Superstitions

It’s late and you are walking home at a brisk pace in an attempt to beat the oncoming storm. You are only a few streets from your destination when you spot a lithe black cat making its way towards you, angled to cross your path. Just like that you decided to risk getting a good soak rather than let the black cat cross your path, succumbing to an old superstition rooted in legends of witchcraft.

The Black Cat Superstition

Cats certainly are unique creatures. They can be soft, fuzzy and pleasant, and they can be bristling, spitting balls of razor sharp teeth and claws. Seeing a black cat is –depending on the country you are in at the time-- considered bordering on unlucky times, but having a black cat cross your path is considered by many to be an omen of doom; not only is it bad luck, it is VERY bad luck. From there the superstition goes as far as belief that the black cat is a demon in disguise trying to cut off a person’s access to heaven. What would drive people to believe such malignance would come from a kitty cat?

The origin of the Black Cat Superstition

The actual origins of the black cat crossing your path superstition is a bit of a mystery, but there are a few ideas. Cat’s ability to move silently and practically undetected put some people on edge, and their association with Egyptian religion added to the uneasiness in some Christian cultures. From here it was said that cats- and black cats in particular- acted as “familiars” to witches, creatures that are imbibed with an evil, otherworldly sentience that give power to their master. What God fearing Christian who believed in witches wouldn’t fear them, back when such rumours began?

Cats are sneaky, clever, agile hunters with a strong streak of independence- more reasons to add them into legend and wives tales. There are a lot of superstitions centred around cats, some colour specific, some not, and some even contradict each other.

In Scotland a strange black cat appearing on your porch is an omen as well- but a good one. It means that prosperity is on the way. If you hear a cat sneeze in Italy then you are in for a streak of good luck, as you are if you dream of a white cat in America. If you happen to spot a white cat in America as the sun sets, however, you might be in trouble.

Cats are not allowed in the room if family is having a private talk in the Netherlands- the fear is that the cat will spread gossip all over town, and the family secrets will be out. Don’t be too hard on the cat in Ireland, however- killing a cat there brings 17 years of bad luck.

Final Thoughts

So, a black cat crossing your path is unlucky, you say? Interestingly that is that many believe in the USA and many European countries, but that very same belief in Japan is flipped on its head- they believe it is good luck. The next time a black cat crosses your path, just say “Konichiwa” and take control of your own luck.

“Do you need a little luck? Who doesn’t? Today is your lucky day! Copy this letter word for word, and send it on to ten people you know, and you will experience life changing luck within 48 hours! It works, trust me!” So reads a typical chain letter, one of the few superstition based schemes that worked so well that- when it comes to money- it is deemed illegal in many countries.

The Chain Letter Superstition

Here is how it works- you open a letter and find a promise, and often a threat in one neat package. This letter promises you love, money, luck, friendship, and asks you to do one simple thing- pass it on. If you don’t, however, you will wind up with the opposite of what you seek. Bad luck will befall you, because you dared to break the chain. Such is the typical chain letter, something that has ranges from an annoyance to an outright scam in some cases.

Types of Chain Letters

The most common chain letter is one that claims good luck follows those who follow the chain. In most cases bad luck will befall those who break the chain- this is sometimes only hinted at, sometimes spelled out in plain language. Sometimes “luck” is substituted with “prayer” or “blessings”, but the basic formula remains the same. The author of the letter relates how they received their copy, followed the rules, and was blessed with good fortune of one stripe or another. This same person knows some else who did not follow the instructions, broke the chain, and was visited with misfortune.

Another very common type is the pyramid scheme letter. The same concept applies- that good will come to the recipient of this letter if they simply follow instructions- but this time that good fortune is in the form of an actual fortune. The most common form of these money pyramid scheme letters works like this; there is a list of five names, and you are supposed to send money to the person at the top, then copy the list, removing the top person, and add your name at the bottom. The idea is that by the time your name reaches the top the number of people in the chain will have increased exponentially and the money you sent out will be returned to you many fold.

If that sounds a little fishy, you are not alone. In many cases sending a request for money that is supposed to result in great rewards is strictly illegal, and for good reason. There are a host of reasons why such a scheme would not work, starting with the uncertain honesty of the people who receive your letter. If they substitute their name for the top name and send it on, your name doesn’t move on the list—this could go on indefinitely, and you never receive your promised windfall.

Final Thoughts

Chain mails have moved on to the virtual realm in the form of emails. The speed and ease one can now send on chain mail is staggering, simply by a few clicks in their email client. Fortunately many of these are relatively harmless, but a word to the wise- there is no way that sending on an email to “x people in your contact list” can make an image or video appear on your screen.

In the Old West of America a cowboy lived and died by his wits, his gun, and sometimes his play of cards. The legend goes that one such cowboy, Wild Bill Hickok, was shot dead in cold blood in the midst of a hand of poker. His cards spilled out, showing two Eights and two Aces. Whether or not he would have won the pot is unknown, but this poker hand has forever been labelled the Dead Man’s Hand, and is considered an ill omen at the card table. The Dead Man's Hand and other card Superstitions It is pretty easy to see why ill luck was ascribed to the Dead Man’s Hand, although the missing fifth card in the story makes it possible that someone dealt Aces and Eights has only a one in thirteen chance of getting the actual hand- and how would they know? This is far from the only superstition that comes along with playing cards. Card games are built at least in part around luck, so it would make sense that gamblers would come up with all manner of superstitions dealing with playing cards. If you find yourself with a bad run of luck at the game, reseating yourself is supposed to change your luck. Getting up and then taking your seat again, sometimes after spinning the chair around and then straddling it backwards, is supposed to give a player a fresh start. Of course the brief exercise could also serve to clear a player’s head and help them focus on the game at hand. During the course of a game a player getting a run of spades in all their hands is said to be facing a bad fortune outside the game—endless spades supposed heralds death itself. Whistling or singing during play, playing on an uncovered surface, dropping cards are all considered bad luck; or perhaps the superstitions here were created by fellow poker players who were tired of the distractions come from whistling, cards sliding off the table, and butter-fingered players who might also be trying to cheat. Of course there are some things the poker player in the know can do to give him or herself good luck. Blowing on the cards while shuffling them is supposed to “fetch” good cards to the dealer, as is fanning through the deck and touching a favorite card with the right index finger. Waiting to pick up the cards until they are all dealt staves off bad luck (as well as giving away what you are holding by your reaction) as well. Final Thoughts In addition to the Dead Man’s Hand there are a few famous legends and superstitions associated with specific cards or hands. The four of clubs is known as the Devil’s Bedpost, and is considered ill to get in the first hand of a game. A bit more specific is the nine of diamonds, which can be seen as similar to the family crest of Dalrymple’s of Scotland, perhaps the source of the legend that John Dalrymple wrote “Kill them all” on this card and thus ordered the Glen Coe massacre of 1692.

Standing in the lift waiting for your stop you idly follow the progression of floors as they tick by in the display window near the door. Heading for the top of the office complex, you know you are in for a bit of a wait as you watch the numbers slowly flick from single to double digits. Ten…eleven…twelve…fourteen…wait, fourteen? What happened to thirteen? It appears that the building’s management were out to serve the interests of those who suffer from Triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number 13.

The Number 13 Superstition

Many people and many cultures have a fear of the number 13. The official term of this fear, Triskaidekaphobia, comes from the Greek words for fear and for thirteen, but the fear did not originate with the Greeks. The fear of the number thirteen is said to have a number of different sources, some which are attributed to Christian beliefs, and some to old counting methods. Many of the Christian beliefs are linked to the Last Supper, where Jesus is said to have sat in the 13th seat, and thus the number carries with it a curse. Others say that Judas was the 13th guest, or that Lucifer was the 13th angel. This last concept could have come from an old Norse belief that Loki was the 13th god, and when he showed up at Baldur’s funeral (despite being Baldur’s killer) he was the 13th guest.

To this day sufferers from Triskaidekaphobia will refuse to be the 13th guest at any gathering, as they believe it means they are destined to die in a year. While the origins of the number 13 superstitions are lost in the mists of time, the fears are very real, leading some businesses to respond in a very real way. Many hotels, for example, will leave the number 13 off the lift options, making the 13th floor the 14th floor. Suffers from Triskaidekaphobia seem happy enough with this logic, ignoring the fact that the “14th” floor is still the 13th, just masquerading under another name.

Friday the 13th

While the fear of the number 13 and its superstitions seem to be found in any country, the fear of Friday the 13th is specific to certain cultures…although there are a lot of them. Nations where the languages are English, German, Portuguese, Polish or French have cases of a fear that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day; once again the origins of such a superstition can not be specifically pinned down, but are open to speculation.

Final Thoughts

There have always been cases of fear of the number 13, and feelings that Friday is an unlucky day, but putting them both together as one fear did not occur—at least no written record can be found- before around 1880 in an accounting of someone being unlucky to have died on that day. The fear of Friday being an unlucky day is often linked to the belief that the day of the week that Jesus was crucified on was a Friday, yet that day is honored in many a Christian church as “Good Friday.”

Sitting down to an elegant dinner in tie and tails are a room full of distinguished men each seeming bent on out-shining the next in terms of breeding and class. As one reaches across the table to retrieve the dish of butter, his arm hits the salt cellar, which wobbles once or twice, and then falls. The crystals of salt have barely scattered on to the silk table cloth when the gentleman reaches forward, picks up a few grains in a pinch, and then tosses them over his left shoulder. This display of the superstitions about spilling salt passes uncommented upon as the dinner continues.

The Spilling Salt Superstition

It is considered bad luck to spill salt, but the superstition most associated with this activity is not the act of spilling, but what comes next. In order to prevent the bad luck from settling on the salt spiller, the person who did the pilling is required to toss some of the spilled salt over his left shoulder. This very specific action is supposed to act as a shield, but must be done immediately for its benefits to take hold. This very interesting superstition has been around for a very long time, although its exact origins are obscured in history.

The Origin of the Spilling Salt Superstition

The origins of the spilling salt superstitions may lie in the fact that spilling salt was considered bad form long before it was considered bad luck. In ancient times salt was an expensive commodity, and one that had many useful purposes. Wasting salt, therefore, was frowned upon, and so some suggest that the admonition of spilling salt being “bad luck” came about as a way to stop the careless from wasting a precious spice.

But what of throwing the salt over the shoulder- and why the left shoulder so specifically? In some Christian beliefs the Devil hangs about over the left (also known as the Sinister) side of the body, looking for an opportunity to invade. Spilling salt, seen as an invitation for the Devil to do his handy work, needs to be accounted for- tossing said salt over the left shoulder puts it square in the devil’s face, just as he is on the attack.

There is another Christian origin that some ascribe to the superstition that spilling salt is bad luck. Like the Holy Grail myth and the superstition about the number 13, the idea that spilling salt can bring you ill is linked to the Last Supper. The famous painting by Da Vinci shows the betrayer Judas having just knocked over a salt vessel, spilling the spice all over the table.

Final Thoughts

Salt is common enough today that spilling a bit isn’t considered a major crime, nor is it common to see the spillers ducking and weaving to avoid an oncoming attack by evil spirits lurking over their shoulder. However, whether in jest or as a nod to the beliefs of their elders, you may see even some of the very young take a pinch of salt and toss it over their left shoulder before continuing with their meal.