Death Omens
Categories: MORTUARY CUSTOMS1158. To raise an umbrella in a house is a sign of an approaching death.
Pennsylvania; somewhat general in the United States.
1159. To open an umbrella in the house is a sign of ill luck. An action
of this sort seriously disturbed a friend of the informant, an American
girl of good family. I would never dare to do that, she said.
Niagara Falls, Ont.
1160. If a hoe be carr
year is out.
Mansfield, O.
1161. Carrying through the house a hoe, spade, or axe indicates a death
in the family.
Virginia.
1162. Carry an axe or any iron implement through the house, and some one
will soon die.
Southwestern Michigan.
1163. Death is foretold by the ringing of a bell that cannot otherwise be
accounted for.
Southern Ohio.
1164. When bread, in baking, cracks across the top, it means death.
New Jersey and Ohio.
1165. Cracks on the top of a loaf of bread indicate the death of a friend.
Several localities.
1166. When bright red specks resembling spattered blood appear on linen,
it is held to be a token of misfortune, probably of death.
Northern Ohio.
1167. If the candle burns blue, it is token of a death.
1168. To see a coffin in the candle is a token of death.
Boston, Mass.
1169. To see a winding-sheet in the candle has the same significance.
Virginia.
1170. Three lamps or candles burned close together mean death.
Virginia.
1171. If a sudden and unaccountable light is seen in a carpenter's shop,
it indicates that the carpenter will soon have to make a coffin.
Cape Breton.
1172. If a coffin creaks in a carpenter's shop, another order soon
follows.
Newark, N.J., and Virginia.
1173. If the coffin does not settle down smoothly into place in the
grave, but has to be raised and lowered again, another in the family will
die inside a year.
Stevens Point, Wis.
1174. Change a sick person from one room to another, and he will die.
New Jersey.
1175. If a clock, long motionless, suddenly begins to tick or strike, it
is a sign of approaching death or misfortune.
Newark, N.J., Virginia, and North Carolina.
1176. If a corpse remains soft and supple after death, another death in
the family will follow.
Trinity Bay, N.F., and Prince Edward Island.
1177. A cow mooing after midnight means death.
1178. To dance on the ground indicates disaster, or death within a year.
Boxford, Mass.
1179. The hearing, in the wall, of the death-watch, or death-tick,
betokens a death in the house.
General in the United States.
1180. A dish-cloth hung on a door-knob is a sign of death in a family.
Deerfield, Mass.
1181. To knock on a door and receive no answer is a sign of death.
Virginia and Englewood, Ill.
1182. The last name a dying person calls is that of the next to follow.
New Hampshire.
1183. Sometimes the dying call for an absent one, as if in trouble. This
is a sign that that person will have some great trouble in after life.
New York.
1184. Death takes place at ebb tide.
New England Coast.
1185. The person on whom the eyes of a dying person last rest will be the
first to die.
Boston, Mass.
1186. It is a sign of death to see a flower blossoming out of season, as,
for example, a rose in the fall. This has proved a true omen in several
cases, according to the experience of a lady who believes in these signs.
In consequence of this belief, when she has such a a flower, she will
pick it off the stem and throw it away, without mentioning the incident
to any one.
Niagara Falls, Ont.
1187. It is a sign of death to see a tree blossoming in the fall.
Orange Co., Va.
1188. If a garment is cut out on Friday, the person for whom it is made
will not live unless it is finished on the same day.
Southern Indiana.
1189. If you begin a quilt on Friday, you will never live to finish it.
Maine.
An act of this sort gave great distress to a domestic servant, who, until
after the completion of the quilt, daily expected disaster. This woman
came from French Canada.
1190. If a doctor is called on Friday, the patient will surely die.
Cambridge, Mass.
1191. If a hearse is drawn by two white horses, death in the neighborhood
will occur within a month.
Central Maine.
1192. If anyone comes to a funeral after the procession starts, another
death will occur in the same house.
Ohio.
1193. At a funeral the first person who turns away from the grave will
have the next death in his family.
Trinity Bay, N.F.
1194. If one goes to a funeral with the intention of following to the
grave but does not do so, a death soon follows in his family.
Virginia.
1195. If it rains during a burial, another member of the family will soon
follow.
Poland, Me., Baldwinsville, N.Y., Ohio, and Alabama.
1196. If rain falls into an open grave, another burial in the same
cemetery will occur within three days.
Western New York.
1197. If you meet a funeral train, it is a sign of death.
Prince Edward Island.
1198. Do not let any one wear your hat to a funeral when you've not worn
it before yourself.
Massachusetts.
1199. Whoever counts the carriages at a passing funeral will die within
the year.
Peabody, Mass., and Hennepin, Ill.
Or, some one will die.
1200. If shot remain in the gun after firing, some one of your family
will die.
Labrador.
1201. If you build on to your house, you will die within the year.
Labrador.
1202. Lie down on a table and you will die before the year is out.
Mattawamkeag, Me.
1203. To hold a lamp over a sleeping person causes death.
Massachusetts.
1204. To break a looking-glass is a sign of death in the family before
the year closes.
General in the United States.
1205. To break a looking-glass is a sign of death, or of bad luck
or[TN-11] seven years. This is quite a general belief. Domestic servants,
and particularly superstitious persons, are often thrown into a panic by
accidents of this sort.
General in the United States and Canada.
1206. If three persons look into a mirror at the same time, one will die
within the year.
Peabody, Mass., and New Hampshire.
1207. If one try on mourning when not wearing it, he will have occasion
to wear it soon.
Pennsylvania.
1208. To put on a bonnet or hat of one in mourning is a sign that you
will wear one before the year is out.
Peabody and Boston, Mass., and Niagara Falls, Ont.
1209. To drive a nail on Sunday is a sign that some one in the family
will die within the year.
Pigeon Cove, Mass.
1210. Hearing an imaginary rap and opening an outside door lets death in.
Ferrisburgh, Vt.
1211. The hearing of three raps is a sign that some member of the family
is dead.
Boston, Mass., and Orange Co., Va.
1212. If members of a family, after long separation, meet for reunion,
some one of the members will die within the year.
Cambridge, Mass.
1213. Ringing in the ears is a sign of death.
General.
1214. Ringing in the ears means death before the week ends. Of this
ringing the term death-bell is used. It may be said by a country woman:
Oh! I have heard a death-bell! or, What a death-bell in my ear! You
will hear of a death before the week is out. In case of a sudden death,
such a person might say: I am not surprised; I heard a death-bell on
such a day.
Northern Ohio.
1215. The term death-bell is also a popular one in
Prince Edward Island.
1216. In some localities the direction of the apparent ringing indicates
the direction from which the news of death will come.
1217. If an empty rocking-chair is seen to sway back and forth when
apparently unoccupied, it is supposed that the chair is held by the
spirit of some deceased member of the family, who has come back to choose
the next to go, and call that person quickly.
Michigan.
1218. A spot resembling iron-rust on the finger means death.
Maine.
1219. Beginning on Saturday a garment that cannot be finished means death.
Ohio.
1220. Deaths do not come singly; but if one of a family dies, a second
death in the same family will occur within a year.
Cambridge, Mass.
1221. Whoever works on a sick person's dress, he or she will die within
the year.
Massachusetts.
1222. If some one is sick and a storm comes, it is a sign he will die
during its continuance.
Virginia.
1223. When a woman who has been sewing puts her thimble on the table as
she sits down to eat, it is a sign that she will be left a widow if she
marries.
Central Maine.
1224. If one sings at a table while the family are eating, it means the
death of a friend.
Webster City, Iowa.
Or bad luck (Virginia); disappointment (New Jersey).
1225. If three drops of blood fall from your nose, one of your family is
dead.
Labrador.
1226. If you sneeze on Sunday morning before breakfast, you will hear of
the death of some person you know before the next Saturday night.
Northern Vermont.
1227. If you sneeze at table with the mouth full, an acquaintance will
die soon.
Virginia and Alabama.
1228. When sowing grain, if a strip of land is missed there will be a
death inside of a year.
Ohio and Maryland.
1229. When you shiver, it means that some one is walking over the place
where your grave is to be.
General in the United States.
1230. If sparks are left (unintentionally) in the ashes over night, it is
a sign of death.
Cumberland, Md.
1231. If sparks of fire fly out of an opened stove door, it is a sign of
death.
Trinity Bay, N.F.
1232. If any one in the town lies dead over Sunday, there will be another
death before the end of the week.
Bedford, Mass.
1233. Three horses of the same color indicate death, but this sign is not
very noticeable in a thickly settled community.
Baldwinsville, N.Y.
1234. Three chairs placed accidentally in a row mean death.
Ohio.
1235. If there is a death there will be three deaths in the family within
a short time.
New York.
1236. To break the spell of thirteen at table, all should rise together,
otherwise the first up (or, as some say, the last down) dies inside a
twelvemonth.
New England.
1237. If thirteen sit at table, the one who rises first will not live
through the year.
Somerville, Mass., Newark, N.Y., and Mifflintown, Pa.
1238. If thirteen sit at table, the last one who sits down will not die
that year.
Brookline, Mass.
1239. If window-shades fall down without being molested, it is a sign of
death.
Cape Breton.
More
-
Actions
1271. If a child in eating an apple merely girdles it and leaves the apple good at stem and below, it indicates that he will be a poor man; the saying is, a poor man's core. 1272. It is unlucky to turn back after starting to go anywhere. To avert ... Amulets
795. Green glass beads worn about the neck will prevent or cure erysipelas. Chestertown, Md. 796. Gold beads were formerly a protection against the King's Evil (scrofula), and nearly every maiden and matron wore ample strings of beauti... Animals
463. To dream of cod or caplin is a sign of rain[TN-3] Newfoundland. 464. To dream of a good catch of fish is a sign of rain. Heart's Content, N.F. 465. To dream of catching fish is good luck. Prince Edward Island... Apparel
1376. If you mend your apron or dress while on you, some one will lie about you. Maine and Alabama. 1377. As many stitches as you take (in mending a garment while wearing it), so many lies will be told about you. New Hampshir... Apple-seeds
166. When eating an apple, snap it with the fingers and name it for a person of the opposite sex. Count the fully developed seeds (all of the others are kisses), and the last one must correspond to the following formula:-- One's my love, ... Apples
164. Eat an apple at midnight before the glass, saying,-- Whoever my true love may be, Come and eat this apple with me, holding the lamp in the hand. The true love will appear. Winn, Me. 165. Throw a whole apple-paring ... Asseveration
60. A child to whom is told any story which he considers remarkable will usually reply by an expression of skepticism, such as: Really and truly? Honestly? Earnest, now? or, You are fooling. The first speaker answers by some formula or asseveration,... Attire Of The Bride
332. If you try on your wedding dress before the ceremony, you will not be happy. Cambridge, Mass. 333. The bride should wear a borrowed garter, and also a yellow garter. Boston, Mass. 334. If a bride wear a yellow garter t... Babies
174. Kiss the baby when nine days old, and the first gentleman you kiss afterward will be your future husband. New England. ... Babyhood
1. The bairn that is born on fair Sunday Is bonny and loving, and blithe and gay. Monday's bairn is fair in the face, Tuesday's bairn is full of grace, Wednesday's bairn is loving and giving, Thursday's bairn wor... Baptism
7. If a child cries during baptism, it is the devil going out of it. Niagara Falls, Ont. 8. It is lucky for the child to cry at baptism, but unlucky for the godmother to wear mourning. 9. If twins are brought to baptism at the same ti... Beauty
101. If a person is very handsome, it is a sign that he will have one of the infectious diseases of childhood (measles, whooping cough, etc.) more than once. Massachusetts. ... Bed
175. Go upstairs backward, into a chamber backward, and into bed backward. Drink some salt and water, and if you dream of some one bringing you drink it will be your future husband. Maine and Salem, Mass. 176. The first time two girls s... Bible
183. Read the third verse of the third chapter of Hosea, Joel, and Amos for three Sundays in succession, and the first gentleman you walk with you will marry. Nashua, N.H. 184. Put the end of a key in the Bible, on the verse of Solomon'... Birds
185. When you see a turkey-buzzard flying alone, repeat,-- Hail! Hail! Lonely, lonesome turkey-buzzard: Hail to the East, hail to the West, Hail to the one that I love best. Let me know by the flap of your wing Whet... Bodily Affections
1340. If the right cheek burns, some one is speaking well of you; if the left, they are speaking ill of you; if both, they speak well and ill at once. Moisten the finger in the mouth and touch it to the cheek, naming those whom you suspect; the one ... Buttons
187. The coming husband is determined by repeating the following words, touching each button of the coat, vest, or dress in order:-- Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief. Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief. Or, Doctor, law... Cards
608. At cards, if your luck is poor, walk round your chair three times, lift it, sit down, and your luck is assured. General in the United States. 609. At cards, it is bad luck to play against the grain of the table. General i... Causes
872. Blood from the warts on a cow's bag coming in contact with a person's hands will cause warts to appear on them. New Hampshire. 873. Blood from a wart, especially if applied to the tongue, will cause warts to appear. New ... Challenge
To stump another boy to do a thing is considered as putting a certain obligation on him to perform the action indicated. The phrase is sometimes used, although the person giving the stump may not himself be able to accomplish the feat. 74. We use... Charm
816. To keep fire always burning on the hearth will prevent cholera among chickens. Alabama. 817. If a fish-hook pierces the hand, stick it three times into wood, in the name of the Trinity, to prevent festering or other evil consequenc... Cold
930. As the days begin to lengthen, So the cold begins to strengthen. Northeastern United States and Canada. 931. Fire spitting sparks means cold weather. Patten, Me. 932. If the fire burns well, it is coming cold we... Colors
494. To dream of white things is lucky (or sign of death?). Newfoundland. 495. Dreaming of white things is a sign of snow in summer. Labrador and Newfoundland. 496. Dreaming of working on white cloth is a sign of death. ... Counting
199. Count sixty white horses and one white mule, then you will marry the first man with whom you shake hands. Chestertown, Md. 200. Count a hundred white horses and two white mules, and the first person you shake hands with you'll marr... Courting And Wedding Signs
364. If your apron string becomes loosened, your true love is thinking of you. New York. 365. If your apron drops off, you'll lose your beau. The same is true if you lose your garter. Stevens Point, Wis. 366. If you sink a... Cures
883. To cure a wart, grease it with stolen bacon, and hide the latter. 884. Split a bean and put one half on the wart, one half in the ground, and at the end of the week dig up the latter; place on the wart with the other half; bury again, and thi... Cures
1151. In rubbing for rheumatism, etc., rub from left to right (sunwise). Concord, Mass. 1152. Ringworm may be killed by moistening the finger in the mouth and rubbing sunwise around the diseased spot. Central Maine. 1153. T... Customs
1402. Halloween cabbages are pulled and thrown against the owner's door as a reminder of his laziness. Southern Pennsylvania and Ohio. 1403. Shelled corn is thrown at every one--the significance not known. Southern Pennsylvani... Daisy Petals
211. Pull off the petals of a daisy one by one, naming a boy (or a girl as the case may be) at each one, thus, Jenny, Fanny, Jenny, Fanny, etc. The one named with the last petal is your sweetheart. The seeds which remain on the back of your hand aft... Days
612. It is unlucky to travel on Friday. New York and Pennsylvania. 613. Never begin a piece of work on Friday; it is bad luck. General in the United States. 614. Seafaring men will not sail on Friday. Somewhat gen... Days
1419. What you do on your birthday, you will do all the year. Salem, Mass. 1420. On cutting the finger-nails:-- Cut them on Monday, cut them for news, Cut them on Tuesday, a pair of new shoes, Cut them on Wednesday,... Days And Times
936. The first Tuesday after the new moon settles the weather for that quarter. Newfoundland. 937. If it is a fair sunset Friday night, it will rain before Monday. Massachusetts. 938. If it storms on a Friday, it will storm... Dead Persons
498. To dream of a dead father is lucky. Labrador. 499. To dream of a dead mother is unlucky; it brings sorrow. Labrador. 500. To dream of the dead is a sign of hearing from the living. Topsail and New Harbor, N.F... Death Omens
1158. To raise an umbrella in a house is a sign of an approaching death. Pennsylvania; somewhat general in the United States. 1159. To open an umbrella in the house is a sign of ill luck. An action of this sort seriously disturbed a fr... Dimple
102. Dimple in chin. Devil within. Chestertown, Md. 103. A dimple in the chin is lucky. Some say it shows you're no fool. 104. A dimple is the mark left by the angel's finger in turning up the face to kiss it when asleep. ... Divination
1080. Repeat, looking at the new moon the first time you see it,-- New moon, true moon, tell unto, me Who my true love is to be; The color of his hair, the clothes he is to wear, And when he'll be married to me. ... Domestic And Mechanical Operations
1141. To make good bread, stir it with the sun. To make good yeast, make it as near sunrise as possible. Northern Ohio. 1142. If you wish to secure lightness, you must always stir cake and eggs a certain way, that is, the way the sun go... Domestic Life
1438. It is supposed that a broom placed behind the door will keep off witches. Bruynswick, N.Y. 1439. To burn the stub of a broom or break a sugar-bowl, means a quarrel. Westport, Mass. 1440. A spark seen on a candle or la... Doorway
220. Put the breast-bone of a fowl over the front door, and the first one of the opposite sex that enters is to be your future companion. Alabama. 221. Hang over the door a corn-cob from which you have shelled all but twenty grains. The... Dressing
622. If you put on any garment wrong side out, as, for example, a pair of stockings, never change it, as to do so brings ill luck. This direction is intuitively followed by many people who are entirely free from conscious superstition. Ge... Ears
105. Small ears indicate that a person is stingy. Large ones show that he is generous. General. 106. Large ears are a mark of a liar. Small ears show that one is truthful. Boston, Mass. 107. Long, slim ears are a sign that ... Earth
505. To dream of walking in a garden is a sign of a graveyard. 506. To dream of ploughed ground indicates that a grave will be dug for some member of the family before the year ends. Western New York. 507. To dream of seeing fresh ear... Eggs
225. Take an egg to your window; break it over a knife; remember the day and date. Wish that your true love would come to you. If you go too high, he will be killed. Nashua, N.H. 226. Put two eggs in front of the open fire on a very win... Eggs
510. To dream of eggs means you will get a beating,[TN-4] Prince Edward Island. 511. Dreaming of eggs is a sign of anger; if broken, all over. New Harbor, N.F. 512. To dream of whole eggs is a sign of a fuss; of broken eggs ... Engagement
327. If you are a bridesmaid three times you will never stand in the middle. Baldwinsville, N.Y. 328. Three times a bridesmaid, never a bride. New England. 329. Don't let another person put on your engagement ring, taken fr... Eyes And Eyebrows
109. Hazel eyes betoken a good disposition. Boston, Mass. 110. If your eyebrows meet, you will be rich. Somerville and Bedford, Mass. 111. A well-known children's rhyme runs:-- Blue-eye beauty, do your mammy's duty!... Fair Or Foul
962. Of a change:-- Long looked for Long last, Short notice, Soon past. Brookline, Mass. 963. From twelve till two Tells what the day will do. New England. 964. If it rains before s... Finger-nails
115. Always keep your nails clean and you will be rich. Peabody, Mass. 116. A white spot in the nail, when it comes, means a present. You get the present when it grows to the end and is cut. Boston, Mass. 117. White spots o... Fingers
229. Name each of the four fingers of one hand for some person of the opposite sex, then press them tightly together with the other hand; the one that hurts the worst indicates whom you will marry. Prince Edward Island. ... Fire And Smoke
514. It is bad luck to dream of fire. St. John, N.B. 515. To dream of fire portends sickness. Eastern Massachusetts. 516. If you dream of fire, it is a sign of trouble in the family. Alabama. 517. If you dream ... First Actions
41. If a child cries at birth and lifts up one hand, he is born to command. 42. If the baby smiles in its sleep, it is talking with angels. 43. If a baby yawns, the sign of the cross should be made over it that the evil spirit may not enter. ... Foot
120. If your instep is high enough to have water flow under it, you are of good descent. Brookline, Mass. 121. A mole on the sole of the left foot means trouble and hardships during life. Boston, Mass. ... Forehead
122. If there is a blue vein in the child's forehead extending down upon the nose, it is one of the surest signs of early death. Maine and Massachusetts. 123. Vertical wrinkles in the brow show the number of husbands one will have. Hori... Fortune
76. Put a mark upon a paper for every bow you get, and when you have one hundred bury the paper and wish. When the paper is decayed you will find your wish in its place. Cambridge and Bedford, Mass. 77. Children collect two or three hun... Fortune
1094. The moon seen over the right shoulder brings good luck; over the left shoulder, ill luck. General in the United States. 1095. If you should see the moon over your left shoulder, and should without speaking turn round and look at i... Four-leaved Clover
194. If a girl puts a two-leaved clover in her shoe, the first man who comes on the side where the clover is will be her future husband. Michigan. 195. Put a four-leaved clover in your shoe, and you will marry a man having the first nam... Friendship
79. If two persons, while walking, divide so as to pass an obstruction one on one side and one on the other, they will quarrel. Children avert this catastrophe by exclaiming, bread and butter, which is a counter charm. On the other hand, if they say... Garments
230. Scatter your clothes in the four corners of the room, naming them. The man you are to marry will bring you your clothes in a dream. Maine. 231. The first time you sleep in a room, name the corners each a different (man's) name. The... Hair
124. Coarse hair indicates good nature; fine hair quick temper. Northern Ohio. 125. Red hair indicates a spit-fire. Massachusetts and Chestertown, Md. 126. Beware of that man, Be he friend or brother, Whose ... Halloween
303. A Halloween custom is to fill a tub with water and drop into it as many apples as there are young folks to try the trick. Then each one must kneel before the tub and try to bite the apples without touching them with the hands. The one who bites... Hand
138. A straight line in the palm of the hand is an omen of early death. Massachusetts. 139. The letter formed by the veins on the inside of the wrist is the initial of the name of the future husband or wife. St. John, N.B. ... Horseshoes
631. It is good luck to find a horseshoe. General in the United States and Canada. 632. The luck is especially good if the loop end is towards you, that is, if you meet it. Miramichi, N.B. 633. If you find horseshoes and pi... Human Beings
524. To dream of a baby is a sign of death. 525. To dream of babies is unlucky or is a sign of trouble. General in the United States. 526. To dream of carrying a child is unlucky. 527. It is bad luck or death to dream of naked cling... Introduction To The World
17. Take the baby first into the sunlight on Sunday. Put it into short clothes and make all changes on that day. 18. To make a child rise in the world, carry it upstairs (or to the attic) first. Mifflintown, Pa. 19. The baby must go ... Letters Of The Alphabet
241. Write names on three pieces of paper, throw them up in the air (in the dark); feel for one, put it under the pillow, and in the morning look at it to see the name of the man you are to marry. Salem, Mass. 242. Put pieces of paper, ... Lucky Days
345. Marry in Lent, Live to repent. New York. 346. The day after a wedding is called the bride's day, the next day the groom's day; the condition of the weather on these days will indicate whether their lives are to be happy o... Meteorological Phenomena
538. To dream of walking through snow means sickness. St. John, N.B. 539. To dream of a snowstorm is a sign of the speedy death of a relative. South Framingham, Mass. 540. To dream of snow in spring (May) is a sign of a good... Midnight
245. Go out at midnight and walk around a peach-tree, repeating,-- Low for a foreigner, Bark for a near one, Crow for a farmer, Screek, tree, screek, if I'm to die first. Quaker Neck, Md. 246. Eat an apple at... Miscellaneous
569. To dream of raw meat is a sign of ill luck. 570. To dream of eating meat is a sign of sickness. Boston. 571. To see while asleep fresh meats of any kind is a warning of death. Alabama. 572. To dream of blood is a sig...