Current superstitions

Chapter 8

Chapter 82,208 wordsPublic domain

DREAMS.

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._

466. If you dream you catch fish, it is a sign you will make a good bargain, according to the size of the fish.

467. To dream of catching a fish means money. _Cape Breton._

468. To dream of flies means sickness. _Massachusetts._

469. To dream of flies is good luck. _Peabody, Mass._

470. To dream of lice is a sign of death. _New Harbor, N.F._

471. To dream of lice is a sign of enemies. _Topsail, N.F._

472. To dream of lice is a sign of "coming wealth." _Alabama._

473. To dream of lice means sickness in the family. _Ohio._

474. To dream of snakes means enemies. _Cape Breton. General in the United States._

In some localities it is said if you kill the snake in your dream you will conquer your enemies.

475. To dream of porpoises is bad luck. _Labrador._

476. It is lucky to dream of pigs. _Bruynswick, N.Y._

477. Dreaming of (or seeing) rats (numerous) is a sign of death. _Heart's Content, N.F._

478. To dream of a rat is the sign of an enemy. _Boston, Mass._

479. To dream of rats is a sign of thieves. _Central Maine and Chestertown, Md._

480. It is a sign of bad news to dream about a white horse. _Quebec._

481. To dream of a white horse three nights in succession is a sign of the death of an elderly person. _Central New York._

482. To dream of a white horse is a sign some one of the family will die within a year. _Maine._

483. To dream of three white colts is a sign of a young person dying. _Central New York._

484. If you dream of a black horse, it is a sure sign of death. _Peabody, Mass._

485. To dream of a black horse is a sign of a wedding; of a white horse is a sign of a letter. _Cape Breton._

486. To dream of a horse is a sign of a letter. _Miramichi, N.B._

487. To dream of horses is a sign of wind. _Topsail, N.F._

488. Dreaming of cows is a sign of a hostile, angry woman. _Bay Roberts, N.F._

489. To dream of dogs and horses is a sign of good luck. _St. John, N.B._

490. To dream of catching a bird is a sign of a letter. _Cape Breton._

491. If you dream of a bird in a cage you will have trouble with your beau. _New England._

492. To dream of cats means enemies. _Cape Breton._

493. To dream of a cat means an enemy. If in the dream you conquer the cat, you will conquer the enemy. _Miramichi, N.B._

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. _Newfoundland._

497. To dream of white or red is unlucky. To dream of black is lucky.

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._

501. To dream of the dead is a sign of rain. _New Harbor, N.F._

502. To dream of seeing a deceased friend means rain within a few days. _Talladega, Ala._

503. To dream of a dead person means a letter next day. _Northern Maine._

504. If you dream of the dead, you'll hear from the living. _Prince Edward Island; General in the United States._

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 earth bodes misfortune. _Northern Ohio._

508. To dream of digging ground, or white potatoes, is a sign of death. _Harbor Grace, N.F._

509. To dream of seeing the ground unseasonably ploughed means death. _Nova Scotia._

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 is not. _Chestertown, Md._

513. To dream of a nest full of eggs and a bird sitting on them means you will receive something new. _Cape Breton._

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 of fire, you'll have a row. _Massachusetts._

518. To dream of fire is a sign of anger. _Newfoundland and Labrador._

519. To dream of fire means hasty news. To dream of smoke means trouble. _Miramichi, N.B._

520. Dream of flame out of season, You will be angry without a reason.

521. If you dream about a large blaze of fire, you will get some money unexpectedly. _Alabama._

522. Dreaming of smoke indicates trouble. _Alabama._

523. To dream of smoke means death. _Wisconsin._

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 clinging (climbing?) children. _Labrador and Newfoundland._

528. It is ill luck to dream of a priest. _Central Maine._

529. If you dream of a negro, you will surely quarrel.

530. If you dream of being kissed by or being very intimate with a woman friend, it means a disagreement.

531. If you dream of a person of the opposite sex three nights in succession, you are sure to marry him. _Alabama._

532. If you dream of a gentleman, you will never marry him. _Bedford, Mass._

533. If you dream of a person as going two ways at once, it is a sign the person dreamed of will die before the year is out. _Boston, Mass._

534. To dream of a naked man is a sign of the death of a woman, and _vice versa_. _Baltimore, Md. (negro)._

535. To dream of a drunken husband or man is unlucky. _Labrador._

536. To dream of men is lucky. _Newfoundland._

537. To dream of women is unlucky. _Bay Roberts, N.F._

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 catch of fish. _Trinity Bay, N.F._

541. If a fisherman dreams of its raining, it is a sign of a good catch of fish. _Green Harbor, N.F._

542. Anything dreamed "on the east wind," _i.e._, when the east wind is blowing, will come true. _Chestertown, Md. (negro)._

MONEY AND METALS.

543. To dream of silver money is a sign of sickness.

544. To dream of small change (money) is bad luck. _Newfoundland._

545. To dream of gold or silver is good luck; of paper is bad. _Boston, Mass._

546. If you dream of gold, it is a sign of an increase of property. _Alabama._

TEETH.

547. To dream of teeth is unlucky. _Eastern Massachusetts._

548. It is death or bad luck to dream of teeth falling out. _Newfoundland and Northern Ohio._

549. To dream of losing a tooth means a death. _Nova Scotia and Cape Breton._

550. To dream of pulling out your teeth means sickness. _Eastern Massachusetts._

551. To dream of losing a tooth means losing a friend. _Virginia._

552. If you dream of having a front tooth drop out, you will lose a near relative within a year. If a back tooth, a distant relative.

WATER.

553. To dream of smooth water means good luck; of rough water means ill luck. _St. John, N.B._

554. Dreaming of running water means approaching death to the dreamer or some near relative.

555. To dream of clear, sparkling water means good luck. _Miramichi, N.B._

556. To dream of milky or roily water means death or disaster. _Miramichi, N.B._

557. To dream of seeing muddy water signifies that you will have trouble. _Alabama._

558. To dream of clear water means prosperity; of muddy water means trouble. _Boston, Mass._

559. To dream of washing is a sign of a move. _Cape Breton and Wisconsin._

WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS.

560. To dream of marriage is a sign of a funeral. _Topsail and Carbonear, Trinity Bay, N.F._

561. If you dream of a marriage, it is the sign of a death; and if you dream of a death, it is the sign of a marriage. _Alabama._

562. If you dream of a marriage, you will hear of a death next day. _Talladega, Ala._

563. If you dream of a wedding, you will hear of the death of a friend in that month. _Pennsylvania._

564. To dream of a wedding means death. _Mifflintown, Pa._

565. Dream on a piece of wedding cake. Write names on slips of paper and pull them out. The one you pull twice is the one you will marry. _Massachusetts._

566. Sleep on a piece of wedding cake, and the one you dream about will be your future partner in life. _New Brunswick._

567. Sleep on a piece of wedding cake, and if you have the same dream three nights in succession, your dream will come to pass. _New York._

568. To dream of a funeral means a wedding.

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 sign of sickness. _Alabama._

573. To dream of blood is a sign that some one will "scandalize" you. _Baltimore, Md. (negro)._

574. To dream of onions is good.

575. To dream of flowers is a sign of sickness. _Alabama._

576. To dream of

Fruit out of season, Trouble without reason. _Northern Ohio._

577. To dream of cherries is evil.

578. To dream of an anchor means good luck. _St. John, N.B._

579. To dream on land of a vessel (with sails set?) is a sign of a funeral. _Labrador and Trinity Bay, N.F._

580. To dream of small beads or sewing silk is lucky. _Labrador._

581. What you dream the first night you are in a strange house will come true. _General in the United States._

582. If you dream the first night you are in a strange bed, your dream will come true. If the dream was of a sweetheart, you will be married. _Trinity Bay and Bay Roberts, N.F._

583. To dream of losing the sole of your shoe indicates the death of a near friend. _Cape Breton._

584. To dream of seeing any one wear worn-out shoes means the death of a near relative. _Cape Breton._

585. To dream of a hole worn in a boot is a sign of being sick. _Newfoundland._

586. To dream of bad boots is unlucky. _Newfoundland._

587. Saturday night's dream, Sunday morning told, Will come to pass before it's a week old. _Maine and Massachusetts._

588. Saturday night dreamt, Sunday morning told, Sure to come true Before a month old. _Eastern Massachusetts._

589. Relate the dream before breakfast, and it will come true. _General in the United States._

590. If you dream the same thing three times, it will come true.

591. Dreaming of handling new-made boards is a sign of a coffin. (A carpenter's notion.) _Heart's Content, N.F._

592. If you dream of seeing a boat drawn or sailing on land, it is a sign of death. _Cape Breton._

593. If you dream that you see an empty coffin, you will see it filled within a year.

594. To dream of dough in a bread pan is the sign of a coffin. _New Brunswick._

595. To dream of dough in a black pan is a sign of a corpse. _Miramichi, N.B._

596. To dream of bread is good luck. _Boston, Mass._

597. To dream of going in a carriage means you'll travel with a friend. _Cape Breton._

598. Pick up a stone in a strange place and put it under the pillow for three nights. If you dream, it will come true. _Newfoundland._

599. To dream of being in a new house is a sign of death. _Harbor Grace, N.F._

600. Place the heel of one shoe against the instep of the other three nights in a row, and you will dream of your future husband. _Franklin, Mass._

601. To dream that your sweetheart has the ague means that he loves you.

602. To dream you are a fool is good luck and increase of wealth.

603. Dreaming of persons being sick is a sign of being well. _Newfoundland and New Hampshire._

604. To dream of a death is a sign of life.

605. To dream of the devil is a sign of good luck. _Trinity Bay, N.F._

606. To dream you cry means you will laugh. _Boston, Mass._

607. Dreams go by contraries. _General in the United States._