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Archiver > ARIZARD > 2000-03 > 0954243389


From: Jean Mayfield Cuevas <>
Subject: Re: [ARIZARD-L] FW: [MO] Ozark Superstitions
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 06:36:29 -0500
In-Reply-To: <NBBBIDLOCJIONBCOGNAEKELFPJAA.robtking@prioritysolutions.com>


Thanks, Robert.

Mother was born and raised in the Ozarks, and although she was raised by a
Christian mother, she did have her superstitions! Some of them were:

Black cat crossing your path brought bad luck.
Opening an umbrella in the house did, too.
If your left hand itched, you were going to get money
Ringing in your ears meant someone was talking about you

One old story that I have seen verified on another mailing list, was that
if you were born with a "veil" over your face, you would be able to see the
future. Mother apparently was, and it was said that she would have had
that ability, if they had kept the "veil". I haven't a clue as to what it
looked like, other than it was some skin or something.

Mother certainly carried on the beliefs of her Indian heritage, in that she
believed in her dreams, and more than once said that they had come true. I
used to kid her about them, but she took them seriously. I did think it
very fitting that just two weeks before she died, she came over to dinner
on Sunday and was telling me about the most wonderful and real dream that
she had had, and that it was so real that she almost thought it was a
vision. She dreamed that two angels came to visit her, and they were
beautiful and so loving, and they told her where Heaven was, and what went
on there, and that what ever talent one used on earth, was also used
there. That they even made home-made light bread (Mother dearly loved her
homemade bread). She repeated that dream over and over, every time we
talked, and you could tell it had greatly impacted her. After she broke
her hip and died, the fact that she was given this dream, and was so
comforted by it, was a blessing to me.

I don't carry on any of her superstitions, but I do believe her dream came
from the Lord.

Jean




At 04:50 PM 3/27/2000 -0600, you wrote:

>OZARK SUPERSTITIONS
>I. The traditional Ozarker was among the most superstitious group of
>people
>in American history
>1. Many of these superstitions were recorded and preserved in 'Ozark
>Folklore and Magic' by Vance Randolf.
>
>2. Superstitions, generally, were not specific to any particular events.
>
>3. Superstitions recorded by Randolf included:
>
>If a woman drops her dishrag, company is coming.
>
>If a woman's nose itches then unexpected company will arrive.
>
>If your right eye itches then bad luck will follow.
>
>If your left eye itches then good luck will follow.
>
>If your ears burn then someone is saying something about you.
>
>Sneezes and the day they occurred were important as demonstrated by the
>following rhyme:
>a. Sneeze on Monday - kiss a stranger.
>b. Sneeze on Tuesday - a letter will arrive.
>c. Sneeze on Wednesday - good luck will follow.
>d. Sneeze on Thursday - bad luck will follow.
>e. Sneeze on Friday - sorrow will follow.
>f. Sneeze on Saturday - you will find a new friend.
>g. Sneeze on Sunday and the devil will be with you all week.
>
>If you run out of salt you will suffer a whole years poverty.
>
>It is bad luck to return borrowed dishes unwashed.
>
>If two friends are walking and a third party walks between them then the two
>friends must turn their backs to each other to avoid a quarrel.
>
>You should always leave by the same door you came in from.
>
>A rock with a hole in it is very good luck.
>
>It is bad luck to pick up a black button.
>
>Always break bread - never cut it with a knife.
>
>Always put your right shoe on first.
>
>It is unlucky to cut your fingernails on Sunday.
>
>If a girl wants a new dress she should catch a butterfly of the same color
>and mash it between her teeth.
>
>Any job you start on Saturday will take six weeks to complete.
>
>Never use the wood from a tree struck by lightning.
>
>Thunder and lightning causes milk to spoil.
>
>If you find your initials in a spider's web you will be lucky all of your
>life.
>
>Misfortunes and deaths always come in threes.
>
>It is lucky to celebrate Christmas on "Old Christmas" (January 6th).
>
>Whatever you do on New Years Day you will do all year.
>
>Never take anything out of your house on New Years Day.
>
>A woman who drops her comb while brushing her hair is doomed to bad luck.
>
>The above can take the curse off by counting to 10 backwards immediately.
>
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