TRANSACTIONS OF THE GLASGOW ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PART V. シ GLASGOW: PRINTED BY JAMES MACNAB, 11 MILLER STREET. MDCCCLXVIII. CONTENTS OF PART V. PAGE NO. XXVII. ON SOME POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS COMMON IN PARTICK BY JAMES NAPIER, Esq. [Read at a Meeting of the Society held at Glasgow on 2nd May, 1864.] THE superstitious practices forming the subject of this paper are by no means peculiar to Partick, but with slight variations, modified by their traditionary transmission, have existed, and do exist, in almost every civilised nation in the world, and many of them may be traced to a common origin in times far remote. There are a few however which I have seen practised in Partick that I have not seen noticed by any person. The first I have named,— Turning the Coal. When any person, more particularly a young person, sat in a musing posture, with their eyes fixed upon the fire, it was believed they were then under some fascinating influence or spell; that evil thoughts were being suggested and represented to the mind by some evil disposed person or spirit having the power of leading the mind to evil. If any individual observing this took the tongs, without speaking, and lifted the piece of coal or wood that generally filled the centre of the fireplace, and turned it right over, saying at the same time, "gude preserve us frae a' skaith," this not only broke the spell, but caused all the evil machinations to revert upon the party who were exercising their wicked arts. I have seen this repeatedly done when a boy, and if anything befell any person, such as a neighbour, at the time this operation had been performed, it gave rise to grave suspicions in the minds of the parties. who had thus reverted the evil. Charm for an Evil Eye. When any person took a lingering illness, which is common with children, losing appetite and strength, not ill enough to be in bed, but, if a grown up person, not fit to work, called a "dwineing," such illness was often ascribed to an "evil eye" having been cast upon the party, and it was thought could not |