Who never knocked on wood three times to ward off bad luck, throw the first fig, charm, horseshoe or other amulet that is worth it! Superstitions have existed since man was understood by man. Although there is no scientific proof that they really work, beliefs of all kinds still resist today. And, believe me, they may not only have influenced but guaranteed human evolution itself. “In the beginning, individuals who made associations between cause and effect, even without rational basis — that is, they were superstitious — had a better chance of survival”, says American biologist Kevin Foster, from Harvard University. “Some of these associations ended up protecting these individuals from certain dangers.”
For example: whenever he heard a noise in the forest, a group that imagined it was the approach of predators or demons would end up fleeing from there. Most of the time, it was just a random rumble, like the sound of thunder. However, when it was actually a question of the approach of a pride of lions, the “superstitious ones” were no longer there to become food. Here’s how some of the world’s most popular superstitions came to be.
1) BREAKING A MIRROR IS BAD LUCK
Among the ancient Greeks, a popular divination method consisted of using a bowl of water to reflect the image of the person who wanted to know about his destiny. If, during the consultation, the container fell and broke, it was a sign that the person would die or have cloudy days ahead. The Romans adapted the Greek oracle and added that misfortune would last for seven years, the time that each cycle of life would last. When the first glass mirrors appeared, still in the Middle Ages, superstition also began to have an economic function: as they were very expensive objects, employees were warned that breaking them was bad luck. Read a more detailed explanation in the article we wrote for issue 13.
2) FOUR LEAF CLOVER IS LUCKY
It is believed that the first to use the four-leaf clover as a talisman were the druids, ancient Celtic priests, in the first millennium BC: whoever had one of these little plants could see demons in the forest and thus escape them. The clover’s power would come from its rarity in nature—it usually only has three leaves. In addition, four was considered a kabbalistic number: there are four seasons, the cardinal points, the alchemical elements (water, air, fire and earth) and the phases of the Moon.
3) DO NOT GO UNDER A LADDER
According to one of the theories about the origin of this superstition, it would come from the association between the Christian dogma of the Holy Trinity, which should never be violated, and the triangle formed by the shadow of a ladder leaning against a wall. Passing under the stairs would be like desecrating the sacred triangle, a very serious sin with disastrous consequences. Another hypothesis is that the belief emerged in medieval Europe, because of attacks on castles. As the invaders used ladders leaning against the walls to invade the fortresses, the main defense was to pour boiling oil over the enemies. That is, whoever was under the stairs could receive a fatal shower.
4) EARS WARM UP WHEN THEY SPEAK BAD ABOUT YOU
It is not known for sure when the belief that if someone is talking badly about you, your ears will «catch fire». But as late as the middle of the 1st century, the Roman historian Pliny the Elder tried to find an explanation. For him, the origin of superstition would be linked to the idea, widespread at the time, that there was a kind of “universal mercury” in the air, a substance that would allow the transfer of energy between people. So when someone talks about you, even if you are leagues away, the words end up reaching your ears. In any case, if your ears are hot, it doesn’t hurt to know the recipe for counteracting the gossip of others: just bite the little finger of your left hand lightly so that the gossiper takes a big bite out of his own tongue!
5) BLACK CAT IS BAD GOODNESS
Due to their nocturnal habits, cats, especially black ones, were associated with occult forces and witchcraft in medieval Europe: for many, cats would be the disguise used by witches in their nocturnal wanderings. Black pussies were so frowned upon that, in the 15th century, Pope Innocent VIII — lo and behold! — included them on the list of those persecuted by the Inquisition. Crazy stuff aside, a study carried out in 2000 by the Long Island Hospital, in New York (USA), revealed that people who have black cats at home are four times more vulnerable to allergy symptoms than those who keep light colored cats. . That’s because black kittens have a greater amount of a type of protein in their skin that can aggravate allergic reactions in humans. Read a more detailed explanation in the article we made for issue 2.
6) STAND UP WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT
Among the peoples of antiquity, the right side was more favored than the left, considered cursed. The Romans, for example, made predictions by observing the trajectory of birds: if they flew to the left, they would bring days of bad omen. With the spread of Christianity, the fame of the left side worsened even more, since, according to Christian tradition, God’s elect always remained on His right. With that, centuries passed and starting the day getting up on the right foot became synonymous with good luck. “This is a typical case of autosuggestion. If you get up on your left foot, you already feel vulnerable, you think something bad is going to happen and, as a result, you end up messing up throughout the day,” says psychology professor Antônio Carlos.
7) BEAT ON WOOD
The custom of tapping wood to ward off bad luck already existed among several ancient peoples, such as the Indians of the American continent. The habit was due to the belief that trees were the abode of the gods: whenever any guilt afflicted them, men would hit the trunk to ask for forgiveness. Another possible origin for the superstition is linked to the druids, the Celtic priests, who gave their touches to the trunks to scare away evil spirits, believing that the trees sent the demons back to the depths.
8) THE CURSE FRIDAY THE 13TH
The bad reputation of the date is linked to two Norse myths. According to the first, Loki, the god of evil, penetrated the abode of the gods, where a feast for 12 deities was taking place, and ended up killing the beloved god Balder. From then on, the number 13 became synonymous with disgrace. Another myth tells that, when the Norse converted to Christianity, the beautiful goddess of love, Friga — whose name gave rise to the word Friday (“Friday”, in English)— was transformed into a witch and exiled to a mountain. To pay back, she started to meet on Fridays with 11 witches and the devil — in a total of 13 participants — to curse men. To reinforce the belief, the Bible speaks of the gathering of 13 people at the Last Supper, on the eve of the crucifixion of Jesus, which took place on a Friday. The urucubaca around the date is so big that, according to a study by the British insurance company Norwich Union, the number of accidents on Friday the 13th is greater than on any other day: fearful of the date, people would be more nervous behind the wheel. Detail: the increase in hit rate is — guess what — 13%! Read a more detailed explanation in the article we made for issue 2.
THE MAP OF SUPERSTITION
The beliefs to do well around the world
• 1) In the US, when some guys see a one-eyed cat, they spit on their thumb, rub it in the palm of their hand, and make a wish. They guarantee it works
• two) In Iceland, if a pregnant woman drinks from a cracked glass, she is at serious risk of having a child with a cleft lip.
• 3) In Rome, Italy, coming across a group of nuns is a sign of extreme bad luck. To overcome bad luck, people touch their private parts
• 4) At the turn of the year, it is customary in Russia to burn a paper with a written wish, put the ashes in a glass of champagne and then drink it.
• 5) In Bolivia, clay dolls stuffed with money or other things would attract these objects to their owners. It is enough for a lit cigarette to be “smoked” until the end of the puppets’ mouth.
• 6) In Malta, churches with two towers have a clock affixed to each of them, only the two show different times. This is done so the Devil doesn’t know the right time for Mass.
• 7) In Thailand, almost every shop is decorated with a wooden penis, a symbol of fertility and wealth. The objects — some up to 2 meters long! — also decorate temples
• 8) To have a boyfriend in Japan, girls write the guy’s name on their left arm and cover it with a piece of tape for three days. After a week the citizen would be falling in love with the girl