Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1919 — Touch Wood. [ARTICLE]

Touch Wood.

“Touching wood” Js a survival of the ancient custom of wapentake (weapon touch). Danish warriors cherished the custom of touching each other’s, spears in token that they would' join arms in a common cause; and this touching of the Wooden spear fts-becanac symbolic -of m«taal pro- * tection. ' ..