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Page 33
CHAPTER VIII.
_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.
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