Indian Antiquary Vol 26

SR No.: 032518
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 360
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 104

100
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1897.
high value attached to spitting by others than Christians daring the fourth century Pbilagins' saying is proof: - "When you spit into the drug pot use no barbarous names. The spittle without the names is just as healing."49 That the object of the Catholic priest in touching the eats and nostrils of the infant or catechumen at Baptism is to scare evil spirits is shewn in the service for adult Baptism, where, when the priest applies the spittle to the nostrils, he says: - "Devil be put to flight for the judgment of God is near." 43 The healing spittle and the spittle of hate are the same both in virtue and in object, napely, to scare the devil. Iu tho Russian Baptism sermon, when, on behalf of the child, the God-father and God-mother renounce the Prince of Darkness, they bow and spit at the Prince. The old respect for spittle continues among modern Greeks. The modern Greek woman, like the classic Greek, when alarmed, spits into her own bosom.45 The modern Greek, like the Slav, is shy of praise. If praised he tries to save himself by spitting; if a child is praised the mother or nurse blows a spray over it. The classic beliefs about spittle remain fresh in modern Italy. In 1623, when De la Valle was travelling near Mangalore, in India, he saw in a forest shrine a statue of Birimoro (apparently Bhairav) or Buto (Bhuta), a savage god, spat in its face three times, and wentaways At the present time, in Italy, fasting spittle rubbed on the knee cures blear eyes, cancer and pains in the neck. To spit in the right shoe scares fascination. In the Middle Ages, in Spain as in Italy, to spit in the face had the sense that the person spat upon was a devil or was devil possessed. Saint Eulalia, the Spanish Christian girl, spat in the face of her judge.60 In Roumania, you must not praise a baby or say any one looks well without spitting. 51 In Transylvania, the Saxons hold that spitting has great power to keep off spells and other evils.52 The Wotyak Fins of East Russia beat evil influences out of every house by clubs and lightedtwigs, shut tbe door, and spit at the ousted devil.53 In a Russian story a blind maiden cures her eyes by rabbing them with her own saliva.54 Before a witch's house and in crossing haunted water by night Germans spit thrice.55 In Germany, if a fisher spits on a pot hook and calls on the devil, he will catch fish.56 In Prance, hair that comes out in combing and cat hair have to be spat on to prevent them becoming enchanted.57 According to Aubrey (A, D. 1650) if you praised a horse belonging to one of the wild Irish, the owner spat on the animal.58 In Ireland, in 1660, a child who had been eye-bitten might be cured by being spat on.59 Still in West Galway and other outlying parts of Ireland a new-born child or a beast, when first seen, must be spat on, especially if praised, since praise brings bad luck, Tbe first money earned in the morning is spat on for good luck. An animal beginning to recover from sickness must be spat on. The people of Cork spit on the ground in front of any one whom they wish to bring into trouble.60
In the seventeenth century in Scotland, the skilful cured sick animals by spitting.61 Till the present century fasting spittle cured warts and skin diseases.82 In making a bargain it was the rule that the parties should spit each in his own hand before the final settling grasp.83 In East Scotland, if a fish-hook catches at the bottom of the sea, some evileyed person is believed to hold it. The fisher takes a bit of seaweed, spits on it,
11 Black's Folk Medicine, pp. 183, 184.
45 The Golden Manval. p. 799. * Mrs. Romanoff's Rites and Customs of the Græco-Russian Church, pp. 39 and €9. 45 Clarke's Travels in Greece, Vol. IV. p. 7. 46 Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, Vol. III. p. 1102 ; Potter's Antiquities, Vol. I. p. 401. 47 Potter's Antiquities, Vol. I. p. 401. 15 Hall's De la Valle, Vol. II. pp. 340, 341.
49 Story's Castle of St. Angelo, p. 209. 50 Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art, Vol. II. p. 678. 61 Foll-Lore Record, Vol. V. p. 50. 82 Nineteenth Century Magazine, No. CI. p. 145. 03 Fraser's The Golden Bough, Vol. II. p. 801, Zool. Myth. Vol. I. p. 219.
65 Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, Vol. III. p. 1102. 68 Bassett's Sea Legends, p. 434.
67 Elworthy's The Evil Eyje, p. 417. 08 Aubrey's Remains of Gentilism, p. 42.
6. Dalyell's Darker Superstitions of Scotland, p. 10. c. Folk-Lore Record, Vol. IV. p. 103.
61 Dalyell's Darker Superstitions of Scotland, p. 73. 62 Napier's Folk-Lore, p. 99.
65 Op. cit. p. 100.: