Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1914 — Superstitions of Caster [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Superstitions of Caster

HR OUGHOUT all ages su- . perstltion has swayed ■ W Ijl 1 the world - In antiquity a I ew l^ese prophetic beliefs crystalized around the Easter period, leaving so deep an impress upon the susceptible minds as to cause them through the » n ~. 1 centuries to be passed * 7 down with the greatest care. Even now there is scarcely a nation that does not put faith in one or more of the Easter omens. Some of these attach to Good Friday. In the time of Catholic England there was a superstition which the king publicly honored with his trust. It was the ceremony of blessing the rings. This was done to preserve their wearers from ‘ the falling sickness,” a trouble commonly known to us as cramps. The crampring service was of exceptional originality. Walsh gives a vivid description of it “The king and his suite,” he tells us, “would proceed in state to the palace chapel, upon the floor of which rested a crucifix upon a silken cushion, and in front of which was spread a rich carpet The king would creep along the carpet to the crucifix —as a ’token of absolute humility—his aljmoner creeping after him. Having reached the crucifix he would there bless the cramp rings, which were deposited in a silver basin. After this was done the queen and her ladies-In-waiting entered the chapel and also crept to the cross. This completed the* ceremony and the rings had been transformed into the most potent remedial agents.” - Drinking a mixture of bread and water was a means of curing several ailments. The superstition still holds in a few places. Good Friday morning loaves of bread are baked and then laid aside until the following year, when the people grate a small •portion of the bread into water and give it to the sufferers. Who has not heard of the English “hot cross bun?” On the morning of Good Friday throughout England the street bun venders usher in the universal cry of “Hot cross buns,” and no family, as a precautionary method, if not for their toothsomeness alone, would dare run the risk of not purchasingthem. Even kings would not miss eating them, for whoever eats a bun need have no fear of having his home destroyed by fire during the coming year. Early Good Friday morning large numbers of men, women and children start out in quest of customers for their fresh, hot buns, which they guard from the cold with a flannel covering. And the shops as well are festive with their own supplies of it. The peculiarity of th% hot cross bun lies in its being highly spiced and bearing on its brown, sugary surface the mark of a cross. The “one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns!” have a more ancient origin than is generally supposed. The name itself is taken from the Greek name of a certain cake which the ancients gave for an offering to the gods. In the biblical period the prophet Jeremiah had occasion to notice this offering, when he saw the idolatry of the Jewish women at Pathros, Egypt. _ .... As a preventive of fevers certain nations abstained from eating meat on Easter day. But this practice never obtained in England. One of the most ancient and universal of all superstitions attaching to Easter day was that of the dancing sun. At first it was believed to dance over the general joy at the renewal of nature’s life In this season of the year. Later, it danced over the resurrection of Christ. Many centuries ago on Easter day people arose early and repaired to the fields to view this dancing sun. In certain countries they had a way of observing the sun at his antics that made him appear more playful than ever. By viewing it as it rose through the morning vapor or watching its reflection in a stream or a pall of water, they could strengthen their illusion. In Scotland the sun was merrier than anywhere else, for here it was expected to “whirl round like a cart wheel, and give three leaps.” Then one of the greatest concerns of the day came to be whether the sun really did dance or not. Grave and learned men over all the world sei themselves the task of solving the weighty problem. Sir Thomas Brown left some quaint ideas on the subject. “We shall not, I hope, disparage the resurrection of our Redeemer,” he writes, “if we say that the sun doth not dance on Easter day; and though we would willingly assent into any sympathetical exultation, yet we cannot conceive therein any more than a tropical expression. Whether any such motion there was in that day wherein Christ arose, Scripture hath not revealed, which hath been 'punctual In other records concerning 0

s o 1 a r y miracles, and the Areopagite that was amazed at the eclipse took no notice of this, and if metaphorical expressions go so far, we may be bold to affirm, not only

that the sun danced, but two suns arose that day; that light appeared at his nativity and darkness at his death, and yet a light at both; for even that darkness was a light unto the Gentiles, illuminated by that obscurity. That ’twas the first time the sun set above the horizon. That, although there were darkness above the earth, yet there was light beneath it, nor dare we say that hell was dark if he were in it.” In 1708 the “British Apollo” finally settled the question in the following words: “Old wives, Phoebus, say that on Easter day To the music o’ th’ spheres you do caper; " If the fact, sir, be true, pray let’s the cause know, When you have any room in your paper.” “The old wives get merry with spiced ale and sherry On Easter, which makes them romance; And whilst in a rout their brains whirl about, They fancy we caper and dance.” But the conclusion regarding the dancing sun was not to stand for all time, since the maidens of Devonshire today rise early in the morning of Easter for no other than this identical purpose. Moreover these extraordinary maidens see more than the mere! dancing of the sun. Their power oflvision is so great that they can discern a lamb and a flag in the center the disk. Much, importance is attached to the conduct of the elements on Easter day. A piece of Sussex weather lore informs us that if the sun shines, Easter day it will shine accordingly every day in the year, and the same they aver is the case with rain. But other Easter prophets only go to the extent of saying that it will shine or rain until Whitsunday. “A good deal of rain on Easter day gives a good crop of grass, but little good hay,” runs an ancient proverb. On this day the east wind and water also have great power to ward off illness. If the wind blows from this direction the people of many localities bathe in water just drawn to avoid thq ill effects of the east wind during the coming year. Easter eve on the continent, at Mecklenburg, the maiden spreads a linen cloth in the garden and in the morning if the wind is due east she will wash herself with it while it is yet damp from dew, rain or snow, whichever has penetrated it. Or in the morning the servant will draw water and bring it to the maiden for her bath. In Sachsenburg, the peasant rides his horse into the stream to insure it against sickness of any kind throiighouj the year. Despite these precautions, however, if the wind is not due east while is gettirfg the water it will have no efficacy whatever. There is more than one good omen for Easter. If you wish good luck in the coming year Easter eve you must put out all fires and light them anew from flint and steel. This is a special protection against lightning strokes as well as good fortune in general.

An old rhyme apprising people of its efficaciousness reads thus: “On Easter eve the fire all is quenched in every place, And fresh againe from out the flint is fetched with solemn grace; The priest doth this against great dangers many one, A brande whereof doth every man with greedie minde take home, That, when the fearful storme appears or tempest black arise, By lighting this he safe may be ~ from stroke or hurtful skies." The person spying a lamb on Easter morning is fortunate, especially if the animal’s head faces the house, for good luck will certainly follow him. If the lamb is lying down or looking in another direction, however, the fortune will not be altogether good. This belief comes from a wellestablished ancient idea that the devil might inhabit any form save that of a lamb or a dove. There is one other prophecy which since ancient times no woman of intelligence would ever entertain the thought of disregarding. This is the talismanic virtue vested in new clothes. Throughout all times there have been grave scholars who have ascribed the universal custom of appearing at church and promenading the streets Easter Sunday in new attire to the vanity of women. With all due deference to the wisdom 'of these sages I.must beg to differ from them, for I can prove that woman is not so worldly in this particular as men believe since there happens to be the best of reasons for her insisting upon an Easter hat and Easter clothes. She may not have taken you into the inner recess of her heart and bared her reason, but she knows it well herself, and if you are the devoted husband and father that you should be you will do her bidding without question. For the peace of your mind, however, and in the effort to foster your spirit of generosity, I will enlighten you. The women of your household know that good fortune will not attend’ them through the future year if they appear in clothes that they have worn before. Therefore, since you hold their future happiness in your hands, consider well, I beeseech you, before bringing such distress upon them. In East Yorkshire, Eng., none but a maiden utterly destitute would refrain from seeking the market for some new bit of apparel, for she is too well aware of the evil that would attend her without her safeguard. Try as she might she could never in the following 12 months have a dress that would not be plucked by birds. Superstitions are fast losing their hold upon the world, but those clinging to the season of Easter possess so great a charm for us, even though long ago We may have severed faith in them, that we still find pleasure in calling them to mind on this “Sunday of joy.” An Ohio inventor has brought out a laundry machine that bleaches clothing by electricity at the same time they are being washed in hot water.