

was

when

supposed

It is

a storm

is

you can

you suspect

The cry feathers are

bum

that

approaching.

and

And in parts of

the feathers of the bird

if

you have been poisoned.

of the peacock

attract snakes,

people

dance

also believed that peacock's bile

blood was a cure for poisoning. India,

to

is

also thought to

which the bird then kills. And its

supposed

to

ward

make umbrellas out

off evil,

so

some

of them.

English actors believe that any play with the

word "peacock" 64

in

it

will

be a

flop.

Birds

Animal

Superstitions

ROBIN The European robin

is

usually looked

lucky bird. In parts of Germany,

it is

on

as a

supposed

houses from lightning. Also,

to protect

bridal couple see a robin

on the way from

wedding ceremony, they

if

a

their

be lucky.

will

As you might expect, it is not a good idea to harm a robin. In England, Scotland, and Germany,

if

you

kill

one, your cows will give

bloody milk. In parts of England and Bohemia, if

you rob a

robin's nest,

your hands will

you do the same, you

tremble. In Wales,

if

break an arm or a

leg.

will

Robins can help predict the weather: If the robin sings in the

Then But

the weather will be coarse;

if

Then

bush,

the robin sings

on the barn,

the weather will be

warm.

SEAGULL On

parts of the English coast, seagulls are

believed to be the souls of

66

drowned

sailors.

Birds

STARLING There

an old Hebrew superstition

is

guest will arrive at your

home if a

that says a

starling sings

at night.

STORK According

legends,

to

storks

almost

are

human. They weep human tears when they are wounded. The male

Young

unfaithful.

stork

kills his

mate

she

if

is

storks care for their parents

in their old age.

They

also are responsible for bringing luck.

A stork's nest on a building will protect fire—but

if

you

steal the stork's

bum

nest, the building will

stork lights

on

believed that a

a house in

wedding

other places, this

The idea

down.

When

places,

will take place.

it

a is

But in

luck.

of the stork bringing babies origi-

nated in Germany. dispositions ride

on

babies are carried in

When a

young from the

some

means bad

from

it

Baby boys with good

its

back,

and naughty boy

its bill.

stork appears in late spring,

it

helps

67

Animal Superstitions

forecast the weather.

If it is

a white stork, there

be dry weather.

If it is

black, there will

will

be

rain.

Storks' stomachs will cure diseases in cattle.

And

if

you use stork sinews

foot,

it

will cure gout.

All in

Some

of

all,

the stork

them even

is

kill

was considered

to

bind up your

a highly prized bird.

snakes. So in ancient

Thessaly, in eastem Greece, a stork

to

man who killed a

be a murderer.

SWALLOW In

many places,

the swallow

spring to arrive.

We

is

thought to cause

have a saying that "one

swallow does not a summer make,'' but as

far

back as the second century, boys on the Greek Islands were going from house to house in the spring, singing:

The swallow a

new

As he

is

here and

year he brings,

lengthens the days

with the heats of his wings,

68

Birds

White and black

and

Are

his belly

Pay

his tribute once

With cheese

back.

more

in his basket

And pork from your store, And wine from its flasket,

And And

eggs from your casket, bread

when we ask

it.

In the Ozarks, to have swallows nesting in

your

bam meant that the building would never

be struck by lightning. In Europe, a stone inside a

swaUow,

it

if

you found

would cheer you

up.

But there were ways that

could

this bird

cause bad luck. In Greece, a swallow fluttering

around your head signaled misfortune. In France and Hungary,

if

a swallow

flies

under a

cow's belly the result will be bloody milk. In Yorkshire, England, to have a swallow fly

a

chimney means a death If

you

down

in the family.

are nasty to a swallow,

you

will

repaid in kind. In the Tyrol, in Germany, destroy a swallow's nest, your

be

if

you

own home

will

69

Animal

bum

Superstitions

down. In France,

eggs from

its

nest,

if

you

steal the bird's

your horse will go lame.

These birds can also be used predicting. In England,

there

low,

will

when

for

weather

the swallows fly

be bad weather.

And

the

Chinese used to throw swallows into a pond to

make

it

rain.

There were people

who thought

that the

human

soul

might leave the body in the form of a swallow. Here Egyptian drawing of the soul of a scribe, painted somewhere around 1250 b,c.

70

is

an

Birds

If

and

you

tie

tie it

around your neck,

a swallow's crop in a yellow cloth it

will cure a fever.

But you can also fight the fever with its

nest.

And

supposed even

various parts of these birds were

snake

to cure

also

and

be used to predict marriage.

In Czechoslovakia,

if

an unmarried woman first

a single swallow in the spring, she

be married within the year. birds together, she

If

would

there were two

would remain

single.

SWAN

'

There

is

an old story going back

Greeks that a swan sings as so

epilepsy,

bite,

rabies.

They could

saw

mud from

much sympathy

it

to the ancient

dies.

That created

for this bird that to kill

in Siberia or Ireland

meant death

one

to the killer.

TURTLEDOVE In ancient Syria, to touch one of these birds

bad

luck.

Nowadays, there

are

tions about the turtledove to

many

was

supersti-

be found in the

Ozark Mountains. There, to

dream

of the turtledove brings

71

Animal

good

Superstitions

When

luck.

in the spring,

times

on your

shoe.

If

same

you hear the

make

turtledove

a wish, turn around three

left heel,

you find a

first

and take

off

your

hair in the shoe that

is

left

the

color as your wife's, husband's, or sweet-

heart's, the

wish

will

be granted.

women can do something similar to find out who they will marry. When the first Unmarried

turtledove calls in the spring, take off your right stocking. Inside will be a hair the

same

color as

the hair of your future husband. If

you

are a desperate unmarried

man, you

can also use a turtledove. Just hide the dried

tongue of

and she

this bird in

your

will fall in love

girlfriend's

house

with you.

WHIP-POOR-WILL In the Ozarks,

if

you are unmarried and hear a

whip-poor-will, cross your fingers, then count the cries. That

is

the

number

of years

you must

wait to be married.

(Facing page)

A

drawing by Francisco Goya shows

blood-sucking vultures as emblems of war.

72

Animal

Superstitions

WOODPECKER In England, the cry of the green woodpecker

means Masai

one

that

it

will rain soon.

tribe in Africa, the

sort

or another.

If

it

luck. If

from the

74

of

the cry of a gray

left, it

right,

it

means

means bad luck.

comes from behind you and you

to another

the

sound means luck

woodpecker comes from the

good

And among

If

are traveling

town, you will get a good reception.

CHAPTER

J

Reptiles

Turtles,

tortoises,

snakes,

lizards,

alligators,

and a few other animals belong

crocodiles,

to

the group called reptiles. These animals usually

have

scales

have

feet,

and

on

their

dry-skinned bodies.

If

they

they also have claws. They lay eggs

are cold-blooded. That

means

that their

body temperatures change with the changes

in

temperature of their environment. Reptiles can be large,

like

crocodile of Southeast Asia.

men feet

the salt-water

The

of this animal ever seen

largest speci-

was

thirty-three

long and weighed three and one-half tons.

The smallest

reptile is a type of

gecko found

75

Animal

Superstitions

This seagoing reptile monster was supposed to have been seen off the coast of Galveston, Texas.

only on the island of Virgin Gordo in the British Virgin Islands.

One specimen was

three-quarters of

less

than

an inch long.

CROCODILE In ancient Egypt,

where many people were

to crocodiles every year, the animal

upon as

an

as being magical evil

lost

was looked

and was even regarded

god. But there

was

a

way

to escape

the creature by using an incantation. In this

76

Reptiles

verse,

Mako

and Ra

is

is

a mystic crocodile. Set

a god,

man:

Stop, crocodile

Mako, son of

Do

not wave thy

Do

not work thy two arms;

Do

not open thy mouth.

May

is

Set!

tail;

water become as a burning

fire before theel

The spear of the seventy-seven gods

is

on thine

is

on thine

eyes:

The arm of the seventy-seven gods

Thou who wast fastened with metal claws

eye:

bark

to the

of Ra, Stop, crocodile

Mako, son

of Set!

LIZARD Lizards,

bad

it is

luck.

believed in

On

thought that

if

many places, can cause

the Malay Peninsula,

an iguana

snake, for that matter)

misfortune would

came

if

was

(or a tortoise or a

come with

lem could be solved

it

into the house, it.

But the prob-

the lizard could be

caught and sprinkled with ashes. In England,

it

is

very bad luck

if

a lizard

77

Animal

Superstitions

crosses the path of a bride

And

wedding.

lieved that

would

fall.

some

in Australia,

anyone

if

on her way

Green

tribes be-

On

biting

sky

killed a lizard, the

lizards,

according to a super-

stition in Brittany, a section of France,

cows by

to her

them on the

can

kill

nose.

the other hand, in ancient Assyria, a

come

two-tailed lizard could

murderer.

and the wanted

to

to a

such an animal were cooked in

If

oil

handy

in

then used to anoint the

kill,

the

man would

oil

man he

die.

There were parts of France and Germany

where burying a dead

lizard

under the thresh-

old of the house would scare

And

in England,

protective of

witches.

they were thought to be

humans.

If

a lizard

approaching a sleeping man,

him up to wam him. The medicinal values too.

away

it

saw

a snake

would wake .

of lizards are strange,

On the island of Madagascar, bury a lizard

alive

and

it

will

cure your fever.

And

in

you

suf-

fered from sores, you could lick a lizard

first

England during the Middle Ages,

78

if

In this painting by the

Dutch

artist

Goes, Eve

Van der is

being

tempted in the Garden of Eden not by a snake, but

by a human-headed lizard.

Animal

and then

Superstitions

your sores. That was supposed to

lick

be an instant cure. It is

said that every Easter Eve, gypsies in

southern Europe would put a dried-up dead lizard in a pot.

from tent into

it.

thrown

Then

to tent

the pot

would be

carried

and each person would

Finally, the

spit

pot and the lizard would be

into the lake or the river. This

was

from the

tribe

supposed

banish

to

illnesses

all

for a year.

SNAKE In

many cultures,

snakes have been the symbol

dawn

of evil since the

superstition in parts of

of time. There

England that

if

is

a

a live

adder appears on your doorstep there wUl be a death in the family. is

And

if

a pregnant

woman

frightened by a snake, her baby will be

bom

with a snake neck. In other parts of England, a dried snakeskin

hung over

the fireplace not only protects the

house from

fire,

but also

is

thought to be a

general good luck charm.

Snakes can serve as protection,

80

too.

There

is

Reptiles

an old Hebrew example.

belief

you think

If

about poisoning, for

you are about

that

to

be

poisoned, take a knife that has a snake-bone

handle and

stick

it

into your table.

any poison around, the knife

If

there

supposed

is

is

to

quiver.

Here

a protective snake belief

is

from north-

em Nigeria: Cut

off

the head of a snake

swamp

seed of the

water on

it

it

feet,

go again

Pull

up

dock. Bury the head in a

grown

old.

to the graveyard

anyone attempts

become

and

use

strip

it

naked.

as a girdle.

a snake that will bite your enemy. is

a superstition that

you dream of a snake, you two snakes come

house

if

same

time, there will be a wedding.

many

if

will get into a fight.

Also,

into the

at the

other animals, snakes have

their medical uses. In it

When

to attack you, the girdle

In the Ozarks, there

States

Pour

to a height of three or four

swamp dock and

the

Like so

plant the

for three consecutive nights.

the plant has

will

in

which must be seven days

grave,

If

and

was believed

some that

parts of the United if

you ground up a 81

Animal

Superstitions

rattlesnake's rattle

pregnant woman, childbirth.

and put it into the drink it

of a

would ease the pains

And wrapping

of

a snakeskin around

an aching joint would ease the pain of rheumatism. In the United States this has to

rattlesnake skin; in

adder

skin.

England

it

be a

should be an

Reptiles

A

reptile hoax. This

monster skeleton was created by

''Doctor" Albert Koch in the 1840s out of a collection of old bones.

CHAPTER

4

Amphibians

The group

called the

amphibians contains such

animals as frogs, toads, and salamanders. Their bodies are covered by a thin, flexible skin, usually moist.

And they don't have

or feathers. These animals have

they have feet at

all,

and

scales, fur,

webbed

feet,

if

their toes are usually

webbed.

Amphibians lead a double begin

life

life.

Most

of

them

as water-dwelling larvae (like the

tadpole).

When they are mature

they

mainly on land. Often, the baby forms

live

eat plant material material,

such as

(like

and the adults

the frog),

eat animal

insects.

85

Animal

Two

Superstitions

old pictures that

show

the toad's connection with

two toads are dancing at a sabbat, and below, a toad is flying to a sabbat on the back of a witchcraft. Above,

skeleton.

86

Amphibians

The

largest

amphibian

probably a giant

is

salamander found in Japan and parts of China.

One specimen was found

that

was

five feet

long and weighed eighty-eight pounds. The smallest

Cuba

seems

that

is

to

be a type of frog found in

about one-half inch long.

FROG If

you want

of a frog

to

become

under your

invisible, carry the heart

right arm.

Frogs have been thought to have something to

do with the weather

for centuries. In parts of

India

and South America,

rain

frogs

for example, special

were kept in cages.

During a

drought, these animals were beaten to death to

make it rain. There is a similar Hindu belief, but it is less cruel. If you want to make it rain, just pour water over a

frog.

The ancient Romans used their crops

from storms.

frog around the fields.

First

frogs to protect

they would drag a

Then they would bury it

in the center of the field before they planted the

crops. Just before the harvest, they

up

would dig

the frog.

87

Animal

Superstitions

Frogs have their medical uses, too. of your eyes

inflamed,

is

around your neck, the

hang a

If

either

frog's eye

or the right, depend-

left

ing on which of your eyes you're trying to cure.

There are two ways of using a frog to cure toothaches,

and both

ancient Romans.

The

of

first

frog in a mixture of water it

easier

—

one

tells

you

to the

to boil a

and vinegar and then

mouth. The second one

in your

hold

them go back

spit in a

frog's

mouth and

is

the

tell

animal to take away the pain.

Powdered epilepsy.

frog's

And

liver

is

thought to cure

to cure a fever,

swallow a

frog's

eye that has been plucked out before sunrise.

There

were

primitive

Slavic

tribes

who

thought that frogs, not storks, brought babies. Frogs were the

staff of life to

strange crea-

tures in

England and France. These were the

earliest

kinds

of

fairies,

England and Neptunes

Fortunes

called

in France.

They were

only a few inches high, with faces wrinkled little

old men's. Their habit

houses

88

was

to

in

come

like

into

at night to roast frogs in front of the fire.

Amphibians

A group

of fairies dancing around a little girl in bed. The ugly ones look suspiciously like

Fortunes or Neptunes.

89

Animal

Superstitions

TOAD Toads have a reputation for being a part of In twelfth-century France,

witchcraft.

was

it

thought that the Devil often appeared as a toad,

and had

to

And

be kissed.

toads were

believed to be witches' familiars, or even the

witches themselves. Also, a witch could mix

toad

with sow-thistle sap and make

spittle

herself invisible

Some a

kill

by drinking the brew.

ancient Greeks thought that you could

man by

mixing toad's blood in his wine.

In Romania,

thought that

no one picked on

if

a toad.

It

was

you harmed a toad you were

capable of killing your

own

And no

mother.

one wanted that kind of reputation!

was an

In parts of England, there

idea that

men caUed toadmen. They looked normal human beings, but they had the

there were like

make horses stand

power

to

what.

And

they could also

still

make

no matter the

horses excited whenever they wanted

They got

their

power

toad or by pegging its

its

bones were picked

90

either

body clean.

to

same

to.

by skinning a an

anthill until

Then they

carried

Amphibians

the bones in their pockets until they were dry.

At midnight, under a

on a stream.

the bones float

full

upstream,

it

had

to

moon, they

floated

one bone started

If

to

be grabbed and saved.

That was the magic charm for becoming a

toadman. In the Ozarks, right after a

if

a toad

wedding,

it

is

seen on a pathway

means good

luck.

Toads are supposed to be able to hear distant thunder. So just watch toads, and to

head

for the water,

heard the

far-off

it

means

if

they

that they

start

have

storm.

Gardeners in England sometimes find that toads

come

around seeds.

in

their

handy. They drag a toad's body gardens before they plant any

Then they bury

ware pot

the

in

an earthen-

in the center of the flowerbed. This

supposed

to prevent

vegetables, If

it is

you

is

any creeping thing from

injuring the flowers. But

seeding.

body

best to dig

if

the planting

is

for

up the pot right after

don't, the food will taste bitter.

Oddly enough, some ancient Greeks thought that that very

same procedure would prevent

storms.

91

Animal

Superstitions