Folk Lore | Page 2

now either dead or in their decadence,
but which, within the memory of persons now living, had a vigorous

existence, at least in the West of Scotland. A secondary object shall be
to trace out, where I think I can discover ground for so doing, the origin
of any particular superstition, and in passing I may notice the duration
in time and geographical distribution of some superstitions. But, on the
threshold of our inquiry, it may be of advantage to pause and endeavour
to reach a mutual understanding of the precise meaning of the word
Superstition--a word apparently, from the varied dictionary renderings
given of it, difficult to define. However we may disagree in our
definitions of the word, we all agree in regarding a superstitious tone of
mind as weak and foolish, and as no one desires to be regarded as
weak-minded or foolish, we naturally repel from ourselves as best we
can the odious imputation of being superstitious. There are few who
seek to know what superstition in its essence really is; most people are
satisfied to frame an answer to suit their own case, and so it happens
that we have a multiplicity of definitions for the word, many of which
are devoid of scientific solidity, and others have not even the merit of
intelligibility. A recent definition, extremely elastic, was propounded
by a popular preacher in a lecture delivered before the Glasgow Young
Men's Christian Association and reported in the
newspapers,--"Superstition is Scepticism," which may be legitimately
paraphrased "Superstition is not believing what I believe." Although
this definition may be very gratifying to the self pride of most of us, we
must nevertheless reject it, and look for a more definite and instructive
signification, and for this end we may very properly consult the
meanings given in several standard dictionaries and lexicons, for in
them we expect to find precision of statement, although in this instance
I believe we shall be disappointed. Theophrastus, who lived several
centuries before the Christian era, defines "Superstition" according to
the translation given of his definition in the _Encyclopædia
Metropolitana_, as "A cowardly state of mind with respect to the
supernatural," and supplies the following illustration: "The
superstitious man is one, who, having taken care to wash his hands and
sprinkle himself in the temple, walks about during the day with a little
laurel in his mouth, and if he meets a weasel on the road, dares not
proceed on his way till some person has passed, or till he has thrown
three stones across the road."
Under "Superstition," in the _Encyclopædia Metropolitana_, the

following definitions are given:--
1st.--Excess of scruple or ceremony in matters of religion: idle worship:
vain reverence: a superfluous, needless, or ill-governed devotion.
2nd.--Any religious observance contrary to, or not sanctioned by,
Scripture or reason.
3rd.--All belief in supernatural agency, or in the influence of casual
occurrences, or of natural phenomena on the destinies of man which
has no foundation in Scripture, reason, or experience.
4th.--All attempts to influence the destiny of man by methods which
have no Scriptural or rational connection with their object.
_Walker's Dictionary_:--
"Unnecessary fear or scruple in religion: religion without morality:
false religion: reverence of beings not properly objects of reverence:
over-nicety: exactness: too scrupulous."
_Chambers' Dictionary_:--
"A being excessive (in religion) over a thing as if in wonder or fear:
excessive reverence or fear: excessive exactness in religious opinions
and practice: false worship or religion: the belief in supernatural agency:
belief in what is absurd without evidences: excessive religious belief."
These dictionary meanings do not, of course, attempt to decide what
should be the one only scientifically correct significance of the term,
but only supply the varying senses in which the word is used in
literature and in common speech, but they suffice to show that it is used
by different persons with different significations, each person
apparently gauging first his own position, and defining superstition as
something which cannot be brought to tell against himself.
After pondering over the various renderings, it occurred to me that the
following definition would embrace the whole in a few words:
_Religion founded on erroneous ideas of God._ But when I set this
definition alongside the case of an otherwise intelligent man carrying in
his trousers' pocket a raw potato as a protection against rheumatism,
and alongside the case of another man carrying in his vest pocket a
piece of brimstone to prevent him taking cramp in the stomach; and
when I consider the case of ladies wearing earrings as a preventive
against, or cure for, sore eyes; and, again, when I remembered a
practice, very frequent a few years ago, of people wearing what were
known as galvanic rings in the belief that these would prevent their

suffering from rheumatism, I could not perceive any direct