2 
82 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 
that in order to propitiate these money spinners they are to be thrown 
over the left shoulder.1 Old Fuller, who was a native of Northampton, 
thus quaintly moralizes upon this superstition: “ When a spider is found 
upon your clothes, we used to say some money is coming towards us. The 
moral is this, those who imitate the industry of that contemptible creature 
may, by God’s blessing, weave themselves into wealth, and procure a plentiful 
estate.” 
The superstition prevails that if a spider approaches either by crawling 
toward or descending from the ceiling upon a person, it forebodes good to 
such person; and on the contrary, if the spider runs hurriedly 
away it is an omen of bad luck. If one kill a spider crossing 
his path he will have bad luck. A spider should not be killed 
in one’s house, but out of doors. If in the house, it is a saying with 
English common people, “that you are pulling down your own house.” 
If a spider drops down from its web, or from a tree directly in front of a 
person, such person will see a dear friend before night. A variation of 
the superstition is, that if the spider be white it foretells a friend, and if 
black an enemy. In the Netherlands, a spider seen in the morning fore- 
bodes good luck, in the afternoon bad luck. The same tradition prevails 
among Germans, for a German, now resident in Hartford, Connecticut, 
informed me (and I have since hearf the same from others) that in the 
country parts of Germany the people are careful not to see a 
Luckin spider in the morning, under the belief that it will bring bad 
Seeing juck. If they have reason to ect the presence of pider 
Spiders, luck. | y have reaso susp e pres of a spide 
they will most scrupulously look the other way. But in the 
evening the same parties want to see a spider, because they believe that 
then seen it will bring them good luck. He gave me the following German 
rhyme expressive of the above superstition, to which I add a rude metrical 
translation :— 
Money 
Spinners. 
“Spinne am Morgen Spider in morning 
Kummer und Sorgen ; Brings trouble and care ; 
Spinne am Abend But spider at evening 
Erquickend und labend.” Refreshing and cheer, 
This notion has found its way into Ireland, for my cook, who came 
from County Kildare, the east of Ireland, has told me that the tradition 
prevailed in her section that if a wee spider would come upon 
the head it was a sign that the person would get a new bonnet. 
If it fell upon the dress or coat a new dress or coat would result. 
She further said that in a little reading book, in use in one of the goy- 
ernment schools, there was a rhyme like the following :— 
Tradi- 
tions. 
“Tf you want to live and thrive, 
Let the spider run alive.” 
1 Notes and Queries, Vol. IT., 165. 2 Thorpe’s North. Antiq., III., page 329. 
oe td 
