From R. L. Thompson's 'Webster County: history [and] folklore, from the earliest times to the Present'--Folklore

Sunset near home...

Transcribed from R. L. Thompson's book, the chapter on Folklore, in honor of October and Halloween:

"Belief in witchcraft, spells, incantations, omens, charms, and so forth were common among early settlers.  The “Witchball” was frequently found. This, made from the hair of a cow, or other short-haired animal, could be made or unraveled only by a witch or some one in league with the devil.  A guest who balanced a chair on one of its legs and rapidly revolved it was looked upon as an enemy of the family and ordered off the premises.  Implicit belief in lucky and unlucky days was common.  The making of no article of dress was commenced on Saturday; the person for whom it was intended would never live to wear it when completed.  The child born on the thirteenth of any month would die in infancy or bring disgrace upon its parents.  If a hoe was carried through the house a death in the family would occur soon, unless the hoe was immediately carried back with the handle pointed toward sunrise.  The burning of sassafras wood in the fireplace would bring certain destruction upon the entire family by fire or flood.  Dogs were spelled by a witch or other person of evil nature.  A do under a spell would take the back track in a chase or run in the opposite direction when called.  To cure the spell the Lord’s Prayer was written on a piece of bearskin, baked in corn pone and fed to the dog.  The roasted foot of a raccoon would start the dog on the right end of a trail. Cows were bewitched and gave bloody milk from which butter could not be made. By stealing the suspected witch’s dishcloth and massaging the cow’s udder nine times with it in the full of the moon, the spell was broken.  Quoting certain words from the bible would stop the flow of blood from a hemorrhage.  These words could by told a woman by a man or a man by a woman.  When starting on a journey it is unlucky to return to the house for any purpose.  The bad luck, however, could be averted by sitting down for five minutes.  The hunter who counted his bullets returned from the chase with an empty game pouch.  The baby which saw its reflection in the looking glass would fill an early grave.  Crops are planted, houses built or covered, and fenced laid by signs of the moon.  Illness was treated by home remedies or incantations.

Potatoes panted in the light of the moon grew to the top of the ground; in the dark of the moon, under ground.

Boards rived in the light of the moon will curl; in th dark of the moon will lay flat.

Cucumbers and other flowering vegetables planted when the moon is in the sign of the Virgin will bloom profusely, but bear poorly; planted in the sign of the Twins will bear heavily.

Turnips, onions and potatoes planted in the light of the moon will grow larger and nearer the top of the ground.

A rail fence if laid in the light of the moon will stay on top of the ground; if laid in the dark of the moon will sink into the ground.

A house foundation if put when moon is rising will remain on top of the ground; put when moon is falling will sink into the ground.

The nearer the house of midnight the moon changes colder the weather.

Each star in a circle around the moon indicates a rainy day.

Thunder in January indicates a frost on the corresponding day in May.

Thick bark on the trees indicates a cold winter.

The heavier the fur on the animal the colder the winter.

Heavy husks on corn denotes a cold winter.

The thickness of hide of cattle was a way of forecasting winter temperature.

If the woolly worms are brown in the autumn the winter will be mild, if black the winter will be severe.

If the eaves drip on February there will be a good fruit crop.

Warts are caused by playing with toads.

To remove a wart, when you see the moon keep your eye on the moon, reach down and pick up some object from the ground.  Rub the object over the wart ten times, reciting:  “And what I see increase, and what I feel decrease.”  Cast object over shoulder and forget it.  The next time you look the wart will be gone.

Milk from the milkweed will remove warts.

When walking through a field and finding the bone of any kind of animal, pick this up and rub over the wart, place bone back in exact position in which it was found and wart will disappear in nine days.

Tea made from boneset will cure colds, from horehound will cure coughs.

Soot or cobwebs will stop bleeding.

A bag of asafetida hung bout the neck will ward off measles, diphtheria and whooping cough.

An amber necklace prevents goitre [sic].

Rubbing a greasy dishrag over a baby’s face stopped convulsions.

Piercing the ears aided weak eyes.

For fever or pleurlsy [sic] dig a sod about eight or ten inches square, taking care it is not crumbled or broken.  Bake sod on fire until thoroughly dry.  Pour water on sod until it is soft, place on side and relief will come almost instantly.

If a rooster crows in the middle of the night it is a sign of death in the family.

If a whip-poor-will calls in your yard it is a sign of a death in the family.

When visiting away from home enter and leave by the same door or you will have bad luck.

The last person that leaves a cemetery will by the next person to be buried there.

When moving from one house to another to move the broom is bad luck.

To find a four-leaf clover is good luck:  a five-leaf clover bad luck.

For a rabbit to run in front of you is good luck.

If a dog howls in front of your house it is the sign of a death in the family soon.

If a cats rolls on its back with is head toward your house there will be a death in the family.

To kill a cat or break a mirror brings seven years of bad luck.

If deathbells ring in your ears you will hear of a death soon.

If, when you first see the new moon there are no obstructions between you and the moon, you will have good luck all the month.  If there are obstructions such as tree-tops, etc., you will have bad luck all the month.

Sew on Sunday and root the stitches out in hell with your nose.

Every stitch sewn on Sunday must be picked out in hell with your teeth.

Always trim your fingernails on Friday and you will never have a toothache.

Nutmegs worn around the neck prevented indigestion and colic.

Blood from a black cat cured erysipelas.

Carrying buckeye or horse chestnuts in the pocket warded off rheumatism.

A coin held under the upper lip, or a cold key dropped down the back, would stop nose bleed.

Putting a baby’s clothes feet first insured normal growth.

Nine sips of water, counting nine backwards and turning around nine times will stop hiccoughs [sic].

Wearing the kneecap of a sheep on the leg prevented cramps.

Placing a pan of water under the bed stopped night sweats.

Wearing a rattlesnake belt prevented lumbago.

Rubbing snake oil, skunk fat or angle worm oil into the joints cured inflammation.

Wrapped a warm red woolen sock around the neck cured sore throat.

To cure asthma the patient was placed with back against a tree, a lock of hair pegged into a hole bored into the tree and snipped off.  When the back grew over the hair the asthma would be gone.

When you find a small hen egg wave it around your head three times then throw it over the house to keep the witches away.

On May day go to an open well and hold a mirror so as to flash the sun rays on the water and say, “If you love me your countenance will appear,” and your future husband or wife will appear.

When you stub your toe kiss your hand as soon as possible and you will see your beau.

The first blue bird or robin you see in the spring, make a wish and it will come true.

If you see a red bird you will see your sweetheart tomorrow.

If you tell your dream before breakfast it will come true.

When you sleep in a house for the first time you dream the first night will come true.

On the first day of May ash in the dew and you will have beautiful skin all the year.

If you right eye itches you will see a friend.  If you left eye itches you will see an enemy.

If your right hand itches you will shake hands with a friend.  If your left hand itches you will get money.

If your right foot itches you will get a new pair of shoes; your left foot, you will walk on strange ground.

If a child talks to itself it will become wealthy.

If you talk to yourself the devil is after you.

Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger;

Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger;

Sneeze on Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;

Sneeze on Thursday, something better;

Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow;

Sneeze on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow;

Sneeze on Sunday, sure of deceit,

The devil will have you the rest of the week.

Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for health;

Sneeze on Tuesdays, sneeze for wealth.

            (Balance as above)

The foregoing in no wise exhausts the available material, but will suffice for this volume."