Animals.
If a dog howls in front of a house it is a sign of a death very soon. If a woman in the house takes off her left shoe and turns it upside down and puts her foot on it the dog ceases howling. I know of one instance where a dog howled in front of a house, and the mistress seeing and hearing the dog took off her left shoe and put her foot on it. The dog was in the midst of a howl, and he finished it with a yell and turned away and ran from the house as fast as possible, but he returned very soon and howled again. It was very strange, but an invalid visitor was staying in the house, and he died exactly a week after the howling.
To be followed by a strange dog is lucky.
If a cat licks her foot and passes it over her left ear it is a sign that a stranger will soon come.
When a cat lies with her tail turned to the fire it is a sign of hard weather.
If a cat licks her tail it betokens rain.
A strange black cat brings good luck into a house.
When a cat is taken to a new home its feet should be buttered, and it will stop.
If a cat has a cold and sneezes, all the people in the house will catch it.
When Noah's Ark is seen in the sky it is a sign of much rain.
It is described by Clare as "a long dark cloud stretching across the heavens, broad in the centre and tapering at each end, resembling the figure of the ark, and supposed to foretell great floods. But it depends on the direction of the ark. If it is from south to north it is a sign of good weather, but if from east to west bad weather."
Rain before seven, clear up before eleven.
Rain water collected as it falls on Holy Thursday is very good for diseases of the eye.
If it rains on St. Swithin's day it portends a good crop of apples.
Rain in the east, three days at least.
You should always wish when on strange ground.
If you shiver someone is walking over your grave. This means someone is talking of your death.
If you have a toothache you don't love true.
Wounds and corns aching are signs of rain or frost.
Left cheek burning someone is speaking well of you,
Right cheek burning someone is speaking ill of you.
But if you bite your finger when your cheek burns the person speaking ill of you will bite his or her tongue.
Right cheek, left friend,
Left cheek, right friend.
It is unlucky for a man to meet a cross-eyed woman, but the ill-luck is broken if he spits on the opposite side to that by which he passes her.
To lay an umbrella on a bed is to bring disappointment to the occupant.
If a shirt, or any other garment, is put on inside out, it must remain so all day and so avoid bad luck.
A Caul or Kell is the thin membrane which sometimes covers the face of an infant at its birth, and is supposed to betoken good fortune. Sometimes they are sold, and the general price used to be about three guineas. Seafaring men would buy them as preservatives from drowning, and also for good luck. In 1862 a poor woman wanted to sell one to my mother for my welfare, and all sorts of good luck and fortune were to belong to the possessor, but my mother would not speculate, so I lost the chance.
When pricked by a thorn, and to prevent the wound from festing, the following verse should be repeated:
Our Saviour was of a Virgin born,
His head was crowned with a crown of thorn,
It never cankered or festered at all,
And I hope in Christ Jesus this never shall.
When a wise woman, or anyone, is called in to attend and charm anyone, the person to be operated upon must have an earnest belief that a cure will be effected, and the words "Please" and "Thank you" must not be used or the charm fails. In some cases the charmer blesses or hallows cords or leather thongs which the patient wore tied round the neck.