Morbid Monday-The Origins of Macabre Superstitions.
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Well…it’s the New Year. And people tend to be superstitious on New Years. Who am I kidding; people are superstitious all the time. But there are superstitions that are specific to New Years, many of which center around making the new year bright. One is to be very polite to others to garner good will in the coming year. Another is that only new clothes should be worn on a New Year's Day, preferably red, happy looking clothes. Boring isn’t it. Personally I prefer darker, more macabre superstitions. Their origins are far more interesting. Let’s look at a few.
Holding Your Breath When Passing a Cemetery
I think it unlikely that most who are reading this are afraid of cemeteries. However, many people are. A common superstition concerning cemeteries is the belief is that it is unlucky, or dangerous to pass a cemetery without holding ones breath. Why? The most obvious answer would seem to be fear. It’s normal to hold ones breath when frightened. But there is more to it than that. One version of this superstition has it as being disrespectful to the dead to breathe in their presence as they can no longer breathe themselves. While this puts a nice, polite spin on the myth, the more common belief is that if you breathe in proximity to a cemetery you may inhale the spirits of the dead. In this way it is related somewhat to the superstition which requires one to cover one's mouth when yawning, or saying “bless you” when someone sneezes. All of these are intended to prevent an evil spirit from entering through the breathing passages.
The idea of absorbing a spirit through breath is truly ancient. In folklore breath is often seen as being essentially synonymous with the soul or the life-force. In many Indo-European languages the word for "soul" is often derived from the word for "breath" or “air." In the mythological traditions of many cultures, breath has long been a means of conveying life. For example, in ancient Egyptian lore the the god Ptah created the universe and “set all the gods in their places and gave all things the breath of life.” In the story of Osiris, Isis (in the form of a bird) resurrects him by sewing his dismembered body together and fanning the breath of life back into him. Similarly in Judeo-Christian myth, God created Adam by molding him out of earth and breathing life into him. In each of these cases inert matter was given life and a soul by means of breath through the mouth.
It is not hard to understand why breath has been so closely associated with the essential nature of life. Nothing is quite so immediately necessary to life as is breathing. Many things are essential to life, but one can go for days without food or water. Just try going without air for more than a few seconds and see how you feel about it. The association with breath and the soul is truly ancient, as is the fear of becoming possessed by inhaling a malevolent spirit. So if you are passing a cemetery, possibly filled with ghosts, well…why risk it. Hold your breath and hurry past.
Horseshoe Over a Door
The belief that a horseshoe hung above the doorway will attract good fortune to the home comes from a variety of sources. The crescent shape is reminiscent of a number of ancient religious symbols. A Hebrew crescent shaped amulet was used to ward off the evil eye. The crescent shape is also reminiscent of a number of European goddess symbols. But when upturned the horseshoe can also look like horns which can symbolize any number of pagan gods. Horseshoes are also made of iron. Due to its strength and ability to endure fire, iron was often believed to have certain magical and protective properties. In Scotland, iron was used as protection against fairies. In Scandinavian folklore Trolls and other supernatural creatures also feared iron.
One legend that specifically relates to horseshoes as protective talismans dates to the 10th Century. In this story the Devil visits St. Dunstan, who was a blacksmith and particularly skilled in shoeing horses. In one version of this tale, St. Dunstan agreed to remove a horseshoe from the Devils cloven hoof in exchange for a vow to never enter any house with a horseshoe over the door. Other versions have St. Dunstan nailing the Devil to the wall and torturing him until the promise was made. Another frequently told story is that witches ride broomsticks because, for some reason, they are afraid of horses. For this reason a horseshoe on--or over-- the door will scare a witch away from ones home.
Whatever the specific origin of this belief, a horseshoe on or over the doorway of the house has long been used to ward off evil and bring good luck in Europe and America. In the Mediterranean horseshoes are also a traditional form of protection against the evil eye. In most parts of Europe, the horseshoe is usually placed with the ends facing downward. However in Ireland, Britain and the United States most believers place the ends pointing upward so that the luck will not “run out.” Horseshoe shaped charms or rings made from horseshoe nails are also common charms of good luck.
Spilling Salt
The most commonly held superstition about salt is that it is unlucky to spill it. And that the bad luck garnered from this can only be countered by taking a pinch of the spilled salt and throwing it over left shoulder. But why salt? Salt is clearly a very important commodity. It is certainly essential to life. In medieval Europe it was also a sort of status symbol at the dinner table. Those of highest social standing sat at the part of the table where the salt container was kept. The less important diners, however, were seated “beneath the salt.” This has brought about the modern expression “not worth his salt” meaning someone who occupies a position he does not deserve.
In addition to its nutritious and social importance, salt has been credited with magical properties in many societies throughout history. In Hebrew belief salt is considered to be symbolic of the covenant between God and Israel. For this reason salt was always to be present at the making of animal sacrifices to God. Blessings were also not typically made without salt. This reverence for salt is the most likely reason why spilling the important substance brings bad luck to the clumsy fool who did it. But why throw salt over the shoulder to counter bad luck? This stems from the old belief that devils follow people around and tempt them to do evil. And if you do something that invites bad luck, like spilling salt, well that gives the demon behind you extra opportunity to cause mischief. So if you throw a magically good substance like salt at him, it distracts him from this purpose. You may even be lucky enough to hit him in the eye and really piss him off!
Walking under a ladder
One obvious reason for not walking under a ladder is the quite reasonable desire of not wanting things to fall on your head. Ladders are not always stable. If you happen to be standing under a wobbly one any number of things or people might fall on you. But excluding simple safety there is also a pervading belief that walking under a ladder invites bad luck. There are multiple possible origins for this. One stems from the ladder forming a triangle with the wall it is leaning on and the ground. The triangle has long been considered by Christians to be a symbol of the "Holy Trinity." Therefore, violating the triangle by walking through it is an offence to God. There are also those who say that ladders are feared because of their use in hanging. A hangman often would kick a ladder out from under the condemned person. So if you walk under a ladder, you are inviting death to notice you.
Crossing Your Fingers
One common way of avoiding all of this bad luck is to cross the middle and index fingers of the right hand. Crossing the fingers is, to this day, a frequently used good luck gesture. It is also used as a casual way of indicating that you hope something good will happen in the future. There is not much mystery to this one. The origin is simple. Crossing the fingers is a quick and easy way of making the sign of the cross. To Christians the cross would prevent mischievous spirits from destroying ones chances for good luck. It is also common to cross ones fingers behind the back when telling a lie. Again the making of a crude cross seems to somehow make the lie not count, or absolves the liar from the consequences of the lie.
Fear of the number 13
Okay this is the big one! The fear of the number thirteen is one of the most commonly held superstitious beliefs today. It is so common that even finding the number 13 marked anywhere can be a bit tricky. There are so many people who refuse to stay (even temporarily) on the 13th floor of a building that many major hotels, office buildings and other high rises are traditionally built with only twelve floors. If they do go higher they may skip labeling the 13th floor and just call it the 14th. Many airports do not have a thirteenth gate. Even U.S. zip codes sometimes skip over the dreaded unlucky number. One remarkable example is in the city of Topeka, Kansas. In Topeka all the zip codes start with 666 followed by two digits. But the one code Topeka does not have 66613. It does not exist! The codes go from 66612 to 66614. So in Topeka even the dreaded number of the beast is not considered to be as objectionable as the number 13. Go figure!
There have been many cited possible origins for the idea that 13 is the unluckiest of numbers. One is that Judas, famed for being the betrayer of Jesus, was the 13th member present at the Last Supper. This goes on to say that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, leading to Friday the 13th as an unlucky day. There is also the notion that this belief comes from the destruction of the Knights Templar which was supposed to have occurred on a Friday the 13th. But fear of the number 13 is much older than that. Perhaps the most ancient example of 13 being considered to be unlucky is the numbering of the laws in the Code of Hammurabi. These 282 ancient Babylonian laws date to approximately 1772 BC. Well..sort of. The laws are numbered to 282 but in fact there are only 281. As you can see, just like the floors of a modern office building, the numbering of these laws skip 13:
12. " If the witnesses be not at hand, then shall the judge set aimit, at the expiration of six months. If his witnesses have not appeared within the six months, he is an evil-doer, and shall bear the fine of the pending case."
14. "If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death."
Why the Babylonians abhorred the number 13 is not entirely clear. It may have something to do with the “Song of Ishtar.” This is a Babylonian epic poem where in the thirteenth line contains the name of the goddess of the dead. But there is not enough evidence to say for sure if this is the reason why.
None of the above mentioned beliefs are likely to make your New Year any happier or brighter. But I hope they made for interesting reading. And I do wish you a very dark New year!!! Morbid Monday to ya.
.
Well…it’s the New Year. And people tend to be superstitious on New Years. Who am I kidding; people are superstitious all the time. But there are superstitions that are specific to New Years, many of which center around making the new year bright. One is to be very polite to others to garner good will in the coming year. Another is that only new clothes should be worn on a New Year's Day, preferably red, happy looking clothes. Boring isn’t it. Personally I prefer darker, more macabre superstitions. Their origins are far more interesting. Let’s look at a few.
Holding Your Breath When Passing a Cemetery
I think it unlikely that most who are reading this are afraid of cemeteries. However, many people are. A common superstition concerning cemeteries is the belief is that it is unlucky, or dangerous to pass a cemetery without holding ones breath. Why? The most obvious answer would seem to be fear. It’s normal to hold ones breath when frightened. But there is more to it than that. One version of this superstition has it as being disrespectful to the dead to breathe in their presence as they can no longer breathe themselves. While this puts a nice, polite spin on the myth, the more common belief is that if you breathe in proximity to a cemetery you may inhale the spirits of the dead. In this way it is related somewhat to the superstition which requires one to cover one's mouth when yawning, or saying “bless you” when someone sneezes. All of these are intended to prevent an evil spirit from entering through the breathing passages.
The idea of absorbing a spirit through breath is truly ancient. In folklore breath is often seen as being essentially synonymous with the soul or the life-force. In many Indo-European languages the word for "soul" is often derived from the word for "breath" or “air." In the mythological traditions of many cultures, breath has long been a means of conveying life. For example, in ancient Egyptian lore the the god Ptah created the universe and “set all the gods in their places and gave all things the breath of life.” In the story of Osiris, Isis (in the form of a bird) resurrects him by sewing his dismembered body together and fanning the breath of life back into him. Similarly in Judeo-Christian myth, God created Adam by molding him out of earth and breathing life into him. In each of these cases inert matter was given life and a soul by means of breath through the mouth.
It is not hard to understand why breath has been so closely associated with the essential nature of life. Nothing is quite so immediately necessary to life as is breathing. Many things are essential to life, but one can go for days without food or water. Just try going without air for more than a few seconds and see how you feel about it. The association with breath and the soul is truly ancient, as is the fear of becoming possessed by inhaling a malevolent spirit. So if you are passing a cemetery, possibly filled with ghosts, well…why risk it. Hold your breath and hurry past.
Horseshoe Over a Door
The belief that a horseshoe hung above the doorway will attract good fortune to the home comes from a variety of sources. The crescent shape is reminiscent of a number of ancient religious symbols. A Hebrew crescent shaped amulet was used to ward off the evil eye. The crescent shape is also reminiscent of a number of European goddess symbols. But when upturned the horseshoe can also look like horns which can symbolize any number of pagan gods. Horseshoes are also made of iron. Due to its strength and ability to endure fire, iron was often believed to have certain magical and protective properties. In Scotland, iron was used as protection against fairies. In Scandinavian folklore Trolls and other supernatural creatures also feared iron.
One legend that specifically relates to horseshoes as protective talismans dates to the 10th Century. In this story the Devil visits St. Dunstan, who was a blacksmith and particularly skilled in shoeing horses. In one version of this tale, St. Dunstan agreed to remove a horseshoe from the Devils cloven hoof in exchange for a vow to never enter any house with a horseshoe over the door. Other versions have St. Dunstan nailing the Devil to the wall and torturing him until the promise was made. Another frequently told story is that witches ride broomsticks because, for some reason, they are afraid of horses. For this reason a horseshoe on--or over-- the door will scare a witch away from ones home.
Whatever the specific origin of this belief, a horseshoe on or over the doorway of the house has long been used to ward off evil and bring good luck in Europe and America. In the Mediterranean horseshoes are also a traditional form of protection against the evil eye. In most parts of Europe, the horseshoe is usually placed with the ends facing downward. However in Ireland, Britain and the United States most believers place the ends pointing upward so that the luck will not “run out.” Horseshoe shaped charms or rings made from horseshoe nails are also common charms of good luck.
Spilling Salt
The most commonly held superstition about salt is that it is unlucky to spill it. And that the bad luck garnered from this can only be countered by taking a pinch of the spilled salt and throwing it over left shoulder. But why salt? Salt is clearly a very important commodity. It is certainly essential to life. In medieval Europe it was also a sort of status symbol at the dinner table. Those of highest social standing sat at the part of the table where the salt container was kept. The less important diners, however, were seated “beneath the salt.” This has brought about the modern expression “not worth his salt” meaning someone who occupies a position he does not deserve.
In addition to its nutritious and social importance, salt has been credited with magical properties in many societies throughout history. In Hebrew belief salt is considered to be symbolic of the covenant between God and Israel. For this reason salt was always to be present at the making of animal sacrifices to God. Blessings were also not typically made without salt. This reverence for salt is the most likely reason why spilling the important substance brings bad luck to the clumsy fool who did it. But why throw salt over the shoulder to counter bad luck? This stems from the old belief that devils follow people around and tempt them to do evil. And if you do something that invites bad luck, like spilling salt, well that gives the demon behind you extra opportunity to cause mischief. So if you throw a magically good substance like salt at him, it distracts him from this purpose. You may even be lucky enough to hit him in the eye and really piss him off!
Walking under a ladder
One obvious reason for not walking under a ladder is the quite reasonable desire of not wanting things to fall on your head. Ladders are not always stable. If you happen to be standing under a wobbly one any number of things or people might fall on you. But excluding simple safety there is also a pervading belief that walking under a ladder invites bad luck. There are multiple possible origins for this. One stems from the ladder forming a triangle with the wall it is leaning on and the ground. The triangle has long been considered by Christians to be a symbol of the "Holy Trinity." Therefore, violating the triangle by walking through it is an offence to God. There are also those who say that ladders are feared because of their use in hanging. A hangman often would kick a ladder out from under the condemned person. So if you walk under a ladder, you are inviting death to notice you.
Crossing Your Fingers
One common way of avoiding all of this bad luck is to cross the middle and index fingers of the right hand. Crossing the fingers is, to this day, a frequently used good luck gesture. It is also used as a casual way of indicating that you hope something good will happen in the future. There is not much mystery to this one. The origin is simple. Crossing the fingers is a quick and easy way of making the sign of the cross. To Christians the cross would prevent mischievous spirits from destroying ones chances for good luck. It is also common to cross ones fingers behind the back when telling a lie. Again the making of a crude cross seems to somehow make the lie not count, or absolves the liar from the consequences of the lie.
Fear of the number 13
Okay this is the big one! The fear of the number thirteen is one of the most commonly held superstitious beliefs today. It is so common that even finding the number 13 marked anywhere can be a bit tricky. There are so many people who refuse to stay (even temporarily) on the 13th floor of a building that many major hotels, office buildings and other high rises are traditionally built with only twelve floors. If they do go higher they may skip labeling the 13th floor and just call it the 14th. Many airports do not have a thirteenth gate. Even U.S. zip codes sometimes skip over the dreaded unlucky number. One remarkable example is in the city of Topeka, Kansas. In Topeka all the zip codes start with 666 followed by two digits. But the one code Topeka does not have 66613. It does not exist! The codes go from 66612 to 66614. So in Topeka even the dreaded number of the beast is not considered to be as objectionable as the number 13. Go figure!
There have been many cited possible origins for the idea that 13 is the unluckiest of numbers. One is that Judas, famed for being the betrayer of Jesus, was the 13th member present at the Last Supper. This goes on to say that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, leading to Friday the 13th as an unlucky day. There is also the notion that this belief comes from the destruction of the Knights Templar which was supposed to have occurred on a Friday the 13th. But fear of the number 13 is much older than that. Perhaps the most ancient example of 13 being considered to be unlucky is the numbering of the laws in the Code of Hammurabi. These 282 ancient Babylonian laws date to approximately 1772 BC. Well..sort of. The laws are numbered to 282 but in fact there are only 281. As you can see, just like the floors of a modern office building, the numbering of these laws skip 13:
12. " If the witnesses be not at hand, then shall the judge set aimit, at the expiration of six months. If his witnesses have not appeared within the six months, he is an evil-doer, and shall bear the fine of the pending case."
14. "If any one steal the minor son of another, he shall be put to death."
Why the Babylonians abhorred the number 13 is not entirely clear. It may have something to do with the “Song of Ishtar.” This is a Babylonian epic poem where in the thirteenth line contains the name of the goddess of the dead. But there is not enough evidence to say for sure if this is the reason why.
None of the above mentioned beliefs are likely to make your New Year any happier or brighter. But I hope they made for interesting reading. And I do wish you a very dark New year!!! Morbid Monday to ya.
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