Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 171, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1913 — Superstitions About Salt [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Superstitions About Salt

By F. C. EVANS.

If you happen to spill any salt there is going to be a quarrel. At least to Bay superstitious folk, who straightway throw some of the spilt salt over the left shoulder to break the spell. Up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, It is also necessary to crawl under the

table and come out the opposite side, while.in New England you must throw the spilt particles Into the fire to thoroughly neutralize the bad luck. Bishop Hall of Exeter, wrote, in 1627, that when salt fell towards a superstitious guest at diqn r, he was want to exhibit signs of i rntal agitation, and refused to be comforted until one of the waiters had poured wine in his lap. As salt is believed to remove wine stains from the table cloth, perhaps this person may have thought that the rule worked both ways and wine removed salt stains from bis luck. The Germans have a saying, "Whoever spills salt arouses enmity,” and in some places the overturning of a salt cellar is thought to be the direct act of the Devil, the peace-disturbed. The superstltutious Parisian is of the same opinion and tosses a little of the spilled salt behind him in order, if possible} to, hit the Invisible and interfering fiend In the eye. The ancient Romans exclaimed, “May the gods avert the omen I ” when salt was spilled at table, and among the Greeks the overturning of the Balt cellar was one of the most ominous events that could occur In n house. This would Indicate that superstitions regarding the spilling of salt are far older than the commonly believed explanation of the nation; which Is, that It Is dftis to the fact that In Leonardo da picture of the Last Supper, Judas Iscariot is represented as Just having split the salt Some observers, moreover, have ed to make out any salt cellar a - all In the original Conacolo on the refectory wall at Milan, though It Is clearly delineated In the well known engraving Raffaello Morghen. If Leonardo did insert this deta.' he moßt likely did It to take advt star” of the popular belief and Indicate the 111 lock shortly to befall the false apostle. Salt Is extremely distasteful to evil spirits In the opinion of Richalmus, abbot of Schonthal In Franconia In the twelfth century, and a great many people seem to agree with him to this day. Richalmus was very much tormented by devils, whom he observed In operation every here. He even considered flea-bites to be of in-

ferns! origin and prescribed the sign of the cross for their alevlatlon. When he was at dinner and the fiend had maliciously taken sway his appetite, he simply tasted a little salt and Ms appetite returned at once. Tbs worthy abbot wrote a book about hie experiences, which Is very queer reading. In the proa vinos of Quebec, French Canadians sometimes scatter salt about the doors of their stables to prevent those mlsohlevous little imps celled luting from entering and teasing the horses by sticking burrs In their manes and tails. G. Pitre In his book on the customs of Sicily tolls us that in that island, a horse entariff a “new stall is believed to be 11ae to molestation by fairies. A litsaft is therefore sprinkled on Ills ck la order to bring their oontri-