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Luck
and Omens
Warning.
Wemyss.
One other small circumstance I recall, also of Castle Wemyss.
My sister was going to have a baby. She had been suffering a good
deal from many causes, and one was that her husband, Hay Wemyss,
was in a very bad state of health. His sister, Fanny Balfour (since
dead),, told me the story. Poor Millicent had gone to bed, and
Hay and his sister were talking about going to London, which they
were about to do in a day or two. They were looking out of one
of the windows which had a lovely view, and some terraces had
lately been built going down towards the sea. The moon was shining
brightly, and Hay said fo his sister that he felt very ill. As
they spoke together there was a crash, and part of one of the
terraces smashed and fell. He turned to Fanny and said, I
am a dead man! for as a warning to the owner of Wemyss Castle
of his early approaching death a piece of masonry always falls!
Fanny tried to laugh him out of the idea, but he would say and
hear no more. In a few days they went to London, and Hay Wemyss
of Wemyss Castle died a fortnight before his youngest son was
born. Munster, p. 164-5.
Death
Omen
Cohn third Earl of Balcarres, was engaged to be married to Mauritia
de Nassau, daughter of the Count of Beverwaert and Anverquerque,
in Holland. The marriage day arrived, the noble party were
assembled in the church, and the bride was at the altar; but,
to the dismay of the company, no bridegroom appeared!The volatile
Cohn had forgotten the day of his marriage, and was discovered
in his night-gown and slippers quietly eating his breakfast! Cohn
hurried to the church, but in his haste left the ring in his writing
case. A friend in the company gave him one; the ceremony went
on, and without looking at it, he placed it on the finger of his
fair young bride, it was a mourning ring, with the mort head and
cross bones. On perceiving this at the close of the ceremony she
fainted away, and the evil omen had made such an impression on
her mind, that on recovering she declared she should die within
the year; and her presentiment was too truly fulfilled.
Omens
If two or three small bits of tea stems were found floating in
a cup of tea, it was an omen that one or more strangers or visitors
were to call soon; the same thing was to happen if a string of
soot were found hanging to the bars of the grate.
Stewart, 43.
It was thought unlucky if two knives happened to be crossed on
the table, or if thirteen persons sat down together to a meal.
Stewart, p. 42.
Unlucky
Acts and Events
It was deemed unlucky to break a looking-glass.
Stewart , p. 43.
In Dunfermline it was accounted unlucky for one to turn back for
anything after commencing a journey.
Stewart, p. 43.
Some would not put on the left shoe first of a morning.
Stewart, p. 42.
To present a knife or sharp implement to any one, without first
getting a penny or other small coin in exchange, was, deemed an
unlucky gift, as it was sure to cut, or sever love !
Stewart, p. 42.
It was considered an ill omen for a person to give another a pin
for any purpose when they were about to part to go away any distance,
from one another, for it was said that preens pairt love!
The writer remembers a case of a friend who was a ship captain.
On his way to his ship accompanied by his wife, by some accident
or other, in going through a gate or stile, he happened to get
some part of his dress torn. He asked her for a pin, to pin the
garment in a temporary way; this she gave, but she laughingly
remarked, Do ye no ken that preens pairt love? And
it was a very strange coincidence that in this case husband and
wife never again met; he being unfortunately drowned on that voyage.
Stewart, p. 44.
Rowan
Tree
There were those in this neighbourhood, long after the beginning
of the present century, who believed that a slip of rowan tree
carried on their person dispelled glamour, and rendered tame all
the powers of sorcery and witchcraft. This superstition continued
to exert its power on men otherwise intelligent. Impelled by ancient
custom, they bore on their persons on the eve of Mayday, a slip
of rowan tied with red thread as a charm against ill luck, and
with an undefined hope that it would avert evil from their flocks
and herds.
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