Miscellany.

Dunstan Times, Issue 997, 27 May 1881, Page 2

Miscellany.

SUPPOSED CHARMS AGAINST EVIL,

Amongst n f her customs against evil may lie nitiirioiv-il ihat of our ancestors, who, when eating eggs were wont to break the shells, lest the witches should use them to their disadvantage. We do the same for a similar reason ; it is deemed unlucky to leave them whole. They avoided cutting their nails on Friday, because bad lucS would follow ; but we have improved upon t ieir practice, and lay down the whole theory as follows : Cut your nails on Monday, cut them for

news; Cut them on Tuesday, a pair of new shoes ; Cut them otu Wednesday, cut them for health Cut; llicui uu Tlm.o«l«j,vul Cut them on Friday, cut them for woe ; Cut them ou Saturday, a journey you’ll go ; Out them on Sunday, you’ll cut them for evil, For all the next week you’ll be ruled by the devil. Most grandmothers exclaim “God bless you ! ” when they hear a child sneeze, and they sum up the philosophy of the subject with the following lines : Sneeze on a Monday, you sneeze for danger; Sneeze on a Tuesday, you kiss a stranger ; Sneeze on a Wednesday, you sneeze for a letter ; Sneeze on a Thursday, for something better; Sneeze on a Friday, you sneeze for sorrow ; Sneeze on a Saturday, your sweetheart tomorrow ; Sneeze on a Sunday, your safety' sock, The devil will have you the whole of the week. These lines may be taken either as charms or spells to produce the effect predicted, or as omens of warnings of the results to follow. In most parts of Lancashire it is customary for children to repeat the following invocation every evening on going to bed, after saying the Lord’s Prayer and tho Apostle’s Creed : - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Bless the bed that 1 lie on ; There are tour corners to my bed, And four angels overspread— Two at the feet, two at the head. If any' ill thing mo betide, Beneath your wings my body hide ; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Bless the bed that I he on.