Erra Pater

The Erra Pater is a compilation of beliefs of the Order, taught during some of its sermons. A rundown of it is as follows:


 * Bats are the evil messengers of darkness.
 * The cat and hare are often familiars of warlocks and witches.
 * If a cat or hare crosses your path, you must end your journey quickly, or risk an encounter with a demon.
 * If you see a snake unkilled, fear mischief.
 * If you spill salt on yourself while dining, you must pour red wine upon your lap to ward off evil spirits.
 * It is possible to predict the weather by listening to whether the morning crow cries an even or odd number of times. An even number means fair weather, while odd is a portent of storms.
 * If you hear a raven croak from your neighbour's roof, it is now time to write your will.
 * If you dream of a green garden or the salutations from a dead friend, death is on his way to you.
 * It is possible to ward off evil with balls of hollowed wax.
 * Witches draw omens from the whining of hedgehogs.
 * Any animal which carries a defect, be a missing tail or shortened leg, is a witch.
 * To see an owl is an omen of death.
 * Rats can be killed with rhymes.
 * Hair from a horse, which falls into a stream, turns into eels.
 * Ghosts fear a healthy rooster, for the cry of a rooster will scare them away.
 * If you have an itch, you can be certain that something will happen very soon.
 * Men on their death bed will utter prophecies.
 * All candles burn blue at midnight.
 * Stumbling at the threshold of a doorway warns you of danger within.
 * Empty eggshells must be broken, preventing witches from using them as boats.
 * Fresh milk, suddenly sour, means there is a witch nearby.
 * Sickness among many children is often the result of witchcraft.
 * A comet predicts the death of a King or Queen.
 * An eclipse is a sign of great evil.