CHAPTER IX.PREMONITIONS AND DIVINATION.
PREMONITIONS.
Theseare bodily sensations by which future events may be foreknown. An itching in the nose foretells that a letter is coming, and this in olden times was a matter of no small consequence. There is an itching of the mouth that indicates a kiss, and another indicating a dram. A singing or tingling in the ears denotes death, a friend at the moment of its occurrence has expired and news of his death will be heard before long; an itching of the cheek or eyes, weeping; itching of the left hand, money; of the right, that one is soon to meet a stranger with whom he will shake hands; of the elbow, that he will soon change beds or sleep with a stranger; of the brow, that some person will make you angry before long.
Hot ears denote that some person is speaking about your character. If the heat be in the right ear, he is supporting or praising you; if in the left, he is speakingill of you (Chluas dheas gam thoirt a nuas; ’s a chluas chli gam shìor-chàineadh). In the latter case persons of a vindictive nature repeated the following words:
“He who speaks of me,If it be not to my advantage,May he be tossedOn sharp grey knives,May he sleep in an ant-hill,And may it be no healthy sleep to him,But a furious woman between him and the door,And I between him and his property and sleep.”70
“He who speaks of me,If it be not to my advantage,May he be tossedOn sharp grey knives,May he sleep in an ant-hill,And may it be no healthy sleep to him,But a furious woman between him and the door,And I between him and his property and sleep.”70
“He who speaks of me,If it be not to my advantage,May he be tossedOn sharp grey knives,May he sleep in an ant-hill,And may it be no healthy sleep to him,But a furious woman between him and the door,And I between him and his property and sleep.”70
“He who speaks of me,
If it be not to my advantage,
May he be tossed
On sharp grey knives,
May he sleep in an ant-hill,
And may it be no healthy sleep to him,
But a furious woman between him and the door,
And I between him and his property and sleep.”70
The evil wish went on, that “an iron harrow might scrape his guts,” and something about “a dead old woman” that my informant could not remember.