Signs and Omens:

Stock PicPhoto byFey MarinonUnsplash

Most uncertain times we are in. Knowing what is to come is only partially important. In North Carolina, the tradition of folk developed of reading the future from actions of the natural world. However, that's only one example of a tradition that stretches as far back in history and across the world.

The one issue many looked for was death, the threat of death hangs over everyone's life. Knowing when that time may be upon us is not necessarily helpful but does provide a range of comfort and preparation.

North Carolina's signs of death from the 19th through the early 20th centuries:

Hearing three knocks at the door means someone in the house will soon die.

If a clock stops before it has run down all the way, the hour at which it stopped marks the hour of death for someone you know.

When a board on the porch warps, it's a sign that someone in that house will soon die.

Seeing a falling star means someone will die.

Never hang your hat on a doorknob, it invites death.

A peach tree blooming twice in a year is a sign of death.

If an apple tree falls while there is still a blossom on it, there will be a death in the family.

Hearing a howling dog at night means death is about.

If a bat flies into the church when a wedding ceremony is taking place and fpes around the room three times, someone attending the service will soon die.

Hearing a cow mooing after midnight is a sign of death.

If a black dog follows you down the road, it is a sign of death

An undersized egg found in a henhouse is a sign of death. Fortunately, this can be averted by throwing the egg over the roof of the henhouse.

Dreaming of a nude woman means a man's death.

These are just some of the signs that over the years in NC were thought to lead to death, that does not mean they are true and or proven.

All Omens and Signs came from Only in Your State, NCpedia, and theFactFile.