Current Superstitions | Page 2

to tell me
tales or recall old sayings and beliefs about the doings and powers of
the "good people" of old Ireland.
A stewardess, properly approached, can communicate a deal of lore in
her leisure hours during a three or four days' ocean trip. Oftentimes a
caller has by chance let drop a morsel that was quickly picked up and
preserved.
The large amount of botanical and zoölogical mythology that has
gradually accumulated in my hands is reserved for separate treatment.
Now and then some individual item of the sort appears in the following
pages, but only for some special reason. A considerable proportion of
my general folk-lore was orally collected from persons of foreign birth.
There were among these more Irish than of any other one nationality,
but Scotch and English were somewhat fully represented, and
Scandinavians (including one Icelander), Italians, a Syrian, a Parsee,
and several Japanese contributed to the collection.
It has been a puzzling question to decide just where to draw the line in
separating foreign from what we may call current American folk-lore.
The traditions and superstitions that a mother as a child or girl heard in
a foreign land, she tells her children born here, and the lore becomes, as
it were, naturalized, though sometimes but little modified from the
form in which it was current where the mother originally heard it.
Whether to include any folk-lore collected from oral narrators or from

correspondents, even if it had been very recently brought hither, was
the question. At length it has been decided to print only items taken
down from the narration of persons born in America, though frequent
parallels and numberless variants have been obtained from persons now
resident here, though reared in other countries.
It would be a most interesting task to collate the material embraced in
the present collection with the few published lists of American
superstitions, customs, and beliefs, and with the many dialect and other
stories, the books of travel, local histories, and similar sources of
information in regard to our own folk-lore. Equally valuable would be
the endeavor to trace the genesis of the most important of the
superstitions here set down. But the limits of the present publication
make any such attempt wholly out of the question, and the brief notes
which are appended refer to but a few of the matters which invite
comment and discussion.
Some few repetitions have been almost unavoidable, since not
infrequently a superstition might consistently be classified under more
than one head; besides, it is not unusual to find that varied
significations are attributed to the same act, accident, or coincidence.
When localities are wanting it is sometimes because the narrator could
not tell where he had become familiar with the items communicated;
again, a chance correspondent failed to note the locality. In putting on
paper these popular beliefs and notions, the abbreviated, often rather
elliptical, vernacular in which they are passed about from mouth to
mouth has to a great extent been followed.
It is impossible here to name the legion of individuals from whom the
subject-matter of the various chapters of this volume has been gathered.
But thanks are especially due to the following persons, who have
contributed largely to the contents of the book:--
Charles Aldrich, Webster City, Iowa. Miss Ellen Beauchamp,
Baldwinsville, N.Y. John G. Bourke, Capt. 3d Cavalry U.S.A., Ft.
Ethan Allen, Vt. Miss M.A. Caller, A.C.F. College, Tuskeegee, Ala.
John S. Caulkins, M.D., Thornville, Mich. Miss Ellen Chase, Brookline,
Mass. Miss Ruth R. Cronyn, Bernardston, Mass. Uriah A. Greene, Flint,

Mich. Professor George M. Harmon, Tufts College, Mass. W.J. McGee,
U.S. Geol. Survey, Washington, D.C. Hector McInnes, Halifax, N.S.
John B. Nichols, Washington, D.C. John G. Owens,[viii-1] Lewisburg,
Pa. Prof. Frederick Reed, Talladega, Ala. Mrs. Amanda M. Thrush,
Plymouth, O. Miss Helen S. Thurston, Providence, R.I. Rev. A.C.
Waghorne, New Harbor, N.F. Miss Susan Hayes Ward, "The
Independent," New York, N.Y. Miss Ellen L. Wickes, Chestertown,
Md.
Above all am I indebted to Mr. Newell, whose generous coöperation
and advice have been invaluable to one working under peculiar
hindrances.
FANNY D. BERGEN. CAMBRIDGE, MASS., 1. 15. 1896.
[viii-1] Deceased.

CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 I. BABYHOOD 21
Baptism.--Physiognomy.--Introduction to the World.--First
Actions.--Various. II. CHILDHOOD 26
Asseveration.--Challenge.--Fortune.--Friendship.--
Mythology.--Punishment.--Sport.--Various. III. PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS 32 Beauty.--Dimple.--Ears.--Eyes and
Eyebrows.-- Finger-nails.--Foot.--Forehead.--Hair.--Hand.--Moles.--
Nose.--Teeth. IV. PROJECTS 38
Apples.--Apple-seeds.--Babies.--Bed.--Bible.--Birds.--
Buttons.--Four-leaved Clover.--Counting.--Daisy Petals.--
Doorway.--Eggs.--Fingers.--Garments.--Letters of the
Alphabet.--Midnight.--Plants.--Ring.--Stars.--Tea-leaves.-- Walking
Abroad.--Water.--Various. V. HALLOWEEN AND OTHER
FESTIVALS 55 VI. LOVE AND MARRIAGE 59 Engagement.--Attire
of the Bride.--Lucky Days.--The Marriage Ceremony.--Courting and
Wedding Signs. VII. WISHES 67 VIII. DREAMS 70
Animals.--Colors.--Dead Persons.--Earth.--Eggs.--Fire and

Smoke.--Human Beings.--Meteorological Phenomena.--Money and
Metals.--Teeth.--Water.--Weddings and Funerals.-- Miscellaneous IX.
LUCK 79 Cards.--Days.--Dressing.--Horseshoes.--Pins.--Salt.--
Sweeping.--Turning Back.--Miscellaneous. X. MONEY 87 XI.
VISITORS 89 XII. CURES 94
Amulets.--Charm.--Water.--Miscellaneous. XIII. WARTS 101
Causes.--Cures. XIV. WEATHER 106 Cold.--Days and Times.--Fair or
Foul.--Moon.--Rain.--Wind and Storm. XV.