CHAPTER XLIV.
Floors should not be swept at Night—Fires at New Year and Christmas—Presents at New Year and Christmas—Lucky and Unlucky "First-Foots"—Looking through a Ladder—Sneezing—Air Bubbles on Tea—Tea Stalks—Stepping out with the Left Foot—Left Shoe to be put on first—Weather Prognostications—How to secure Favourable Gales—Superstitious Customs at time of Death—Corpse of one guilty of Felo-de-se, how to be Buried—Finding of Persons who die unseen—Superstitious Belief of Russian Seamen—Ancient Customs of Scotland—Friday an Unlucky Day for commencing an Important Undertaking—Friday as a Marriage Day—Anecdote of a Ship called "Friday"—Loss of the Ship "Amazon"—Sunday a Favourable Day for commencing a Voyage—Lawyers and Clergymen, how looked upon by Sailors at Sea—It is Lucky to have Women and Children at Sea—Dogs and Cats at Sea—Rats deserting a Ship—Whistling to raise the Wind—Deceased Sailors' Clothes—Old Boats not to be Broken up—Reluctance to go to Sea in a Boat from which a Person has been Drowned—Sharks following a Ship—Unfavourable Sign to see a Hatch turned upside down—A Four-footed Beast not to be named at Sea—Legend of Vanderdecken or the Flying Dutchman—A Grandfather's Axe—Other Signs and Warnings.
If a housewife wish everything to prosper with her and her family, she will not permit the floors of her house to be swept at night. The sweeping not only prevents good fortune, but it disturbs the spirits of the dead, supposed to be constantly walking about in thousands. If the kitchen fire burn down on New Year's morning or Christmas eve, it is thought, some person belonging to the house will die before these seasons come round again. Old women, who wish to have a peep into futurity, are accustomed to cover over with ashes the smouldering embers of their fires on the last night of the year. If a death is to happen in the house before twelve months expire, the foot marks of the doomed individual will be imprinted in the ashes; but if no such event is to happen, the ashes will remain with a smooth surface, and the embers kindled below. It is thought lucky to receive a present on New Year's day or Christmas; but it is unlucky to borrow or lend on these days. The destiny of the members of a family is greatly affected for a whole year, if not for life, by the "first-foot" on New Year's and Christmas mornings. An unlucky "first-foot" brings misfortune with him or her, but a lucky "first-foot" introduces prosperity.
If one look through a ladder, he should spit three times to prevent evil consequences; and it is unlucky to hand anything through a ladder. Sneezing to the left hand is unlucky, but prosperous when to the right. Plutarch relates that, by the sneezing of a soldier towards his right hand, the soothsayer predicted the victory of the Greeks and the complete overthrow of the Persians in battle. Candles and lights burn dim when spirits are present. The stalk of the tea plant floating on the surface of a cup of tea, foretells the coming of a stranger. If the stalk be short, look for a female visitor; but if long, then a man may be expected. Air bubbles on tea denote kisses and money. It is thought lucky to step out with the left foot first; and no one who has attended to the recommendation of his grandmother, thinks of putting his right shoe on first in the morning. These precautions—stepping out with the left foot first, and putting the left shoe on before the right—keep one from stumbling.
With reference to prognosticating the state of the weather, our fathers, we may premise, carefully observed the winds, the clouds, the sky, and the seasons. If the wind blew from the west on New Year's night, it was considered lucky, and supposed to foretell a season of abundance.
In the north of Scotland, the people wished to see the first three days of winter dark and cloudy. A northern bard says:
"The south wind, heat and plenty,
The west wind, fish and milk,
The north wind, cold and stormy,
The east wind, fruit on trees."
People in Scotland also prognosticated the weather of the coming season, according to whether Candlemas was clear or foul. Every one can repeat the old rhyme, and some put faith in it:
"If Candlemas is fair and clear,
Ther'll be twa winters in the year."
When this day passed without a shower of rain or a fall of snow, people imagined there would be severe weather before spring was past; and they expected heavy snow storms before the following Christmas. A showery and tempestuous Candlemas, on the other hand, raised the people's spirits, for by such omens they were to expect a favourable summer and an abundant harvest.