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Page 34
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,
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