Disclaimer: I realise that these beliefs are not exclusive to West Virginia but they are a big part of life in the Mountain State. I personally grew up with them as they were passed down to me by my mother and to her by her mother, so on and so forth.
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| A redhorse in the Georgia aquarium. I can remember seeing these fish in the shallow waters of the Elk River as a small child. |
If you go in one door and out the other its bad luck.
Raising an umbrella indoors is bad luck.
Don’t pay salt back that’s borrowed. Bad luck.
If your hand itches you are going to receive money.
If your nose itches you’re getting company.
If your feet itch you’re going to travel.
If your butt itches, butter is getting cheap.
A whistling woman and a crowing hen both will come to no good end.
Fools’ names and fools’ faces will always be seen in public places.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Seventh child of a seventh child can blow into a baby’s mouth to cure the flux.
If you dream of a white horse it means death.
If you dream of muddy water it means death.
If a bird pecks at your window it means death.
If a bird gets into your house it means whatever troubles you’re going through at the time will be gone.
If you peel an apple and the peel remains whole, you toss the peeling behind your back and whatever letter it resembles is the initial of the person you’ll marry.
When the leaves on a dogwood are the size of a mouse’s ear that means its time to plant beans and corn. Also means the redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) will be in the shoals.
