The World-Wide Belief in the Luck of Horseshoes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81824, 17 August 1906, Page 4

The World-Wide Belief in the Luck of Horseshoes.

The original of belief in " horseshoe inek ' is so ancient that it never has been determined with certainty—and no super stition is more universal. Ever since horse* began to wear shoes those crescents of iron have hum accounted lucky emblems by al. people, races and nations that have bee?, acquainted with their use. The Chinese fo; instance, say they nail th-m up over their doors as a chnrm against evil rpirits, bocause of the close r< semblance tiiat exists tu-wccn its shr.nc md the sirehed body oi the sacred snake, una of their principal deities. Ask a Turkish Momunm"d:Mi for iriformia c on on the sub;-'.:!, and he will t' 11 you that it is because th'-y iire in form like to a ere rent, the meted emblem oflsl-m. A Polish Jew wui etpunn tn»i at the i'nssover, the blood sprinkled upon the lintel and door-po~t:>, in the manuci directed by their rituni, forms the chid points of an arch. Hour?, obviously, the value of arch-shaped tahsmsms. r.ach as ht)rse?.hocs arc. The stoiid and ".limiigin.i live ltusshm peasani, on the < • J;nnd maintains that the luek a. : '..i..;ul with the bur.-e-shoe is due ehicflv to the nr.tal. of its jjSi.ip", i;on being Iradi tionaily a charm v.v.orev.ith to nidify le« malevolent designs of evil spirits and g..>Mh;s Very diJTereut is the story by \v);i<b il:t Irishiua:: sc-ks to account f-r lii.ing fo: the Kim* laiisi'iianie ?y>. t !,.). 'J'iie nam. "Ironiand 15 or "Irehiod," !.•.■ \.:i ; sell yei. original' 1 fol!')',v; I Th : . ( v. 1- !,• i :*,• t w; : onee s!:b.;',--; : ".d in o>.t »= '.vhiei: ;■ etily r )se onei, in 7 ye.u's, ami t'.in only U>v i very sh«e-t time. M.my ;itleui,i!.o had iieei made to b:cak the ?p 1! and ii.dr.ee th< co.u.'ry to remain pe;nnu> n;ly above tin waters, bin all were vain, un'.i', on.; day, «; daring adv.- nturcr threw a h.,.-o :-:hoofro.:i a boat on to the top-most, pc.ik of the YYiol.h;v. Mountains, just as tluy weroili'-'-appfaiinj beneath the waves. Then al last wa? the banc removed. The Timer..ld J.;!e l.'ig.ir forthwith to rise ng. ; .in from tlie oe■ :.\i d; into which it hsul sunk. And i: lais hcei dry land—more or 1.-t '...-r >i;;r:;*. 5,;.-' is tho Sti-ry as tiM bv f':e f :r.i >, !o\ peasantry of the ; but sa-ny ni.il:,.: ; ti< ren iri-h h n-'-.'.v l-ri. i.. •> iL;:' !;;■ TD: LI I'' a SOU < i ;'•< d. . i !, i,l 10:. P belief in the r.t | - e:„-inqm-ihmli.sin ih.- t .. . ■; tu- -a -.. ! ilieas." h.vung h. en in t!. ■ : . V.,- -.. he-; Clri, was ii-'H., and l,eu.-e i-h: ; ev r ::.erblest:d ar.hnals. fn -nd. an !o cw v , parativ;'.. Nt tim-i, hoi:--- ; .r„ s were n ! iisividy" T, -d ;- k !,v.;:e;e as aa'i v.'itr-h c'ir.ru.s; and the r;; * :: yet an extinct one. No v.heh i: usi-d to !-■ S;iid, cyuld enter a b-ild!:-;; th" d. i,r which a horso-shoo-or. !)'!'.•: t!>;i. horse-siio'vs—had h>.-: n ;:la.-a-d, j a - wards. Tho oiigin <•( this p.irt.vuhr btih; U refTahleto tlie old legend of St. UuusM:. This versatile English eHe'i-.lic w,:s :• skilled farrier, arnt one ihiy v,!;ile ;H- wosl; ir his forge the E v ii One tutered in cisgaisr and requested l>ui.;*:vii to s!:oe his " sing!, iioch" Tiie snint, altiiougli he at once re-cpgni-ed malign customer, r.rc- : d, ! i;' caused iiim so mueh p:\in duii/.-g th-"» oiw:: tion ih.it S".':'.n leg-yd him to iK. i.-L 'J';.I Diinstan did, but only after he had mmle ti'c Evil one promise thut nniihor he nor any ihe lesser evil spirits, his wouli rreimolest the inmates of a house \fnei'* a horseshoe was di^i^iyo-1. In Thuiii , .*'% horseshoes are used fur a like purpose, and ii ?i'T.ilar legend is told to account ior tin •ustom, hut the fastidinusviossof these ft-rest cred folk is not conf-'-nt with an ordinary shoe. Iti order to serve f>s a tinlionan it must he specially forged on St. John's Eve by a young bachelor of whole.-nme life and unblemished character, hi- Pliny's times horse-shoes were used in the Campania to secure the inmates of the dwellings from th# visitations of nocturnal prowling spirit*, tt&ctly as they arat/vday