The following are some unbelievable superstitions and cures of long ago. They should not be considered as realistic as these were exactly as described, simply superstitions.
Toothache: One old cure for a toothache mentioned long ago was to rub the finger of a corpse three times to the gum and say in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. If a man shaved on a Sunday, it could cause toothache. However, if you carried the jawbone of a haddock, it would help prevent this ailment.
Baldness: The cure for baldness was to rub the marrow from the bones of a hen on your head. Another old cure for hair loss was to wash the bald parts of the head with sheep’s milk. It was supposed to make the hair grow again and prevent any further hair loss.
Bed Wetting: During medieval times, the milky sap from the Dandelion was used in the belief that it would prevent bed-wetting. The sap was also supposed to be a cure for warts after being applied for nine mornings accompanied by prayers. It was also used for liver trouble, jaundice, stomach upsets, rheumatism and even consumption-tuberculosis.
Cure for Warts: Some people were believed to have had a cure for warts. They would gather Ivy leaves and rub them on the warts and utter a certain prayer. Then they would bury the leaves and as they rotted so would the warts.
Crossed Soda Bread: Long ago in Ireland, when the woman of the house was making brown or white soda bread, she would always cut a cross into the top before baking. This was supposed to protect the household from hunger and choking. She would sometimes offer a little prayer when cutting the cross.
Wealth: If you had a purse made from the hide of a weasel, you would never want for money. However, the purse must be found, not given or made.
Playing Cards: If you were going to play cards and someone stuck a darning needle in the back of your coat without your knowledge, it brought you luck in the card game.
Headaches: After having a haircut, the cuttings from your hair should never be thrown where birds can find them. If birds used them when building nests, you will have headaches for a year.
Blessing: Long ago, people would always say ‘God bless you’ when someone sneezed. This is an old custom and one that is still observed by some people today. The reason for this is that people believed that when a person sneezed, their heart stopped momentarily. The blessing was to ensure that the heart would start beating again.
Lost Luck: One should not leave a house by the back door if they entered through the front door. It was believed that they would take the luck of the house with them.
Sign of the Cross: People covered their mouth when yawning so an evil spirit would not enter the body. When a baby yawned, they would make the sign of the cross over the infant’s mouth for the same reason.
