Author: Fanny Bergen

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2015-06-13

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9781330056356

Excerpt from Animal and Plant Lore This Memoir is a continuation of a collection begun in the volume entitled "Current Superstitions." The latter, which in 1896 appeared as the Fourth Memoir of the American Folk-Lore Society, may be considered as volume i. and the latter as volume ii. of the same work, and they are so referred to in the Notes, and in the common Index which appears at the end of this book. The earlier collection deals almost entirely with beliefs not of a zoological or botanical nature, while the later one comprises only the folk-lore of animals and plants. In the chapter on the causes and cure of warts, contained in "Current Superstitions," many items are recorded which might more logically have been retained for insertion in the part now issued, had it not at the time seemed advisable to make the chapter as complete as possible. In the preface to "Current Superstitions" there was narrated somewhat in detail the history of the collection of the material composing the chapters in that volume, as well as that catalogued in the present gathering of animal and plant lore. Not wishing to repeat, I may here merely mention that, with the exception of some half dozen items, the various superstitions, customs, and beliefs herein recorded have been collected entirely by verbal tradition, not from literary sources. Much has been noted directly from oral narration; the rest of the subject-matter of this volume has been obtained by correspondence. When a locality is wanting, my informant could not give one but was familiar with what was communicated. From many of the most fruitful localities for interesting folk-lore, it has not been possible to collect, or at best only an occasional stray item. In the less densely populated parts of the Southern States, in secluded parts of Canada, also in some of the very isolated New England villages and hamlets among the hills, I am convinced abundant fields await the sickle of the harvester of folk-lore. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.