Chapter Sun to Superstitions of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

(19) Elephant. Elephants celebrate religious rites.—Pliny: Natural History, viii. 1.

Elephants have no knees.—Eugenius Philalethes: Brief Natural History, 89.

The elephant hath joints, but none for courtesy; his legs are for necessity, not for flexure.—Shakespeare: Troilus and Cressida, act iii. sc. 3 (1602).

(20) Fish. If you count the number of fish you have caught, you will catch no more that day.

(21) Frog. To meet a frog is lucky, indicating that the person is about to receive money.

Some man hadde levyr to mete a frogge on the way than a knight … for than they say and ’leve that they shal have golde.—Dives and Pauper (first precepte, xlvi., 1493).

When frogs croak more than usual, it is a sign of bad weather.

(22) Gnats. When gnats fly low, it indicates rain at hand. When they fly high, and are at all abundant, fine weather may be expected.

(23) Guinea-Pig. A guinea-pig has no ears.

(24) Haddock. The black spot on each side of a haddock, near the gills, is the impression of St. Peter’s finger and thumb, when he took the tribute money from the fish’s mouth.

The haddock has spots on either side, which are the marks of St. Peter’s fingers when he catched that fish for the tribute.—Metellus: Dialogues, etc., 57, (1693).

(25) Hair. If a dog bites you, any evil consequence may be prevented by applying three of the dog’s hairs to the wound.

Take the hair, it is well written,
Of the dog by which you’re bitten;
Work off one wine by his brother,
And one labour by another.
   —Athenœus (ascribed to Aristophanes).

(26) Hare. It is unlucky if a hare runs across a road in front of a traveller. The Roman augurs considered this an ill omen.

If an hare cross their way, they suspect they shall be rob’d or come to some mischance.—Ramesey: Elminthologia, 271 (1668).

It was believed at one time that hares changed their sex every year.

(27) Hedgehog. Hedgehogs foresee a coming storm.—Bodenham: Garden of the Muses, 153 (1600).

Hedgehogs fasten on the dugs of cows, and drain off the milk.

(28) Horse. If a person suffering from hooping-cough asks advice of a man riding on a piebald horse, the malady will be cured by doing what the man tells him to do.

A horse-shoe fastened inside a door will preserve from the influence of witches and the evil eye. (See Talismans, p. 1074.)

(29) Jackal. The jackal is the lion’s provider. It hunts with the lion, and provides it with food by starting prey as dogs start game.

(30) Lady-Bug. It is unlucky to kill a lady-bug.