Black Cats & April Fools - Origins of Old Wives Tales and Superstitions in Our Daily Lives. Harry Oliver
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for the consequences of the bad deed. There is little evidence of people crossing fingers as a sign of good luck before the late nineteenth century. In the past it was much more common to cross one’s legs or to wrap one’s thumb with the other fingers of the hand. The practice of folding thumbs inside one’s hands is still used in Switzerland in the same way crossing fingers is used in the British Isles, Ireland and North America.
Touching wood
Touching wood is a gesture (or simply an invocation when the expression ‘touch wood’ is spoken) used to counter the threat one may incur when boasting or willing something to happen – or not to happen. Today simply saying ‘touch wood’ is considered enough, but in the past it was always necessary actually to touch wood. The practice of touching wood may be an inheritance from the ancient understanding that speaking of one’s good fortune would anger the gods and tempt fate. The practice is often associated with seeking the protection of the wood of the cross, or with ancient beliefs in benevolent wood gods and spirits that could be conjured up for protection by a knock or a touch. Other sources, however, argue that the custom of touching wood is not ancient at all and is simply derived from a nineteenth-century children’s game called ‘tig-touch-wood’, in which children would be ‘safe’ during a game of tag when they were touching wood. All of the explanations have their merits, but which is the definitive origin is uncertain. Americans, incidentally, say ‘knock on wood’ rather than ‘touch wood’.
Throwing a shoe for luck
It was customary, from as far back as the sixteenth century, to throw an old shoe after a person departing (on foot, by carriage or by ship) for good luck. The custom was extended to cars, and remains today only in the disappearing practice of tying an old pair of shoes to the back of newlyweds’ cars. The shoes are meant to bring good luck and fertility to the couple. The origins of this superstition are unknown and puzzling. It may be that since shoes were precious goods in the past, to throw one behind a person would suggest abundance and wealth, throwing the shoe being something equivalent to throwing a coin into a fountain, constituting a sacrifice of sorts. Another possible explanation might relate to the journey: since the shoe being thrown is old, the gesture may bring good luck in the sense of suggesting that the person departing might return with a new shoe (or hopefully a pair) for the loved one left behind.
Pointing a finger brings bad luck
In the past, to point a finger at somebody was considered very unlucky. To point at somebody was seen as equivalent to cursing them because it was thought that the index finger would concentrate evil forces in the direction it was pointed; it would also bring misfortune to the person pointing the finger by causing anger and conflict. It was considered particularly unlucky to point at a funeral procession as this gesture was bound to bring a new death in the town. Similarly, it was thought to be unlucky to point at rainbows, stars or the moon – these gestures, in fact, were seen as sinful and disrespectful (this belief may be a remnant from ancient times when these natural phenomena were worshipped). At times of heightened hysteria about witchcraft, women were arrested simply for pointing their finger in the direction of someone. Today the action of pointing a finger and the expression ‘to point a finger at someone’ are both read as gestures of accusation and we no longer see it as a gesture that brings bad luck. It is likely, however, that the idea that it is rude and inappropriate derived from this old superstition.
Throwing coins into a fountain for luck
It is considered good luck to throw coins into a fountain. The origins of this gesture are ancient, dating back to a time when all bodies of water were thought to be inhabited by gods, spirits or fairies. Originally it was customary to throw pieces of a sacrificed body into the water (only very early on would these sacrifices have been of human bodies – they soon consisted rather of animal sacrifices, or even statues and figurines made out of wood, stone or bone) in order to appease the water spirit. Today the gesture is thought to bring good luck in the form of a wish come true. If one makes a wish, it is normally customary to throw the coin over one’s shoulder, tossing it backwards into the fountain or well. In Rome, when one throws a coin into the famous Trevi Fountain, visitors are recommended one day to wish to return to Rome. So when in Rome …
Making the sign of the cross
To make the sign of the cross was thought to bring luck and protection from misfortune and was often used as a gesture against evil forces. Today it is common for sportsmen to cross themselves before attempting a particularly challenging sports feat, or for gamblers to sit cross-legged in the hope of having luck on their side. In the past, the sign of the cross was more commonly seen, for example, written on bread before being put in the oven or marked on doors and cribs to protect from evil witches. The sign of the cross was also thought to bring healing from very early in history, as far back as AD 1000. The gesture is a general symbol of blessing bestowed upon the congregation during Catholic ceremonies. It is still common for people to cross themselves upon seeing a funeral procession so as to bless the deceased and those dear to him or her and to ensure protection from any ill will coming from the dead. There is also the familiar childhood saying ‘crossing my heart’, often followed by ‘and hope to die’, when making a promise, calling the power of the cross against oneself if the promise is broken. The origins of this expression are obscure but its use seems confined to the world of child play, probably only dating back to the nineteenth century.
It is unlucky to open an umbrella indoors.
AROUND THE HOME
Breaking a mirror
To break a mirror is said to bring seven years of bad luck. If a mirror breaks of its own accord, this is also considered a terrible omen, foretelling the death of someone dear to the mirror’s owner. The origins of this superstition may be linked to ancient beliefs surrounding reflections more generally, which were seen to have magical properties and to retain something of the soul of the person looking into them. To shatter a reflection by creating ripples in water or by breaking a mirror would thus be seen as dangerous for the soul, exposing it to witchcraft, to the working of the Devil or of evil spirits. The reasons for the bad luck being for seven years may be linked to the connection between the number seven and the fact that God created the world in seven days. There would thus be a cycle of bad or good fortune spanning seven years in parallel to the seven days of God’s creation. The superstition may, however, also be linked to the even more ancient notion that the most important changes in life occur over seven-year time periods. The damaging influence of the broken mirror would thus affect people for the entire duration of a seven-year cycle unless countermeasures were taken. The two best-known remedies for the broken mirror curse are throwing the broken pieces of the mirror into a river, or burying them in sacred ground.
Hanging a horseshoe over a threshold
Horseshoes are among the most celebrated symbols of good luck and they are constantly represented in cards, wedding confetti and charm bracelets. Their main purpose is to ward off evil, although finding a horseshoe or walking under a threshold over which an iron horseshoe has been hanged are both thought to be particularly lucky events. The origins of this superstition are unclear. Some associate the power of the horseshoe to the fact that it is made of iron, a metal considered powerful since ancient times, and made even more powerful by its Christian association with the nails of the cross. In the British Isles it was common to think that fairies and witches did not like iron and stood clear of it. Others associate the horseshoe to early horse-worshipping rituals or link the crescent shape of the horseshoe to the moon or rainbows, which were both considered lucky symbols and were worshipped in pre-Christian societies. Horseshoes with seven holes in them