The modern Mohammedans are given to superstitions. Those of Egypt may be found in Lane's Mode^-n Eqyp- iiuns, i, 322, 330, 376; ii, 283, 308, 312. In Palestine the peasantry have numerous superstitions: they be- lieve in incantations, in charms, in divination by sand and other means, and in the evil eye, their children be- ing left purposely dirty, or even besoiled, in order to avoid the consequences of an envious look. The belief in spirits is also general. These include, first, the Jan, or powerful di^mon, good or bad, the latter kind having for bodies the tall smoke -pillars of the whirlwind, so commonh' seen in sumtner; secondly, the Afrit, who is seemingly equivalent to a ghost ; thirdly, the ghoul or hag of the cemetery, which feeds on the dead (a place haunted by one of these dasmons is carefully avoided, or at least never approached without the most polite salu- tations, intended to ajipease the unseen spirit); fourth- ly, there are Kerad, or goblins, whose name is akin to the Arabic word for monkey; lastly, there is the Shai- tan, or Satan, a name often applied to human beings of an evil disposition ( Conder, Te/it Work in Palest, ii, 233). See Daemon.
On the general subject, see Xavier, /)e Svj^erstiiione Judceor. (llamb. 1720) : lieineccius, id. (pref. to Chris- t'lum's Werke [Leips. 1705]); Spizelius, /^Eio-i^ai/tovia Ebrcpo-gentilis (ibid. 1G08); Manzel, De Voce AeirriSai- fioviq. (Rost. 1758) ; and the monographs cited b}' Danz, Wdrte7-h. s. v. " Aberglaube." See Witch.
SUPERSTITION (Lat. svperstitio) had for its an- cient sense that of worship over and above that which was appointed by proper authority. Hence religious systems not recognised by the Roman State were called " superstitions," Christianity itself being for some cen- turies among the number. The word has been used so indefinitely that it is difficult to determine its precise meaning. It does not seem always to have been used in a bad sense in old English, as is shown by Acts xvii, 22, where it represents dHaiSai/xovia, a word used by the apostle as indicating that the Athenians were a God-fearing people who would not refuse to listen to his appeal about the "unknown God." Superstition must not be understood to mean an "excess of religion, as if any one could have too much of true religion, but any misdirection of religious feeling, manifested either in showing religious veneration or regard to objects which deserve none — that is, properly speaking, the wor- ship of false gods — or in an excess of veneration for an object deserving some veneration, or the worship of God through the medium of improper rites and ceremonies" (Whately, On Bacon, p. 155). It is generally defined to be the observance of unnecessary and uncommanded rites and practices in religion; reverence of objects not fit for worship ; too great nicetj', fears, or scrupulous- ness; or extravagant devotions; or religion wrong di- rected or conducted. The word may be applied to the idolatry of the heathens, the traditions of the Jews, the unscriptural rites of the Catholics; to the dependence placed by many on baptism, the Lord's supper, and oth- er ceremonies. It may be extended to those who, with- out an}' evidence, believe that prophecies are still ut- tered or miracles are performed. Some forms of intel- lectual scepticism involve superstition of a far more dangerous kind than that involved in the credulity' of ignorant piety, as belief in witchcraft, magic, table-turn- ing, spirit-rapping, etc.
Superstition, says Claude, usually springs either (1) from servile fear, which makes people believe that God
SUPERTOTUS
34
SUPPER OF THE LORD
is always wrathful, and invents raeaiis to appease him; or (2) from a natural inclination we all have to idolatry, which makes men thini< they see some ray of the Divinity in extraordinary creatures, and on this account worship them ; or (3) from hy- pocrisy, which makes men will- ing to discharge their obligations to God by grimace and by zeal for external services; or (4) from presumption, which makes men serve God after their own fancies. See Claude, Kssay on the Compo- sition of a Sermon, ii, 49, 299 ; Saurin, Sej-moiis (Eng. ed.), v, 49 ; Gregory, Essai/s, Essay 3 ; Blunt, Diet, of Hist. Theol. s. v.; Buck, Diet. s. v.; Fleming, Vocabulaiy of Phil. Science, s. v.
Supertotus, a long gar- ment like a modern great-coat, resembling a straight-cut cloak in some particulars, worn over the secular and religions dress in mediieval times as a protection against the weather. — Lee, Gloss, of Litury. Terms, s. v.
Superville, Daniel de, a Protestant theologian, was born at Saumur, in August, 1657, of a respectable Dutch family, and, being early designated for the sacred ministry, studied theology at Saumur and Geneva, and in 1683 was called to take charge of the Church of Lou- dun. On the Revocation of tlie Edict of Nantes, he took refuge in Rotterdam, whence he could not be drawn by offers from Berlin, Loudun,and Haml)urg. In 1691 the authorities of the city created for him an express pas- torate, which he occupied till his death, June 9, 1728. He was of a sweet disposition, a lively imagination, and a happy delivery. He published several sermons and devotional worlds, which are enumerated in Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Supervisor Cantdrum, the master of the chor- isters.