they did this, in order to see what they would say, and they all replied in the same words, saying, ‘Know that all persons who are born must return to life’ (they have no word to express resuscitation), ‘and the souls must rise out of their tombs with all that belonged to their bodies. We, therefore, in order that we may not have to search for our hair and nails at a time when there will be much hurry and confusion, place them in one place, that they may be brought together more conveniently, and, whenever it is possible, we are also careful to spit in one place.’ ”[1] In Chile this custom of stuffing the shorn hair into holes in the wall is still observed, it being thought the height of imprudence to throw the hair away.[2] Similarly the Turks never throw away the parings of their nails, but carefully keep them in cracks of the walls or of the boards, in the belief that they will be needed at the resurrection.[3] Some of the Esthonians keep the parings of their finger and toe nails in their bosom, in order to have them at hand when they are asked for them at the day of judgment.[4] The Fors of Central Africa object to cut any one else’s nails, for should the part cut off be lost and not delivered into its owner’s hands, It will have to be made up to him somehow or other after death. The parings are buried in the ground.[5] To spit upon the hair before throwing it away is thought in some parts of Europe sufficient to prevent
- ↑ Gavcilasso de la Vega, First part of the Royal Commentaries of the Yucas, bk. ii. ch. 7 (vol. i. p. 127, Markham’s translation).
- ↑ Mélusine, 1878, c. 583. sq.
- ↑ The People of Turkey, by a Consul’s daughter and wife, ii. 250.
- ↑ Boeder-Kreutzwald, Der Ehsten abergläubische Gebräuche, Weisen und Gewohnheiten, p. 139; F. J. Wiedemann, Aus dem innern und äussern Leben der Ehsten, p. 491.
- ↑ R. W. Felkin, “Notes on the For tribe of Central Africa,” in Procecdings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, xiii. (1884-86) p. 230.
