Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/485

 Collectanea. 453

Deaths the Corpse, the Funeral.

When ants take a house someone is about to die.

A louse on a clean person's head indicates coming sickness.

The howling of a dog foretells the death of someone.

The lengthy bellowing of a bull foretells the death of someone.

The assembling of many blackbirds together in some place where they do not often frequent foretells the death of someone.

The crowing of a hen foretells the death of someone.

The crying of a cricket in the house foretells the death of one of its occupants.

The screeching of a cricket near to the house foretells the death of a friend of the occupants.

The screeching of owls near to the house foretells the death of someone in the house.

The breaking of a green branch indicates the death of someone near by.

The moaning of a cock indicates the death of someone.

Piecing a house causes the death of someone of its occupants.

If the corpse is not stiff a few hours after the person has died some near relative is going to follow.

If the grave sinks soon after it has been moulded some near relative will follow.

If a person dies with his eyes open someone is going to follow soon.

Good people die and are born again as babies somewhere else or as some good animal.

Wicked people are born again in shape of some savage animal.

The person who shaves the dead must take the razor or he will be haunted.

Knives, pipe and tobacco, &c., should be put in the coffin for future use by the dead.

If you meet a coffin in the road you must return some distance with it or you will be haunted.

When a dead body wishes to go forward is easily carried ; when it does not wish to go gives great trouble \sic\.

When a good person dies we have a fair day ; when a wicked the day is rainy.

The death of an animal prevents the death of a person.