Brewer's: Nails driven into Cottage Walls

This was a Roman practice, under the notion that it kept off the plague. L. Manlius was named dictator (A.U.C. 390) “to drive the nail.”

Our cottagers still nail horseshoes to thresholds to ward off evil spirits. Mr. Coutts, the banker, had two rusty horse-shoes fastened on the highest step outside Holly Lodge.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language