Local beliefs

[spudfan]

When my wife's niece was young she suffered from chronic asthma and was on a prescribed inhaler. Some one from the older generation mentioned to her mother that the hairs from the cross on a donkey's back were a cure for asthma. As luck would have it there was a donkey in a field not far away so myself and my wife's father headed off with a scissors to get some hairs from the cross on the donkey's back. Things did not go according to plan. Every time we got close to the donkey he ambled off out of reach. Maybe he distrusted two strangers or maybe it was the sight of the scissors in my hand that spooked him. Anyway we spent some time trying to corner the donkey without much success. Suddenly I noticed a tractor parked at the entrance to the field and a man striding towards us. "The owner" I surmised. This turned out to be a lucky guess.We quickly said "Hello" and I decided honesty was the best policy especially as I still had the scissors in my hand.
When I finished he said he knew of this tradition and had supplied hairs from the donkeys cross to others in the past. Anyway he called the donkey over and we got our hairs. My wife made a little pouch for the hairs and this was pinned to the inside of her niece's top.
We were also told that "Poteen" or the local brew was good for asthma. So a bottle was obtained. So every morning before my wife's niece went to school she used her inhaler, had a drop of "vitamins" (she was told that the poteen was a vitamin supplement) and made sure the pouch with the donkey's hair was in place.
She eventually got over the asthma. We never did decide whether this was down to the inhaler, the "vitamin supplement" (poteen) or the hairs from the donkey's cross.

[RHS58]

Well, I’ve never seen a donkey with asthma. Must be true.

[Hogarthde]

Interesting topic Spud; my dear old mum spoke of wee folk and spirits and clouds and mists,mostly in a light hearted manner. The donkey’s cross ,is a new one for me , we were told it was the mark left by the lead rope lying across the wither.

An uncle in New Zealand had a Jersey Cattle Stud , and he had the ‘ colours’ in a box on the dairy wall, he believed, and after an accidental demonstration , so did I.

This my friend ,has the potential to be a long discussion .

dave

[spudfan]

In the bible story the donkey carries Mary on it's back when she travelled to Bethlehem and afterwards Joseph led her with Jesus away on the donkey. So the story goes that the cross on the donkey was placed there in memory of this. It would be interesting to know if there any historical references to crosses on donkeys' backs prior to this event. That is the reason for the belief in the efficacy of the hairs from the cross on the back of the donkey.
Other beliefs from of old still persist to this day.

[ramblingboy42]

Christians believe some really silly and impossible things , don't they?

[gusthedog]

I first thought this was satirical. But holy ****.

Anyway, trust science, not donkey hairs. Seriously.

[loanrangie]

I first thought this was satirical. But holy ****.

Anyway, trust science, not donkey hairs. Seriously.Well they do believe in little green men [emoji16].

[NavyDiver]

Well they do believe in little green men [emoji16].

What are you implying? Leprechauns and fairy are real aren't they [biggrin] Oh I know you mean the martian little green men. That's just silly of course [bigwhistle]

https://thinkingscifi.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/mars-attacks-1996aack-aack-ack-ack-aack-little-green-men-go-on-a-diminutive-killing-spree-in-tim-burton_s-bonkers-alien-invasion-gem-inspired-in-equal-measure-by-the-weirdly-collectibl.jpg

[Tins]

What are you implying? Leprechauns and fairy are real aren't they [biggrin] Oh I know you mean the martian little green men. That's just silly of course [bigwhistle]

https://thinkingscifi.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/mars-attacks-1996aack-aack-ack-ack-aack-little-green-men-go-on-a-diminutive-killing-spree-in-tim-burton_s-bonkers-alien-invasion-gem-inspired-in-equal-measure-by-the-weirdly-collectibl.jpg

Ack! Ack Ack Ack! Ack!

[Tins]

Christians believe some really silly and impossible things , don't they?

Who doesn't?

[windsock]

Yep, beliefs are like opinions, every one has them... :whistling:

[Tins]

Yep, beliefs are like opinions, every one has them... :whistling:

Wouldn't have it any other way. Variety is the spice of life.

[gusthedog]

Well they do believe in little green men [emoji16].Not really. They have a theory that we can't be the only life in the universe.

But belief and science are very different. One is based on observable and verifiable facts. The other on opinion.

I'm a scientist and find science and religion mutually exclusive. So no "religious beliefs" here. That being said I generaly believe people are good. So if you keep your religion to yourself and you aren't proselytizing to me, go for it [emoji4]