TO TALK OF THE WEATHER
The first thing that many modern day farmers and fishermen do - even before breakfast - is to listen to the weather forecast, or maybe read the newspaper predictions for the coming day, then after the day is over and before settling to bed each night, he usually watches the late weather report on TV - all the while complaining because its been too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry, knowing all the time that he has no influence whatsoever upon the vagaries of the weather.
Man has been influenced by the weather from prehistoris times right down to the present day, for in every corner of the earth, it has been responsible for man's comfort or discomfort, his health or sickness, hunger or thirst and has often meant the difference between poverty and prosperity, so is it any wonder that we take such an interest in it.
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For thousands of years, men from all walks of life have watched the clouds and skies and noted the changes in cloud formations especially before a change in the weather.
In this way they built up a vast store of knowledge which has been handed down through the years, often embodied in little sayings or verses.
In a lot of cases the predictions were pretty accurate although not based on the scientific knowledge we know today.
For instance.- 'When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass' does not explain why the rain won't fall, but neverthe less when conditions are right for the formation of dew, the rain does not fall.
Some of the weatherlore was inported from Europe in colonial days. Some has been derived from Indian Culture.
Even the New Testament contains some allusions to the weather. In Mark XVI (2-3) When it is evening ye say, It will be fair weather, for the heaven is red.
And in the morning, it will be foul weather today, for the heaven is red and lowering.
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An old saying explains this better.- 'Red at night; the shephard's delight; red in the morning; the shephards warning'
A few of the better known sayings are; 'To talk of the weather is nothing but folly.'
"When it rains on the hill it will shine in the valley.'
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'A northern air brings weather fair ... a winter fog will freeze a dog.'
'No weather is ill if the wind be still'.
'When the wind is in the North, then the fisher goes not forth. When the wind is in the East, 'Tis neither good for man nor beast
When the wind is in the South, it blows the bait in the fishes mouth. When the wind is in the West, then 'tis at its very best.
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This is but a sampling of all the superstitions and folklore about the weather.I am still collecting these old sayings and will be adding to this page later.
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