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Rag Offerings

Rag Offerings image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
March
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The singnlar custoni of leaving rags and otber wortbiess objeets at wells has not entirely fallen into disuse. The superstition iu a modified forin exists in other portions of the world. A traveler in Persia found a tree with rags tied to its branches. They had been left there by the iuhabitants of a province infected witb agüe. A tree hung with rags was found by another traveler in África. Crooked pins, old clothes, pebbles, shells, rusty nails, small coins, and even bnndles of heath were cousidered appropriate thank offeriugs at shrines iu earlier days, for it was believed tbat the saiuts.and apostles did not care for articles of value. Snch was the superstitions adoration of fountains that it was forbiclden by the sixteeiith of the canous issued in 960, in the reign of King Edgar, and it was condemned by the canons of St. Anselm. It was also interdicted by laws passed in the reign of King Canute, tíince the reformation the practico has not been prevalent, except in Ireland, where many old wells consecrated to saints and martyrs are yet made places of pilgriniage. There is scarcely a parish throughout the land that bas not its own holy well where, despite practical admonition, the faithful and the faithless come to pray for physical or mental relief and leave bebind tbem n scrap of rag as an offering.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News