Black Hen, Fast of the

views updated

Black Hen, Fast of the

In Hungary and adjacent countries it was believed that if a person who had been robbed wished to discover the thief, then the victim must take a black hen and fast strictly for nine Fridays. The thief would then either return the plunder or die. This is called "taking up a black fast" against someone. A great deal of lore concerning black hens may be found in the works of Angelo de Gubernatis.