Black Cats & April Fools - Origins of Old Wives Tales and Superstitions in Our Daily Lives. Harry Oliver

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      Finding money

      Oddly, you may think, it was once considered very unlucky to find money on the ground. This belief dates as far back as the sixteenth century. In order to help ensure that they did not have to deal with the misfortune that would result from discovering a few handy coppers lying around, wily individuals took protective measures, the most common being to spit on the found money. If the coins were somehow damaged, they were considered lucky and could be picked up without any danger. The origins of this superstition are unclear but one could imagine that a poor person found in possession of coins might be accused of theft, and a broken or damaged coin would most likely have been discarded by its owner and would thus pose no threat to those who found it. It may also be that the superstition was spread as a general protective measure for the good of the community, to make it more likely that lost money would be returned to its original owner. Nowadays, it would surely take a truly superstitious individual to walk past a few coins glinting at them in the sun …

      Stepping on a crack in the pavement

      It is considered unlucky to step on cracks in the pavement. Today this belief is often held by children who know the rhyme ‘Step on a crack, break your mother’s back’ (assuming they’re not in a sulk with their mothers, that is). This superstition dates back to the late nineteenth century, when a racist version of today’s rhyme became popular. Although the supposed logic behind it is unclear, the original rhyme suggested that, were one to step on the cracks, one would have a black baby, which during that racist time was considered an unlucky event. A later version of the rhyme turned into ‘Step on a crack and your mother will turn black’, which then shifted again, probably sometime in the 1950s, to its non-racist modern equivalent. Another superstition surrounding stepping on cracks linked the number of cracks one stepped on and the number of dishes you would break that day, though the origins of this version of the superstition are difficult to ascertain.

      Parting at bridges, crossing bridges and walking under them

      Bridges, because they are often suspended between two stretches of land or over the dangers of water, have evoked several popular superstitions. Perhaps the most common is the belief that if one says goodbye to a friend on a bridge this is a sure sign that you will never see that person again: the bridge is a symbol of separation, with each friend belonging to a different stretch of land and growing apart. There are several superstitions warning against being the first person to cross a new bridge because the Devil, called to the bridge by his envy at man’s ability to build something so complex, would avenge himself by taking the soul of the first person to cross it. Sometimes animals would be sent across the bridge first as a preventive measure against such an occurrence. In Norway it was once thought that trolls lived under bridges, so it was important to have something to give them or flatter them with so they would not pester those who wanted to cross (and this myth has reached English culture in the form of the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff). It is common for those who work on constructing bridges to leave a symbolic amount of money in the plaster or cement making up the bridge to protect it and bring it good luck in the years to come. Wine is also sometimes used for the same purpose: bottles of wine are broken against the surface of the bridge when it is opened in the same way that is done for baptising ships. In some places it is considered very unlucky to walk under a bridge while a train or other vehicle is passing above, for the perhaps obvious reason that the bridge may collapse under such weight. To counter such a superstition, people are supposed to touch the roof of their car if they are driving, or spit, or cross their fingers. Touching the roof of the car is clearly a gesture intended to hold the bridge up. But please, should you feel the need to do this while driving, only use one hand – letting go of the steering wheel altogether seems far more likely to bring disaster to the modern driver.

      Crossroads

      In the past, crossroads were considered very dangerous places where one was likely to meet spirits, in particular the ghosts of suicides (who would often be buried there so that their soul would be confused and would not know how to find its way back to the place where it died). Crossroads marked the border between the safe world of the village and the home, and the unknown where magic, danger and adventure began. It was also common to place hanging gallows at large intersections just outside cities and villages, so crossroads were unpleasant and frightening places to walk past. When it wasn’t their dead bodies left hanging and rotting for all to see, the ghosts of those who had been executed could possibly also be haunting these places. In Catholic countries, small altars to local saints or to the Virgin Mary are often found at crossroads in back streets out in the countryside, perhaps the last remnant of an archaic search for protection. In ancient times sacrifices would sometimes take place at crossroads. In Scandinavia, trolls were thought to gather at crossroads, while in the British Isles it was witches and fairies, and in India and Ancient Greece crossroads marked openings to the world of the gods and the dead.

      Precautions for travellers, or advice for a happy holiday

      In the past, travelling could be a very frightening and dangerous activity, so it is not surprising that many superstitions evolved around the act of setting out on a journey. A traveller leaving their home would look up at the sky and at the landscape around to notice any movement of wildlife. Anything appearing on the left side of the traveller was considered a bad omen for the journey, while anything appearing on the right was considered auspicious. To return home after setting off, for whatever reason, was considered very unlucky and likely to curse the entire trip. It was recommended, if returning home was unavoidable, that the traveller leave again the following morning, or that they perform various purification rituals before setting out again, such as lighting a candle in the local church or spitting and making the sign of the cross. It was considered bad luck to look back towards home having left, and it was also considered unlucky for those left behind to watch the traveller until they disappeared behind the horizon.

      A superstition that many people still believe in today relates to St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers: to wear a silver medal or to carry around a small statue of the saint is said to protect the traveller from any misfortune. This superstition is clearly based in the Catholic tradition, where patron saints are believed to protect all aspects of daily life. The name Christopher comes from the Greek kristos (Christ) and phero (to carry) and is connected to a myth about a giant to whom the baby Christ appeared in the form of a small child wanting to cross a river. The giant carried the child across. The amulets of St Christopher always depict a tall man carrying a stick and a small baby on his back or in his arms. So next time you have a holiday from hell, perhaps you shouldn’t just blame the holiday rep or the monstrous building site blocking your sea-view – think about how you may be partly to blame for not having paid heed to this wealth of superstitions. Or just stop going on those package deals …

      Having a woman on board a ship

      In the past it was considered very unlucky to have a woman on a ship, especially a prostitute, as it was thought that her presence would cause storms and possibly shipwreck. This superstition probably originated from the social tensions and problems that might arise among the crew of bachelor men if a woman was on board, and from the sense that sex would distract sailors from their duties aboard the ship. An extension of this superstition led to the practice of having scantily clad or completely naked women carved on the bow of ships, as offerings to the seas who were thought to be calmed by the sight of female nudity. These days, with some women single-handedly sailing yachts around the globe, it seems that having a woman on board a ship can actually lead to great things.

       CHAPTER THREE: ACTIONS AND GESTURES

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