Topical Index

• Above and below the salt, 202-205.
• Æsir, the twelve; demigods, 331.
• Animals, superstitious dealings with, 279-311.
• charms against, 292-297.
• spirits assume the forms of black, 284-287.
• legal prosecution of, 308-311.
• Archangels, 321, 322.
• Artisans, dwarfish, 28, 49.
• Astrology, 19, 20, 248-253, 255-257.
• Auguries derived from the sneeze of a cat, 212, 218, 219.
• Augustine, Saint, quoted, 211.
• Aureole or nimbus, 120, 121.
• Avadanas, or Buddhist parables, 235.
• Beelzebub, the fly-god, 283.
• Bhúts, or malignant spirits, 160, 227.
• Black animals not more vicious than others, 287.
• Blacksmiths, credited with supernatural attributes, 40-53.
• usually able to recognize the Devil, 50.
• Board’s end, 202.
• British Apollo quoted, 170.
• Camels instinctively browse upon saline plants, 187.
• Ceremonies associated with sneezing, 231.
• Cernabog, the black Slav demon, 285.
• Chah-Miran, the serpent-king, 304.
• Changelings, 176, 177, 271.
• Chinese pagodas have always an odd number of stories, 314.
• Chkaï, the Mordvine sun-god, 276, 277.
• Clement, Saint, 46, 47.
• Copernican system, 248.
• Cosmopolitan condiment, salt thus termed, 188.
• Covenant of salt, 157, 164-166.
• Crescent, the Turkish symbol, 21, 22.
• Crescents and half-moon-shaped amulets, 18-26.
• Cross, the, most potent of talismans, 99.
• Crows, as foreboders, 285-287.
• Cure for deafness, 219, 220.
• Cyclops, the, 41, 49.
• Dactyls, mythical artisans, 41.
• Days, of good and evil omen, 239-278.
• Egyptian, 239-243.
• Roman superstition concerning, 243-245.
• mediæval belief in day-fatality, 245-253.
• modern belief in day-fatality, 253-257.
• the sixth day of the week, 258-263.
• Friday in modern times, 263-278.
• Demon-mare, 74.
• Deodand, obsolete term of English law, 309.
• Deuz or Deuce, the number two, 313.
• Devil, the, 26, 31, 50, 69, 98, 123, 124, 130, 135, 136, 158, 159, 167, 218, 238, 254, 279, 285, 286, 290, 313.
• Devil’s foot, imprint of, 136.
• Dies atri, 244.
• Dies Egyptiaci, 239-243, 247.
• Dies fasti and nefasti, 243, 244.
• Dies mala, 246.
• Dies Veneris, 262.
• Diet regulated by the days of the week, 255.
• Divining rod, 15.
• Elf-bolt, 33.
• Eloy, Saint, 47, 48, 235.
• England, the day formerly divided into thirteen parts, 339.
• Exorcism, of haunted house, 93.
• of vermin, 287.
• Evil eye, 10-13.
• Evil spirits, keep aloof from iron, 38.
• dislike salt, 159.
• cause sickness, 220-227.
• Fairies, when especially alert, 266, 267.
• Farriers, 52.
• Farriery, introduction of modern, 4.
• Fire, a spirit-scaring element, 54-58.
• Fires, midsummer, 55, 56.
• Fireflies, 28.
• Fish, an emblem of Freyja, 259.
• Fortune, the Roman goddess, 141-149.
• Fortune and luck, 145-153.
• temples of, 149, 150.
• Foxes, charm against, 303.
• French Canadian legend, 97, 98.
• Freyja, the Northern goddess of love, 258, 259, 269, 274.
• Friday, 258-278.
• Moslem beliefs regarding, 264.
• Jewish beliefs regarding, 265.
• Froth from a horse’s mouth repels demons, 68.
• Geoponica, the, Grecian treatise on agriculture, 287, 306.
• George, Saint, 126, 127.
• Gertrude, Saint, patron saint of travelers and cats, 288.
• Half-moon tavern symbols, 120.
• Hamlin, the pied piper of, 288, 289.
• Hammer, Thor’s emblem, 127.
• Hand, symbol of the open, 16-18.
• in Palestine, 16.
• in Syria, 17.
• Hand, symbol of the open, in Germany, 17.
• Hatto II., Archbishop of Mayence, legend concerning, 282, 283.
• Hebrides, preference for odd numbers, in the, 329.
• Hecate, 23.
• Hernia, cure for, 37.
• Holy water, 182.
• Horapollon, a treatise on Egyptian hieroglyphics, 210, 279.
• Horn, of the fabulous unicorn, 9.
• Horns, and other two-pronged objects, 8-15.
• Horns of animals, used as amulets:—
• of the stag, 10, 14.
• of cattle, 10, 11.
• of antelopes, 11.
• of reindeer, 14.
• Horse, the, a luck-bringer, 68.
• a divinatory animal, 69, 70.
• Horse-shoe, history of the, 1-6.
• as a safeguard, 7, 8.
• as a symbol of the horse, 68-78.
• as a favorite anti-witch charm, 88-94.
• position of, as a protector of buildings, 99-104.
• as an emblem of good luck, 104-116.
• as a phallic symbol, 116-118.
• on tavern sign-boards, 118-120.
• on church-doors, 120-127.
• legendary lore, 128-136.
• Horse-shoe arch, in Caledonian hieroglyphics, 65-68.
• Horse-Shoe of Luck, story for children, 107, 108.
• Horse-worship, 73.
• Horses, Wodan’s favorite animals, 76.
• Horses’ heads, as talismans, 78-87.
• on house gables, 82.
• Horses’ hoofs, the sound of, frightens spirits, 71.
• Horses’ skulls, 86, 87.
• Houses, haunted, 93, 94.
• Huixtocihuatl, Mexican goddess of salt, 155.
• Idiots alleged to be incapable of sneezing, 216.
• Inscriptions above entrances of dwellings, 101.
• Intellectual force not incompatible with superstitious fancies, 274.
• Ireland, origin of name, 30, 31.
• Iron, as a protective charm, 26-40.
• use of, in folk-medicine, 36, 37.
• religious prejudice against, 29.
• Iron and flint, affinity between, 33.
• Iron-workers, regarded as sorcerers, 48.
• Jinn, the, mythical demons, 29, 30.
• Kalevalla, ancient Finnish epic poem, 42.
• Legends, 30-32, 43-46, 50, 69, 70, 79, 91, 128-136, 154, 155, 160, 192, 193, 227, 228, 236, 237.
• Leonard, Saint, 124, 126.
• Lesbos, charm against insects in vogue in, 305.
• Lincoln Cathedral, 123, 124.
• Lincoln Imp, 123.
• Locusts invade fields, 295.
• Loki, the Principle of Evil in Northern mythology, 331.
• Lutins, mischievous imps, 179, 236.
• Mano cornuta, or anti-witch gesture, 12-14.
• Medical superstitions regarding days, 251, 252.
• Metal working and sorcery, early association of, 53.
• Mexican priests, use magical ointment as a charm against wild beasts, 307.
• Moon, superstitions concerning the, 19-21.
• Moon-worship, 19.
• Moonwort, 25.
• Nagendra, Cingalese serpent-king, 65.
• Nail, story of the, 6, 7.
• Neapolitan evil-eye amulets, survivals of ancient Chaldean symbols, 13.
• Neck, or Scandinavian river-spirit, 38.
• North, the unblessed heathen quarter, 122, 123.
• Numbers, the luck of odd, 302-339.
• early significance of, 312-314.
• the number three, 315-318.
• the number seven, 318-324.
• odd numbers in witchcraft, 324-327.
• odd numbers in folk-medicine, 327-330.
• thirteen, 331-339.
• Nundinæ, or market days, 245.
• Oakham castle in Rutlandshire, 4, 5.
• Odd numbers, 312-339.
• Ormuzd, chief deity of the Parsees, 57, 223.
• Passover, Feast of the, 7, 8, 257.
• Perforated stones as talismans, 75, 97.
• Persians, share popular distrust of the number thirteen, 336.
• Phelo, Chinese idol, 155.
• Popiel II., king of Poland, pursued by rats, 282.
• Position of horse-shoe as amulet, 94-103.
• Prascovia, Saint, 274, 275.
• Prometheus, myth concerning, 227, 228.
• Put-sign, Egyptian, 66.
• Pythagorean doctrine of numbers, 312.
• Rats and mice as avengers, 279, 284.
• Rats rhymed to death, 305.
• Raven, the, a portentous bird, 285.
• Recapitulation of theories of the origin of the horse-shoe superstition, 137, 138.
• Rickets, cure for, in Scotland, 51.
• Rites connected with sneezing, 230-233.
• Rowan-tree, 92, 102, 196.
• Salt, the folk-lore of common, 154-205.
• origin and history of, 154-157.
• uncongenial to witches and devils, 158-161.
• the Latin word sal, 161-163.
• employed to confirm an oath, 164-166.
• salt-spilling as an omen, 166-172.
• helping to salt at table, 172, 173.
• as a protection to infants, 173-177.
• as a magical substance, 177-184.
• miscellaneous remarks on, 184-196.
• used as money, 186, 187.
• regarded as an obnoxious article, 189-191.
• The Value of Salt. A Roman folk-tale, 193-196.
• the salt-cellar, 196-205.
• Saxon superstitions, 260.
• Septentriones, or seven stars of the constellation of the Great Bear, 319.
• Serpent as an amuletic symbol, 58-60, 64, 65.
• as a tutelary divinity, 61.
• serpent-worship, 59-61.
• Serpentine shape of the horse-shoe, 58-65.
• Seven, the number, 318-324.
• Shastra, or holy books of the Hindus, 224.
• Sneezing, the omens of, 206-238.
• in ancient times, 206-211.
• mediæval beliefs concerning, 211-214.
• modern superstitions about, 215-220.
• doctrine of demoniacal possession, 220-227.
• salutation after sneezing, 227-236.
• alleged origin of custom, 229, 230.
• legends, 236-238.
• Spite-stake, 79.
• Talismanic coiffure, 14.
• Talismans, complex, of the Tibetans, 100.
• Tantura, head-dress, 15.
• Teutonic beliefs about sneezing, 215.
• Thieves fear to steal on a Friday, in Palermo, 271.
• Thirteen, the number, 331-339.
• Thirteen Club, 334.
• Three, the number, 315-318.
• a favorite of witches, 316.
• Threshold, a sacred place, 96-98.
• Triads, in the codes of ancient Welsh laws, 315.
• Tyche, Grecian goddess of good luck, 140, 141.
• Typhon, the personification of evil, 26.
• Ukko, a Finnish deity, 154.
• Unit, a symbol of harmony and order, 312.
• Universality of horse-shoe amulet noteworthy, 88.
• Valhalla, 331.
• Valkyrs, or thirteen virgins, 331.
• Vermin, curious methods of expelling, 291, 294.
• Vulcan, Roman god of fire, 40-42.
• Water-sprites, active on Fridays, 267.
• Witches crave salt, 159.
• Witches’ sabbath, 265, 266.
• Wodan or Odin, the chief Northern deity, 29, 44, 69, 76, 85, 111, 112, 126, 132, 136, 138, 258, 289.
• Words used as charms, 300-306.
• Xenophon, processes for strengthening the hoofs of horses recommended by, 1.
• regards sneezing as a happy omen, 208.
• Yawning considered dangerous, 226.
• Yoni symbol, 117.
• Zadkiel’s Almanac, 20, 256.
• Zend-Avesta, or sacred Persian writings, 232.

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