Eggs - Facts And Fancies About Them (1890) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 17 SUPERSTITIONS. "There's something strange about egg shells, That makes them proof against all spells." Tudok Jenks. IGGS, and especially their shells, have been thought potent aids in witchcraft. Irish and English nurses once instructed children to push their spoons through the shell of an egg, after eating its contents, " to keep the witches from making a boat of it." These lines from Beaumont and Fletcher show the common belief: " The devil should think of purchasing that eggshell, To victual out a wife for the Bermoothus." (i. e. Bermudas.) Sir Thomas Browne tells us another reason for breaking the shells, lest the witches should draw or prick their names therein and thusinjure the person who had partaken of the egg. Eggs laid on holy days were supposed to possess helpful qualities against all ills. In 1584, Reginald Scot says, " To hang an egg, laid on Ascension Day, in the roof of a house preserveth the same from all hurts." Eggs produced on Good Friday were also kept, since they had power to extinguish any fire on which they might be thrown. The Netherlanders say that ague may be kept at a distance by eating on Easter Day two eggs laid on Good Friday. While in North Germany the shells are broken after the contents are eaten to keep away the same dread visitor. Dreaming of eggs is a prediction of trouble, though if the shells be broken when they appear the danger is averted. Scotch fishermen think it unlucky to have eggs on board their boats, as they will bring contrary winds. In many parts of England eggs are not allowed to leave the house after sunset, for fear of ill luck, and to have them brought in would be equally disastrous. On Halloween, if the white of egg be dropped into any pure liquid, the shape it takes will ind...