476 O M 
©men was fortunate ; but, if bis left foot advanced before 
bis right, the omen was unlucky : this ceremony was re¬ 
peated before each of the rows of fpears. It was alfo ob- 
ferved before they embarked on any naval expedition. 
When the northern nations were converted to Chriftianity, 
and indeed for a confiderable time afterwards, they were 
ib devoted to this and fimilar fuperftitions, that a decree 
of oneof the councils exprefsly treats cle anguriisvclavium, 
vel tquorum, vcl bourn Jiercore, veljlernutatione, 
A moft barbarous and inhuman mode of prefaging fu¬ 
ture events was pra« 5 rifed among the Scandinavians ; they 
facrificed human vidlims for the exprefs and 1'ole purpofe 
of knowing what was to happen, by the infpeffion of their 
entrails, by the effufion of their blood, and by the greater 
or lefs degree of celerity with which they funk to the bot¬ 
tom of the water. When the laft mode was followed, the 
vidtim was thrown into a.deep well in the neighbourhood 
of the temple, in honour of Goya, or the Earth ; if he 
went at once to the bottom, the omen was good ; but the 
reverfe, if he fwam a long time on the furface. If, when 
the victim was burnt, the fmoke afcended very high, it 
was regarded as a moft fortunate omen. 
The Scandinavians, as well as all the other northern 
nations, paid great attention to particular days, and ef- 
pecially to the age of the moon ; if poffible, they avoided 
engaging in battle before the new moon ; and the moon, 
when new or full, was regarded as the moft aufpicious for 
all enterprifes. The Anglo-Saxons had their lucky and 
unlucky days for bleeding. Theodore, the monk, taught 
them that it was dangerous to bleed, when the light of 
the moon and the tides were increafing ; and he pointed 
out the particular hours of the day when it might be done 
with fafety and advantage. Indeed, among the Anglo- 
Saxons, as among the Greeks and Romans, every day in 
every month was propitious or unpropitious for fome ac¬ 
tion or another ; and thunder, lightning, the new moon, 
and new year, were lucky or not, according to the day on 
which they happened. Among the Druids, the fixth day 
of the moon w'as confidered as a moft propitious day 
for embarking in any undertaking, or beginning a jour¬ 
ney. 
As the manners and cuftoms of the ancient Britons 
were derived from thofe of the Scandinavians, or Celts, 
their fuperftitions ideas, wdth refpedt to omens, were fo 
nearly the fame, that they need not be detailed. It may, 
however, be remarked, that the hare was much employed 
by the ancient Britons for the purpofes of augury, and it 
w f as therefore interdifted at table. 
In the firft ages of Chriftianity, the belief in omens 
was very prevalent and ftrong. Ambrofe Koy bifhop of 
Noyon, Chryfoftom in his Homilies, Bafil, Auguftine, 
and others, inveigh bitterly againft it. From their ac¬ 
count, the omens in which the firft Chriftians put faith 
were very fimilar to thole which prevailed among the 
Greeks and Romans: fneezing under certain circum- 
ftances ; meeting on the road a cat, a dog, a woman of 
bad character, a perfon with one eye, or a lame perfon ; 
Humbling againft any thing, or, when one is going out of 
the houfe, being held back by the cloak catching any 
thing ; the palpitation of an eye or mufcle; and innume¬ 
rable otheromens, are mentioned and reprobated by thefe 
fathers. 
Perhaps no change that has taken place within thefe 
laft fifty years, is greater or more ftriking, than that which 
has gradually been effected in the fuperftitious belief of 
the common people in this kingdom, and probably, 
though not to luch a great degree, in the other kingdoms 
of Europe. In the middle of the laft century, the belief 
in fairies, witches, omens, and fuperftitious powers and 
practices, prevailed, almoft univerfally, among the lower 
orders of the community ; and even had faft hold on many 
of a fuperior rank and condition of life, efpecially in the 
country. Now this belief is fcarcely found, except among 
very old people, and in very remote places ; and, where it 
does exift, it is regarded by the generality of the lower 
E JN. 
clafs in its proper light. The following enumeration of 
lucky and unlucky omens, therefore, has reference, rather 
to popular belief about the beginning or middle of the 
laft century, than to the prefent time ; except, as has 
been already ftated, in remote places, and- among old 
people. 
In the days, then, when the belief in omens flourifhed 
in England, the following were deemed lucky : if, on let¬ 
ting out on a journey, a fow with pigs were met, the 
journey w'ould be fuccefsful; to meet two magpies por¬ 
tended marriage; three, a fuccefsful journey; four un¬ 
expected good news; and five, that the perfon would 
loon be in the company of the great. If, in drefting, a 
perfon put his ftockings on wrong fide out, it was a lign 
of good luck ; but the luck would be changed, if the 
ftockings were turned the right way. Nothing could en- 
fure fuccefs to a perfon going on important bulinefs, more 
effectually than throwing an old Ihoe after him, when he 
left the houfe. If a younger filter were married before 
the elder ones, the latter lhould dance at her wedding 
without ftioes, otherwife they will never get hulbands. 
To find a horfe-fhoe is deemed lucky; and it is (till more 
fo, if it be preferved and nailed upon the door, as thus it 
prevents witchcraft. 
Even yet, Valentine’s day is regarded as ominous, in 
refpeCt to marriage, by more than the lower clafles; and, 
if it rain on St. Swithin’s day, rain it will for forty 
days afterwards. The moon, even by philofophers, is 
fuppofed to indicate the weather ; but the vulgar regard 
her as foretelling it, much in the lame manner that other 
omens prefage future events. If fhe changein the fouth- 
weft quarter, i. e. if Hie change about four or five o’clock 
in the afternoon, when the fun is in the fouth-weft, it 
portends rain ; if in the north, or north-eaft, i. e. at that 
time of the evening when the fun, if we fuppofed him 
not to fet, would be in the north or north-eaft, cold 
weather is portended. Catholics bleed their horfes on 
St. Stephen’s day, and on the feftival called the An¬ 
nunciation. 
In England, but more particularly in Wales, according 
to Pennant, it is a good omen, if the fun Ihines on a mar¬ 
ried couple, or if it rains when a corpfe is burying. Ac¬ 
cording to the old diltich : 
Happy is the bride that the fun Ihines on, 
Happy is the corpfe that the rain rains on. 
In the Highlands of Scotland omens are numerous. 
It is unlucky to ftumbie at the threlhhold, or to be 
obliged to return for any thing forgot. To ftep over a 
gun, or a filhing-rod, fpoils fport. If, when a fervant is 
making a bed, ihe happens to lheeze, the lleep of the per¬ 
fon who is to lie in it will be difturbed, unlefs a little of 
the ftraw (with which moft beds in the Highlands were, 
till very lately, filled) is taken out, and thrown into the 
fire. The motions and appearances of the clouds were 
ndt long ago confidered as certain figns by which the fkil- 
ful Highlander might attain to the knowledge of futurity. 
On new-year’s eve, if a black cloud appeared in any part 
of the horizon, it was thought to prognofticate a plague, 
a famine, or the death of fome great man in that part of 
the country over which it lhould appear to fet; and, in 
order to alcertain the place threatened by the omen, the 
motions of this cloud were often watched through the 
whole night, if it happened to continue fo long vifible 
above the horizon. By the believers in this fuperftition 
there are days, as well as words and events, which are 
deemed ominous of good or bad fortune. The firft day 
of every quarter are reckoned the moft fortunate days in 
the year for accomplifliing any defign. In the ifle of Mull, 
ploughing, lowing, and reaping, are alwcays begun on a 
Tuelday, though the moft favourable weather for thefe 
purpofes be in this way frequently loft. That day of the 
week on which the third of May falls, isdeemed unlucky 
throughout the whole year. In Morven, none will upon 
any account dig peat or turf for fuel on a Friday; and it 
