________________
APRIL, 1897.]
SPIRIT BASIS OF BELIEF AND CUSTOM.
101
throws it averboard, and again spits to overcome the ill-wisher.64 To spit to windward is unlucky. The sense seems to be that the fair wind resents being treated as a fiend or foul wind and so causes mischief. The belief is widespread. Besides, in different parts of Lurope, it has been recorded in the Maldiv Islands and in China. In the small island of Foula off Shetland, in dressing a sheep, the gall is carefully taken out, thrice spat on, and covered with ashes that no dog may see it.67 In St. Kilda, the last funeral rite is to spit on the grave.68
In England, up to the tenth century, the Saxons put spittle into their holy salve.89 Spittle is also an ingredient in Herrick's charm (A.D. 1650):
“Sacred spittle bring you hither,
Meal and it now mix together,
And a little oil with either,"70 During the Middle Ages, spitting on the joints cared rheumatism. Up to the present century the power of a man with an Evil Eye was destroyed by spitting thrice in his face.71 Fasting spittle rubbed on warts cured them : fasting spittle was also rubbed on new shillings that were to be used to cure ringworm.72 To spit thrice averted the ill-luck caused
by meeting a person who squints.73 If a dog bites a child the owner of the dog should spit • on the hand of the child's mother.74. A sleeping foot is cured by marking on it a cross with
spittle.75 The fasting spittle of men was believed to cure snake-bite.76 It is recorded that, on 16th August 1899, to cure her of the Evil Eye, a woman spat in the face of another woman who squinted.77 An English care for the scrofula was for a fasting virgin to spit three times, touch the sore, and say :-"Apollo denies that the heat of the plague can increase when a naked virgin quencheth it."79 When an English baby yawns, the nurse spits or pretends to spit into its mouth.79 If any one regrets having given a blow and spits in the hand that dealt the blow the person struck will cease to suffer.90 In Cheshire, in 1748, Brigget Brotock, an old woman, wrought many cures by rabbing with fasting spittle.1 In Yorkshire, in 1800, it was the rule to spit three times in the face of any one with the Evil Eye,82 In North England, and also in Lincolnshire, fish-women and hacksters spit on the handsel or sacrifice, that is, on the first money they take in the morning 83 In North England, any one who sees a horse-shoe or a piece of iron should take it up, spit on it, and throw it over his left shoalder. He should frame a wish, and if he can keep the secret to himself his wish will be granted.84 In Staffordshire, fasting spittle cures warts.95 In Staffordshire, when a dog is heard to howl, which is caused
e+ Foll-Lore Journal, Vol. III. p. 181.
65 Bassett's Sea Legends, p. 434. of Bassett's Sea Legends, p. 434.
67 Sands in Kirkwall Puper, P-718. 68 Buchanan's St. Kilia in Dalyell's Darker Superstitions of Scotland, p. 72. €9 Black's Fol! - Medicine, pp. 183, 18.
To Hesperides. 71 Black's Folk Medicine, PP. 183, 184.
T2 Op. cit. pp. 183, 184. T5 Hone's Year Book, p. 253.
74 Notes and Queries, Fifth Series, Vol. VIII. p. 465. *5 Black's Folk. Medicine, p. 85.
78 Browne's Vulgar Errors, Vol. I. p. 378, 11 Brand's Popular Antiquities, Vol. III. p. 50. 78 Pettigrew's Superstitions, p. 74 19 From NS. Note.
89 Black's Folk-Medicine, p. 52. 81 Gentleman's Magazine Library, "Popular Superstitions," pp. 233, 284, $2 Napier's Folk-Lore, p. 89. # Henderson's Folk-Lore, p. 32; Gentleman's Magazine Library," Popular Superstitions," p. 117.
84 Hendersou's Folk-Lore, p. 106. The sense seems the same as the sense of Mungo Park's negroe guide spitting on a stone and rolling the stone in front of Park to keep off evil. In the North England cage the horse-aboo or other iron is a spirit-home. Spitting on the iron drives out of it any evil influence that may have made a lodging in the iron and so dimmed its guardian power. The cleansed iron becomes a centre of guardian influence. Dropping the guardian iron over the left shoulder drives from the uolucky side of the dropper any evil influence that might confuse or pass into his wish. So his wish, which is one of a man's many spirits, passes unmoleated into the guardian and by the guardiau iron is protected from adverse influences and so comes to fruition.
65 Dyer's Folk-Lore, pp. 156, 167.
