That the unclean animals--animals not to be eaten--such
as the pig, the mouse, and the weasel, were originally totems of
the children of Israel, Professor Robertson Smith believes is
shown by various passages in the Old Testament.
"When animals and plants ceased to be held sacred they were
endowed with sundry magical or mystic properties. The apple has
been supposed to possess peculiar virtues, especially in the way
of health. 'The relation of the apple to health,' says Mr.
Conway, 'is traceable to Arabia. Sometimes it is regarded as a
bane. In Hessia it is said an apple must not be eaten on New
Year's Day, as it will produce an abscess. But generally it is
curative. In Pomerania it is eaten on Easter morning against
fevers; in Westphalia (mixed with saffron) against jaundice;
while in Silesia an apple is scraped from top to stalk to cure
diarrhea, and upward to cure costiveness.' According to an old
English fancy, if any one who is suffering from a wound in the
head should eat strawberries it will lead to fatal results. In
the South of England the folk say that the devil puts his cloven
foot upon the blackberries on Michaelmas Day, and hence none
should be gathered or eaten after that day.
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