Old Beliefs in Birds and Animals: Part One

Dogs. photo by mngl courtesy of Flickr.

In different parts of the country dog superstitions can have different meanings, for instance in Scotland and Lancashire, to be followed by a dog especially a black one is considered to be an omen of death, whereas to be followed by one in the West Country is a sign of good luck.

In the past it was believed that if a dog scratches itself while appearing sleepy a change in the weather will occur shortly, if a dog is seen eating grass or rolls about in the dust it is said that rain is on the way. If a dog is seen lying with its paws out in front of it and its tail pointing straight out behind it, this is believed to mean a death will occur in the direction the tail is pointing.

Dogs are said to howl if they have detected an unseen presence, in Poland and Germany it was thought that if a group of dogs howled for no apparent reason it meant that the plaugue was approaching. It is said that if a howling dog is driven away but returns to the same spot and starts howling again then this is a sign that a death will happen shortly.

Another superstition is that if a new born baby is licked by a dog it will grow up to be a quick healer from any injury suffered throughout their life. Another unusual story concerning dogs is that if you see one staring at nothing for no apparent reason, try looking between its ears as it is said you will see a ghost!

Fishermen are said to avoid taking a dog on their boat as it is considered bad luck as well as mentioning the word dog while at sea. In Scotland a strange dog entering your home means a new friendship is about to begin, while in England it is considered lucky to see three white dogs or see a spotted or black and white dog while on the way to a business meeting. In America if a Sioux Indian becomes ill they will lay with a dog and the illness is said to transfer to the animal, it is thought that this practice still takes place.

Horses. photo by Gary Tacagni.

There are many superstitions connected with horses, for instance it was thought that if a horse stepped into a wolf print it would become crippled. An interesting old wives tale concerns predicting what sex a mare carrying a foal will be, it is said that if you take a hair from the mares tail, tie a nail to it and hold it above the mares hips, if it does’nt swing the mare is not in foal, if it swings in a circle she is carrying a filly, if it swings straight she is having a colt. Other tales are that horse brasses were used to protect the horse from witches as they were said to Hag ride them to their coven meetings, bringing them home before dawn covered in sweat and exhausted much to the consternation of their owners.

It is said that if you change the name of a horse it will attract bad luck, also if you break a mirror in your home you can overcome the bad luck by leading a horse through the house. It is said that a horse standing with its back to a hedge is a sign that rain is on the way. If a horse is seen to neigh at the entrance to a house it is a sign that illness will befall the occupants. Carrying a rowan wood whip was said to protect the horse from a witches spell and in the past people would have a blacksmith bend a horseshoe nail into a circle as they believed that this was a powerful talisman. It is said that when the owner of a horse dies that the horse will shed tears in their passing, also placing copper pennies in a water tank will improve the behaviour of mares. Grey horses and horses with four white socks were considered unlucky, whereas if you lead a white horse through your house it will clear it of any evil lingering there. It is said that if you wear a hair from a black stallion around your wrist it will protect you from any spells cast by a witch. Another tale regarding the use of a horses hair is that if you encircle a wart with one it will be cured and the wart will disappear.