SUPERSTITION 



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SUPERSTITION 



biology, physiology and the rest, and initiated 

 men into the scientific point of view, the out- 

 grown beliefs and systems of past ages seem 

 strange, and the practices curious and absurd. 

 But in milder form, in less serious directions, 

 we may sympathize with the feelings that led 

 to such beliefs and practices. Superstitions re- 

 flect an attitude of mind, a way of thinking 

 about the happenings and relations of the 

 world; that mental habit pernicious at worst, 

 uncritical at the best plays an important part 

 in the regulations of human conduct. 



The Strange and Unknown. A reason or ex- 

 planation satisfies curiosity, but its more prac- 

 tical end is to guide conduct. The strange, 

 the unknown, 'induces fear and uneasiness. Un- 

 derstanding makes for mental adjustment. As 

 events are understood, man becomes at home 

 in the world of happenings; he anticipates, 

 prepares and in some measure controls his fate. 

 But his questionings go beyond this immedi- 

 ate purpose; his curiosity is always asking: 

 Why? The history of early science and of 

 superstition shows what kinds of answers were 

 satisfactory in the childhood of the race. 



Foretelling the Future. The most general 

 interest of inquiry is to read the signs of events 

 and foretell the future. Such foresight or in- 

 sight was regarded in primitive communities as 

 a gift, a privilege of the elect; the predecessor 

 of the man of learning was the priest, medicine- 

 man, soothsayer, and wonder-worker. He pro- 

 fessed to know the ways of nature and the 

 mystic forces that control destiny, including 

 especially the spirit forces which all primitive 

 religions recognize. In more established socie- 

 ties, he may be, like Joseph, an interpreter of 

 dreams; for dreams come from the unseen 

 world and bear upon the personal fate of the 

 dreamer. The Romans had professional au- 

 gurs; by the flight of birds, or by the appear- 

 ance of the entrails of sacrificed animals, by 

 omens of sky and everyday incidents, they 

 decided when the signs were favorable for bat- 

 tle, for alliances, expeditions, or the personal 

 fortune of king or leader. ' The Delphic oracle, 

 the Cumaean sibyl, illustrate the religious as- 

 pect to this function; for science and religion 

 develop together, as in primitive societies the 

 priest, the wise man, the diviner or sorcerer are 

 one. Through him as a medium, the gods are 

 implored to prevent storms or plagues, to bring 

 good crops and successful enterprises. There 

 may be an alliance with evil spirits as well as 

 good ones; the sorcerer's power may be feared 

 as well as respected. He has to do with the 



reading of omens, the telling of fortunes, the 

 preparation of charms, the cure of disease, and 

 the protection against enemies. The world in 

 which he exercises his art is dominated more 

 by fears than by hopes, for unseen dangers and 

 evil spirits are constantly threatening. The 

 reading of signs and control of fate by charms 

 and countercharms most amply illustrate the 

 setting in which superstitions flourish. The 

 tendency to believe and be influenced by such 

 practices is the superstitious bent. In survey- 

 ing the varieties of superstition, we may ob- 

 serve the motives that prompt belief always 

 some strong desire or fear; the means, that is, 

 the practice followed, usually in relation to a 

 set of principles or a system of interpretation; 

 and the basis in observation of reasoning that 

 supports it. Thus viewed, superstitions, though 

 fanciful, cease to be arbitrary, and often ac- 

 quire an interesting history ; they become speci- 

 mens in the museum of thinking. 



Ascribing Motives to Nature. Underlying the 

 notion that gave rise to the practices of divina- 

 tion and magic is the belief that events occur 

 for their personal significance. The outer world 

 and its happenings are interpreted in human 

 terms. Nature is supposed to act with motives 

 similar to human motives. A storm is thus 

 regarded as the revenge of an offended god; a 

 plague is a dire punishment for transgression 

 of some sort; success will be the reward of 

 generous sacrifices, and good luck of observ- 

 ance of minute prescriptions. Still more gener- 

 ally is the setting of nature interpreted as bear- 

 ing upon personal ventures and fortune. In 

 this type of reaction to their environment, men 

 found the sky the most impressive object of 

 contemplation; it becomes the symbol of the 

 great beyond and the dwelling place of the 

 mighty powers that control. It invites wor- 

 ship and awe. The sun, moon and stars with 

 their regular, yet mysterious, changes ; clouds, 

 rain, wind, lightning, thunder; night and day, 

 seasons, weather these condition human en- 

 terprises. Out of this close relation arose the 

 oldest of the sciences (astronomy) and the most 

 widespread of superstitions. It should be proper 

 to speak of all such notions as astrological, 

 though astrology refers usually to the system 

 in its elaborate form, as practiced from ancient 

 times to within a few centuries. The notion 

 that the stars are connected with human des- 

 tiny is the underlying one. The heavenly light 

 of a star in legend is associated with the birth 

 of Confucius, as well as of Moses and of Jesus, 

 with the birth of the Caesars of Rome or the 



