Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Signs, Superstitions, and Omens: Week Three


Here is our last week of Signs, Superstitions, and Omens! If you happened to miss the past two installments, you can find them HERE and HERE.





*SIGNS*
A sign is believed to predict the future but unlike the omen, signs do not foretell negative happenings.
  • According to Native American superstition, biting your tongue is a sign that you will soon receive either good news or a present.
  • A dropped towel is a sign that you will have the arrival of an unwanted visitor. According to Scottish pioneers, you can nullify the sign by stepping backwards over the towel.
  • If you dream that your teeth fall out, its a sign that your enemy will soon die. I always heard that it meant you would have sickness approaching.


*SUPERSTITIONS*
A superstition is an irrational belief, usually arising from ignorance or fear, that is believed by a number of people but is without foundation.
  • Is there a thief in your community? Have a group of suspects dance around an upturned axe & when if falls over, the shaft will be pointing to the thief.
  • If a baby sees it's image in a mirror before the age of six months, it will die before it turns one year old. 
  • I remember when my Dude was around 5 months old, I left him sleeping on the couch while I went to make up my bed. I heard a thump and a cry not even 2 minutes after leaving the room. I raced back to the living room and scooped him up and cried right along with him. My Papaw Glenn happened to call about that time and calmed me down. He told me that he had always heard that if a baby didn't roll off of the bed before it was a year old, it would die. I'm not sure if that was really a superstition he had actually heard or if he was just trying to make me feel better...it helped a little.


*OMENS*
Omen- a phenomenon that is believed to tell the future, which also signifies change...usually negative.
  • Bad luck will come to a household if someone dreams of an axe.
  • Dreaming of a lizard is an omen that you have a secret enemy.
  • If a bat comes close to flying into a person, it is an omen that the person will be betrayed by a friend. 
  • A cat in a coal mine is an omen and the cat must be killed to avoid a death in the mines.


I hope that y'all have enjoyed this last week of SSOs. I've enjoyed reading the ones some of you have shared in the comments here and over on the Appalachian Mountain Roots Facebook page!

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Signs, Superstitions, and Omens: Week Two

It's time for our next installment of signs, superstitions and omens! If you missed last week's you can  CLICK HERE to catch up.


*SIGNS*
A sign is believed to predict the future but unlike the omen,
signs do not foretell negative happenings.

  • Two blackbirds flying together is a sign of good fortune.
  • If a person's medicine has been spilled accidentally, it is a sign that he will soon recover. 
  • A bee that flies into the house is a sign that a stranger is coming. 
  • If a chair falls over as a person rises from the table, it is a sign that the person is a liar. 
  • It's a sign of good luck when your right eye itches.

*SUPERSTITIONS*
A superstition is an irrational belief, usually arising from ignorance or fear, that is believed by a number of people but is without foundation.


  • If you walk barefoot in the first snow of winter you will not catch cold all year. -submitted by Mary Blevins
  • If you leave a piece of tin on top of an ant's nest during the full moon it will turn to silver.
  • Placing a knife on the doorstep of the house where a birth had taken place will prevent witches from entering and harming the baby. (Scottish)
  • You should not was a baby's right hand for its first three days or life or you will wash all of it's luck away.
  • If a coal miner washes his back right before going to work, the mine roof will collapse on him. 

*OMENS*

Omen- a phenomenon that is believed to tell the future, which also signifies change...usually negative.  

  • If a picture falls off a wall for no apparent reason, it is an omen of a coming catastrophe. 
  • It is an omen of an extremely hard winter ahead if several plants come into bloom out of season. 
  • See a butterfly at night? It is an omen of unexpected death. 
  • A candle that has been put out but continues to glow is an omen of misfortune. 
  • If a rooster crows as you leave to go on a trip, it is an omen of trouble. 

I loved reading some of these that you shared with me here and over on Facebook. I would love to hear any more that you happen to thing of! *This post was originally published here on 9/27/16*



Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Signs, Superstitions, and Omens: Week One

As the diversely ethnic settlers came into the Appalachian region, a detailed system of folklore was developed by combining signs, superstitions, omens, music, stories and beliefs. This system was passed down orally through the years and practiced as a way of keeping the folklore alive. I've heard many of these stories and beliefs while growing up and while I would not consider myself a superstitious person, the possible outcomes of not abiding by these rituals will inevitably worm its way into my mind. Better safe than sorry, right?

Over the next few weeks, I plan on sharing some of these signs, superstitions, and omens and hope that you will be willing to share any that have been passed on in your families and communities. 




*SIGNS*
A sign is believed to predict the future but unlike the omen, signs do not foretell negative happenings. 
  • A chin dimple is a sign of bad character. Dimples on the chin are said to be made by the devil's shoe. (Why not start off with one the applies to me, huh? I have a chin dimple and like to think that I'm not known for my bad character!)
  • Tingling or itching ears are a sign that someone is talking about you. If it is the left ear, you're being gossiped about. If the right, good things are being said.
  • Sole of your foot itching? This is a sign that you are about to embark on a long journey.
  • If you have a candle that is hard to light, it is a sign that rain is on the way.
  • Dreaming of bees is a sign of good fortune.


*SUPERSTITIONS*
A superstition is an irrational belief, usually arising from ignorance or fear, that is believed by a number of people but is without foundation. 
  • An acorn placed on a window will will protect the house from lightning strikes.
  • Treading on an ant nest will cause rain that day.
  • A man who wipes his hands on a girl's apron is sure to fall in love with her. (German)
  • Spitting on a new baby will bring the child good luck. (Irish)
  • Never leave a baby's washed diapers on the clothesline during a full moon because they will attract evil forces.


*OMENS*
Omen- a phenomenon that is believed to tell the future, which also signifies change...usually negative
  • A chicken laying an uneven number of eggs is an omen of danger.
  • If a rabbit crosses your path before sunrise, unhappiness will cloud your day.
  • If the dough for baking bread cracks while being shaped, a funeral will occur soon.
  • If a broom falls over for no reason when someone walks past, it is an omen of bad fortune.
  • Calling out the name of a deceased person while dreaming is an omen of a death.


I would love to hear any of the signs, superstitions, and omens that are a part of your families or communities. Feel free to share in the comments section below or you can send me a message on the Appalachian Mountain Roots Facebook page. 

*This post was originally published here on Appalachian Mountain Roots on 9/20/16.*

Monday, October 15, 2018

Persimmon Seed Winter Weather Predictions (And A Few Home Remedies Using Persimmons)

I love fall. The fruits and veggies are canned and on the shelves. The leaves are just starting to put on their last glorious display before saying goodbye. And the cooler temperatures have FINALLY arrived in my little part of Appalachia! That's western NC for those of you who are new to Appalachian Mountain Roots. 

As much as I enjoy this season I can't help but wonder what kind of winter we can expect this year. Sure, I could read extensive scientific predictions from all of the "experts" but we both know that they don't really know any more than us plain folks. SO, I did what any country person does if they want to find out...I found me a persimmon tree! 

Lucky for me we have a persimmon tree out at our old place and drove out to pick some Saturday afternoon. Most people wait until after the first frost to pick them but we found a couple that were already REALLY ripe. My father-in-law's honeybees were not happy that we were invading their territory so we grabbed a few that we could easily reach and skidaddled back to the car! 


The deer and turkeys have left us with slim pickings!


 

         I had already peeled some of the skin off of this one before 
I thought to take a picture. It was delicious!

After enjoying a couple we got to work splitting open the seeds. We cut through about 10 of them so we would have a good number to compare. And the persimmons seed says....


Looks like spoons to us! That means we can expect plenty of snow to shovel (spoon). We did have a couple that looked like a knife which means cold, "cutting" winds. Had there been a fork shape in the seeds we would have had a mild winter with some light, powdery snows. 

I love snow so that might be part of the reason most of these looked like spoons to me. I think we see what we want to sometimes. 

I realized that I didn't know a whole lot about persimmons so I decided to read up on them. This is what I found in Foxfire 3: "Persimmons are very high in food energy. The leaves, rich in Vitamin C, can be used for tea." The book, Folk Medicine In Southern Appalachia, says that persimmon juice on the tooth and gums is good for a toothache and for an earache, "A green piece of hickory or persimmon wood was thrown on a fire, and the sap emitted during burning was collected in a saucer and poured into the ear."

I guess only time will tell if the persimmon seed prediction is true or not. Like I said, I love snow so I'm hoping it's right!

Have you peeked into any seeds this year? What do the seeds say in your neck of the woods? You can leave a comment below and let me know!