Chapter War of Wartburg to Warning-Givers of W by Brewer's Readers Handbook

(22) DIVINING-ROD (The). A forked hazel rod, suspended between the balls of the thumbs, was at one time supposed to indicate the presence of water-springs and precious metals by inclining towards the earth beneath which these things might be found. Dousterswivel obtained money by professing to indicate the spot of buried wealth by a divining-rod.—Sir W. Scott: The Antiquary (1816).

(23) DOGS. The howling of a dog at night forebodes death.

A cane præviso funere disce morl.
   —R. Keuchen: Crepundia, 113 (1662).

Capitolinus tells us that the death of Maximinus was presaged by the howling of dogs. Pausanias (in his Messenia) says the dogs brake into a fierce howl just before the overthrow of the Messenians. Fincelius says the dogs in Mysinia flocked together and howled just before the overthrow of the Saxons in 1553. Virgil says the same thing occurred just previous to the battle of Pharsalia.

Dogs give warning of death by scratching on the floor of a house.

(24) DOTTERELS.

When dotterels do first appear,
It shows that frost is very near;
But when that dotterels do go,
Then you may look for heavy snow.
   —Salisbury Saying.

(25) DREAMS. It will be remembered that Joseph, the husband of Mary, was warned by a dream to flee from Judæa; and when Herod was dead he was again warned by a dream to “turn aside into the parts of Galilee.”—Matt. ii. 13, 19, 22.

In the Old Testament, Pharaoh had a warning dream of a famine which he was enabled to provide against.—Gen. xli. 15-36.

Pharaoh’s bulter and baker had warning dreams, one being prevised thereby of his restoration to favour, and the other warned of his execution.—Gen. xl. 5-23.

Nebuchadnezzar had an historic dream, which Daniel explained.—Dan. ii. I, 31-45.

Abimelech king of Gerar was warned by a dream that Sarah was Abraham’s wife and not his sister.—Gen. xx. 3-16.

Jacob had an historic dream on his way to Haran.—Gen. xxviii. 12-15.

Joseph, son of Jacob, had an historic dream, revealing to him his future greatness.—Gen. xxviii. 12-15.

Daniel had an historic dream about four beasts which indicated four kingdoms (Dan. vii.). Whether his “visions” were also dreams is uncertain (see chs. viii., x.).

It would require many pages to do justice to this subject. Bland, in his Popular Antiquities, iii. 134, gives “A Dictionary of Dreams” in alphabetic order, extracted from The Royal Dream-Book.

(26) DRINKING-HORNS. King Arthur had a horn from which no one could drink who was either unchaste or unfaithful. The cuckold’s horn, brought to king Arthur’s court by a mysterious boy, gave warning of infidelity, inasmuch as no one unfaithful in love or unleal to his liege lord could drink therefrom without spilling the liquor. The coupe enchantée possessed a similar property.

(27) EAGLE. Tarquinius Priscus was assured that he would be king of Rome, by an eagle, which swooped upon him, took off his cap, rose in the air, and let the cap fall again upon his head.

Aristander assured Alexander of his victory over Darius at the battle of Arbela, by the flight of an eagle.—Lloyd: Stratagems of Jerusalem, 290.