The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

I20 The Highland Monthly.
The incantation finished, the person looks forth over the
country, and by the auguries or omens which meet the eye
he divines what will be the fate of the man or animal for
whom the Frith is being made— whether the absent one, about
whom nothing is known, is in life, and well ; or whether the
sick man or beast at home will recover from his ailment.
Subjoined is a list of objects, with their significance. This
list is compiled from various sources, but largely from notes
placed at my disposal by Father Allan Macdonald, Dalibrog,
a gentleman to whom I am indebted for much
information in connection with this paper :
A man coming towards you.. An excellent sign.
A cock looking towards you.. Also an excellent sign.
A man standing Sign of a sick man recovering and
—
casting off illness.
A man lying down Sickness ; continued illness.
A beast lying down Ominous — sickness- continued
illness.
A beast rising up Sign of a man recovering and
A beast lying down
throwing off illness.
Death.
A bird on the wing A good sign.
A bird on the wing coming
to you Sign of a letter coming.
A woman seen standing A bad sign—such as death, or some
A woman seen passing or
returning Not so bad.
A woman with red hair Not lucky.-
untoward event— (Am bas no ni
rosadach air choireigin).^
' Bu choir do dhuine e-fein a choisiigeadh nam faiceadh e boirionnach an
am a bhi deanamh na Frith— (A man should cross himself should he see a
woman when making the Frith).
-' Red hair does not appear to have been favoured by the Celts. An old
song says
—
Cha ghabh mi 'n te fhrionasaich, chonasach, ritadh,
A chumas an Donus na mhollachdain suas.
Again, Lady Wilde, writing of Irish superstitions, says— " It is unlucky to meet
a red-haired man or woman the first thing in the morning ; but a freckled
red-haired woman is particularly dangerous. Should she be in your path on
first going out, turn back at once, for danger is in the way. Some say that
Judas Iscariot had red hair, hence the tradition of its evil augury."