The Mysteries of All Nations. James Grant
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу The Mysteries of All Nations - James Grant страница 9
Название: The Mysteries of All Nations
Автор: James Grant
Издательство: Bookwire
Жанр: Языкознание
isbn: 4057664181077
isbn:
Superstition in France—Pope John XXII. celebrated in the History of Sorcery and Magic—A Bishop skinned alive and torn by Horses for Witchcraft—King Philippe and Superstition—Extracting Teeth without Pain—Berne Witch—Sorcerers in Navarre—Demoniacal Operations—Witches meeting their Deserts—Maria Renata's Witchcrafts—Nuns possessed of Devils—Jeanne D'Arc—Credulity of France and England—Fairies of Domremi—Charmed Tree—Sparkling Spring—Jeanne's Heavenly Mission—Maid at the head of Troops—Her Achievements—Siege of Orleans—Great Victories—Dauphin Crowned—Heroine Betrayed—Charmed Sword—Jeanne's Surrender—King's Ingratitude—Great Rejoicing at the Maid's Downfall—Attempt to Escape—Trial and Condemnation—Maid Burned—A White Dove rising from her Ashes564
SUPERSTITION IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. CHAPTER LXVIII.
Generality of Superstition—The Church and Superstition—St. Mourie—Various Modes of Superstition—Charms—Lucky and Unlucky Times—Sailors' and Fishermen's Delusions—Weddings, Funerals, and Baptisms—Spae-wives—May Dew—Holy-days—Kirk-session Records—Fort-William Fisherman—Dipping in Fountains—Lochmanur—Holy Well of Kilvullen—Well of Craiguck—Superstition in the Highlands—Warlock Willox—Superstition in Dundee572
Ghost at Sea—Ghosts in Edinburgh—Fear of Ghosts in Glasgow—Fortune-telling—Choice of Lovers, how decided—Irish Story—How a Ghost settled a Land Question—Prophecy respecting the Argyll Family—Yetholm Gipsies—Curses—Superstition among Fishermen—Superstition among Seamen—Providing for the Dead—A Warning—Blood Stains—Hallow-e'en at Balmoral—Faith in Dreams, etc.583
Lizzie M'Gill, the Fifeshire Spae-wife—Predicting a Storm—Servants alarmed—Prediction fulfilled—Adam Donald, an Aberdeenshire Prophet—His Predictions and Cures—His Marriage—The Wise Woman of Kincardineshire—The Recruiting Sergeant—High-spirited Lady—Charmed Ring and its Effects—Elopement and Marriage—An Enraged Father—Life in America—Strong-minded Women597
Superstition at Chelmsford—Woman Bewitched—Old Zadkiel—Incantation in Somerset—Turning the Bible and Key—Woman assuming the form of a Hare—Ruling the Stars—Superstition in London—How to preserve Children from Disease—Dreams fulfilled—Virtue of Holly and Ivy—Legend concerning the Tichborne Family—Romantic Divorce Case608
Spiritualism—Spiritualism not a new Delusion—Phantoms at a Seance—Juggling of a Medium—Unsuccessful Effort at a Vulgar Deception—Spiritualists Exposed—A Medium's Deception discovered—Foolish Exhibitions—Russian Peasants and their House Spirits—Spirits' Care over Persons and Property—Death, Pestilence, War, and other Evils foretold by Spirits—A Suggestion622
Superstition in Roman Catholic Countries—Miracle-working Images, etc.—Image paying Homage to the Virgin Mary—Madonnas at Trastevere—Miraculous Cures—Superstitious Ceremony at Dieppe—Blessing the Neva—Superstitious Belief of Napoleon's Mother—Trust in Amulets—Zulu Superstition—Witchcraft forbidden by Great Britain—Eating Fetish—Superstition among the Ashantees—Endeavour to prevent the Advance of the British Army—Shah of Persia's Talismans—Indian Princes consulting Fortune-tellers—Procuring Rain in India—Mysterious Lights on the River St. Lawrence—The Queen of Hearts—Superstition in America—Superstitious Artists—Hogarth's last Picture, "The End of all Things"629
THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF SUPERSTITION.
CHAPTER I.
Rise and Progress of Superstition—The Serpent—Cain's Departure from the true Worship—Worship of the Sun, Moon, and Stars—Strange Story of Abraham—The Gods of Antiquity—Ether, Air, Land, and Water filled with living Souls—Guardian Angel—Cause of the Flood—Magic—How the Jews deceived the Devil—A Witch not permitted to live—Diviners, Enchanters, Consulters with familiar Spirits and Necromancers proved a Snare to Nations—Charms worn by the Jews—Singular Customs and Belief—Prognostication—Allegorical Emblems—Marriage Customs—Divers Ceremonies at Death and Burials—Divination among all Nations—Observers of Times—Opinion concerning the Celestial Bodies—Power of Witches—Wizards—Necromancers' Power to call up the Dead.
Superstition has prevailed in every generation and country in the world. There are people who think that even Adam and Eve were tainted with this hateful delusion, and that their offspring of the second generation entertained opinions opposed to true religion. That man, soon after the Creation, became acquainted with and yielded to the doctrine of devils, scarcely admits of doubt. Those who conversed with our first parents must have learned from them the circumstances connected with the temptation, fall, and expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It is not unreasonable, then, to suppose that the serpent was looked upon at an early period as something more than an ordinary earthly reptile. One can imagine Adam and Eve, when wandering in perplexity and fear, after their first great sin, starting at the sight of a serpent—not being certain whether they beheld a reptile of flesh merely, or looked upon their old enemy that had betrayed them in their days of innocency. If they looked with suspicion on the serpent, it is natural to suppose that their children would learn to view this creeping animal as a creature endowed with supernatural powers, by which it could bring about evil, and perhaps good.
Cain, there is reason to conclude, departed from the true worship of the Most High before his offering was refused, and ere he dipped his hands in his brother's blood. In Genesis iv. 26 there is an implication that man had forsaken the right and holy religion prior to the days of Seth. There is an opinion that men soon began to worship the sun, moon, and stars, and that subsequently they paid homage to objects which contributed to their preservation and to things that might do them injury. The wandering Jew, Benjamin, one of the greatest travellers in the East, gives an interesting account of solar worship in early times. The posterity of Cush, he tells us, were addicted to the contemplation of the stars, and worshipped the sun as a god. Their towns were filled with altars dedicated to this orb. At early СКАЧАТЬ