477 
O M E 
is reckoned unlucky to number the people or cattle be¬ 
longing to any family, and doubly fo if the number be 
taken on a Friday. 
The lucky omens in the Highlands are not many, and 
in general they are the fame as thofe in other countries. 
One, however, feems peculiar to them ; it is deemed lucky 
to meet a horfe, but unlucky to meet a hare. In the Ork¬ 
neys, Friday, which in mod other places is reckoned an 
unfortunate day for this purpofe, is generally chofen for 
marriage s next to it, Thurfday is fixed upon : and the 
time when the moon is waxing is the moft fortunate. 
When an Orkney fifliernian is fetting off from the fhore, 
he takes efpecial care to turn his boat in the direflion of 
the fun’s motion ; if he negledted this, he would not ex- 
eft good luck. In the Lowlands of Scotland, good or 
ad fortune throughout the year is thought to depend 
greatly upon the perfon who is firft feen on new-year’s 
morning, or the “ firft foot,” as it is called ; if the firft foot 
be that of a friend, and a fortunate perfon, the fubfequent 
year will be fortunate. Under this idea, as foon as ever 
twelve o’clock at night announces the commencement of 
the new-year, it is cuftomary, even in Edinburgh, to fe- 
cure a lucky “ firft foot” to one’s friends, even though it 
fhould be neceffary to enter their chamber when they are 
fall alleep. 
The age of the moon is alfo much attended to by the 
vulgar Highlanders. It is alleged, that, during the in- 
creafe, things have a tendency to grow and Hick together ; 
and hence, in the ifie of Skye, fences, which are there made 
of turf, are built only at that time; whilft turf or peat for 
fuel are never, even in the moft favourable weather, either 
made or llacked-up but while the moon is in its wane. 
An opinion prevails in fome places, that, if a houfe take 
fire during the increafe of the moon, the family to which 
it belongs will profper in the world; but that, if the fire 
happen while the moon is in the decreafe, the family will 
from that time decline in its circumftances, and fink into 
poverty. 
In attributing fuch influence to the moon, the fuperfti- 
tious Highlanders have the honour to agree with the phi- 
lofophic Virgil, who, in his Georgies, gives the following 
fage inftruftions to the hufbandman : 
Ipfa dies alios alio dedit ordine Luna 
Felices, operum. Quintamfuge: 
Seplima poji clecimam felix et ponere vitem , 
Et prenjos domitare boves et licia tela 
Addere: nonafvgee m.elior, contraria furtis. 
The lucky days in each revolving moon 
For labour choofe. The fifth be fure to fhun s 
The feventh is, next the tenth, the beft to join 
Young oxen to the yoke, and plant the vine ; 
, Then weavers ilretch your Hays upon the weft: 
■ The ninth is good for travel, bad for theft. Dryden. 
“From this coincidence of the fuperilition of the Ro- 
■ man poet with that of the natives of Mull and Morven, 
. we are ftrongly inclined (fay the editors of the Encyclo¬ 
pedia Britannica) to adopt the hypothefis of the gentle¬ 
man who favoured us with this accurate account of High¬ 
land omens. He juftly obferves, that this fuperllitious 
practice of auguring good or ill from trifling events, and 
from the particular phafes of the moon, has no connexion 
whatever with popifli prieftcraft: he (hows, that the Ro¬ 
ut ilh clergy, even in the darkeft age, were at pains to era¬ 
dicate it as idle and impious; and he therefore infers, 
that it mull be a relic of Druidifm, handed down by tra¬ 
dition from an era prior to the introduction of Chriftianity 
into the Highlands and ifles of Scotland. That the Dru¬ 
ids were acquainted with the particular dodlrines of Py- 
■ thagoras has been ftiown elfewhere (fee Druids) ; that 
Virgil was no ftranger to the Pythagorean philofophy is 
known to every fcholar ; that Pythagoras and his follow¬ 
ers were addicted to the dotages of Magic has been made 
apparent in that article; and therefore, it appears to s 
probable at leaft, that the attention paid to pretended 
Vol. XVII. No. 1191. 
O M I 
omens, not only in the Highlands, but alfo in the low 
country of Scotland, and indeed among the vulgar in 
every country of Europe, is a remnant of one of the 
many fuperftitions which the Druids impofed upon their 
deluded followers. That it is contrary to every principle 
of found philofophy, all philofophers will readily ac¬ 
knowledge; and whoever has ftudied the writings of St. 
Paul, mud be convinced that it is inconfiftent with the 
fpirit of genuine Chriftianity.” 
O'MENED, adj. Containing prognoftics : 
Fame may prove, 
Or omen'd voice, the meffenger of Jove, 
Propitious to the fearch. Pope's Odyjf, 
OMEN'TUM, f. [Latin.] The cawl, called alfo reticu- 
latum, from its ftrufture refembling that of a net. See 
Anatomy. —When the peritonaeum is cut, as ufual, and 
the cavity of the abdomen laid open, the omentum, or 
cawl, prefents itfelf firft to view. This membrane, which 
is like a wide and empty bag, covers the greateft part of the 
guts. Quincy. 
O'MER, or Homer, f. A Hebrew meafure,about three 
pints and a half Englifh. Bailey, —In other ancient wri¬ 
tings often called corns. 
OM'ER A, a town of Arabia, in the province of Yemen: 
fixteen miles north of Eden. 
OMERE'E, a town of Hindooftan, in the circar of El- 
lichpour: twenty miles fouth-weit of Ellichpour. 
OMERE'E, a town of Hindooftan, in Boggilcund : fix 
miles weft of Rewah. 
OMERE'QUI, a town of Peru, in the diocefe of La 
Plata : fifty miles north of La Plata. 
O'MERGONG, a town of Hindooftan, in Baglana: 
feven miles fouth of Damaun. 
O'MERGONG, a town of Hindooftan, in the circar of 
Aurangabad : thirty-two miles eaft of Aurangabad. 
OMERPOU'R, a town of Hindooftan, in the circar of 
Aurangabad : forty miles eaft of Aurangabad. 
O'MET, a river of Prulfia, which runs into the Alle 
two miles fouth of Allenburg. 
OMETEPEC', a river of Mexico, which runs into the 
Pacific Ocean in lat. 16. 52. N. 
OMETEPEC', a fmall ifland in the lake of Nicaragua: 
twenty-five miles eaft of Nicaragua. Lat. 11.30. N. Ion. 
* 676 . W. 
O'MEY, a fmall ifland near the weft coaft of Ireland. 
Lat. 53.31. N. Ion. 10. 7. W. 
O'MI, or Qits, a large lake in the ifland of Niphon, 
100 miles long and 10 broad : fifteen miles north-eaft of 
Meaco. 
OMILPAL'LAH, a town of Hindooftan, in the circar 
of Mahur : forty-two miles north-weft of Mahur. 
To OM'INATE, v. n. To foretoken, to lhow prognof¬ 
tics.—This ominates fitdly, as to our divifions with the 
Romanifts. Decay of Chr. Piety. 
To OM'INATE, v.a. To foretoken.—I take no plea- 
fure, God knows, to omiuate ill to my dear nation, and 
dearer mother the church of England. Seafonable Serm. 
164.4. 
OMINA'TION, f. Prognoftic.—The falling of fait is 
an authentic prelagement of ill luck, yet the fame was 
not a general prognoftic of future evil among the ancients, 
but a particular ominalion concerning the breach of friend- 
fhip. Brown. — Ominatians by words, names, places, times, 
in fo many fevcral chapters full of elaborate vanity. Spen¬ 
cer on Prodigies. 
OM'INOUS, adj. [from omen.'] Exhibiting bad tokens 
of futurity ; forefliowing ill; inaufpicious.—As in the 
heathen worftiipof God, a facrifice without an heart was 
accounted ominous ; fo in the Chriftian worfkip of him, 
an heart without a facrifice is worthlefs. South. 
Pardon a father’s tears, 
And give them to Charinus’ memory ; 
May they not prove as ominous to thee. Dryden. 
6 F Exhibiting 
