Did you ever wonder what the “dog days of summer” meant as a child? I did and was always told that this was a time to not go swimming in your favorite swimming hole or wading in your favorite creek. As I recall, it was a time when “scum” gathered on top of the water due to low water levels and very little water flow. We called it stagnation. Sort of like we feel on a day as hot as it was yesterday.
It actually dates back to Roman times when gods, idols, and other deities were worshiped. It was a time when the Dog Star, Sirius, raised and set with the sun. People apparently believed that Sirius, due to its brightness, actually added to the heat from the sun thereby making it uncomfortably hot at that time of year. The Romans would actually sacrifice dogs to the star.
What does all of that have to do with the “Viking Chronicles”? Absolutely nothing. It is just a slow time of year with not much to write about and I was thinking maybe someone would find a little off topic information entertaining.
I do recall one of the hazards of wading in the stagnant water, according to my grandparents, was getting “fall sores”. It was never explained to me what these were, but being obedient to their teachings must have been a factor in my never getting one. We grew up on a farm and many times it would be necessary to take livestock to a water hole to drink. They always managed to push the “scum” aside and enjoy the water that was underneath.
Another “no-no” taught by my grandmother was that it was sinful to fish on Sunday. I suppose they didn’t think about Jesus feeding the multitudes by multiplying a few fish into many. Of course that might not have happened on Sunday. My grandmother would tell us children that if we fished on Sunday we might turn into a pillar of salt. If you want to motivate a six or seven-year old not to do something just put the image of he or she standing out there in the bright sun turned into a shiny pillar of salt.
Another myth that, as a child, I thought perhaps brought about the term “dog days” was that dogs were more apt to “go mad” or what we know as adults get rabies during this time. I found out later in life that if that was true that it was because there was a greater number of rabid animals out during this time of year.
I am not sure how hot it was in you locale yesterday, I know there were records set all over the east, but it was hot here. On a motorcycle en route to Georgetown, KY, the temp was 96. I know Fred Reid sees temps regularly in the 100s but low humidity, but 96 and up with high humidity is devastating.
JUST remember this, high temps are always a great excuse to put off the chores, so “never do today what can be put off untill next spring”.
Oh how I remember those Dog Days of summer on
Mill Creek. We would all go blackberry picking and then
head to the old swimming hole to take a bath to kill all those
chiggers that you would get from the berry picking.
We picked the berries for Mom to can and make jelly and what
she didn’t use we got to sell to a local merchant and buy anything we wanted with the money.
You know we bought candy and pop and Oh yes those
Vienna sausages and then go home and make grape koolai and
have a Mill Creek feast.
Those days are forever fixed in my memories and just last week
Joe and I went berry picking but no swimming hole to bath
in here on the ridge. We just had to jump in the shower and
get rid of those chiggers.
Yes Dog days were dreded, you had to remember too much to stay healthy and active . Black berrys , oh boy , it was always a race to see who could find the large ” Dew Berries . ” They grew always near water and in the shade ‘ they would fill a bucket in nothing flat and were so sweet and good with whipped cream . Chiggers , thank goodness for alcholhol , and the bath tub .Then the story of snakes goin g blind and not being able to see and striking at everything .
Yes those were the days .
Fred Reid , Mesa , AZ
I had forgotten after all of these years about “dew berries” and snakes going blind. I do remember “huckleberries”. As I recall they were very small and it took a while to get enough for a pie. I was reminded of the chiggers last week after getting a couple working in my yard.