There are many odd pieces of folklore to do with
hair.
In old country houses there always used to be big, open fires,
burning wood or coal. When people were cutting their hair, they
used to throw a few strands on to the fire. If the hair burnt
quickly, then the person was going to have a long life.
However, they were also careful not to cut their own hair, but to
let someone else do it. The reason is that cutting your own hair
makes you unlucky to be with. I would say it also makes you
something of a contortionist, unless your hair is very long. It
would also make a total mess of your hairstyle.
Country people were also very anxious not to drop their combs
while combing their hair. This, they thought, brought dis-
appointment.
Anyone who happened to notice a stray hair on their shoulder
believed that this meant a letter was on its way. And sometimes,
if the shape of the strand of hair was like a letter of the
alphabet, that letter was taken to be the initial of the sender.
The main use we have for handkerchiefs is to blow
our noses on them. However, there's an old superstition which
claims that they can be used to keep away evil.
First tie some knots in the hanky, and then hang it up on the
front door or at the end of your bed when you go to sleep. The
evil spirits will be so amazed by the strangeness and intricacy
of even the simplest of knots that they will spend hours studying
them. Consequently they will not bother you.
By the way, it's bad luck for couples who are engaged to be
married to give each other handkerchiefs. It means they will
never marry.
Have you ever wanted to see into the future? Have
you ever wanted to know what you'll be doing in ten or twenty
years' time? Well there's no guarantee that it will work, but
here is an old country'recipe'which might help you.
Get hold of a herring which has been salted whole, bones and all.
Now eat it in exactly three mouthfuls. Then go straight to bed,
without spealdng to anyone. You are not allowed to eat
"anything else or have anything to drink - even though
you've probably got a very salty taste in your mouth.
If all goes well you will dream of your future.
Have you ever had hiccoughs that go on and on?
What remedies have you tried to get rid of them?
The most popular old cure is to drink out of a glass backwards.
This doesn't mean you turn your back on the glass, but that you
drink out of the opposite side to normal. You will have to bend
over, and will probably spill some water, so do it over a sink.
In Greece, hiccoughs mean that someone who dislikes you is
thinking about you. As far as the Greeks are concerned, the only
way to get rid of them is to guess the person's name.
A horse chestnut is not a kind of four-legged
animal. It is another name for a conker. Schoolchildren down the
ages have spent many long hours standing under horsechestnut
trees trying to knock down those precious conkers. As far as they
are concerned there's only one worthwhile thing to do with horse
chestnuts - put them on pieces of string and have a game of
conkers. But some people believe that they have other uses.
It has long been thought that they have the power to cure pain.
People who have conditions, such as arthritis or bad backache,
sometimes carry a couple of conkers around with them in their
pockets.
Horse chestnuts are generally considered to be lucky in America.
They are not called conkers there however, the American nickname
for them is 'buckeyes'.
For ages and ages, horseshoes have been extremely
popular lucky charms. You will often see them hanging on people's
walls, or (in smaller versions) round their necks.
It's very important to keep the 'points' of the horseshoe facing
upwards rather than downwards, otherwise your luck will
literally 'run out'.
It is difficult to tell exactly why they came to be seen as lucky
objects. Their shape is probably something to do with it. It is
very similar to that of a rainbow, for example, which is also
said to bring luck.
It may also owe something to the actual process of shoeing a
horse. When a blacksmith nails the horseshoe to the horse's foot,
it doesn't hurt at all. This is because it is protected by the
rough outer layer of the hoof, which is insensitive, rather like
your fingernails. However, in the old days, people may have seen
things differently. They may have believed that the horseshoe
itself had the ability to stop pain. Consequently they thought it
was lucky.
Seamen, particularly, pin their faith in horseshoes. Lord Nelson
had one hanging on the mast of his ship Victory at the Battle of
Trafalgar.
If you are moving into a new house or flat, here
is a way of bringing your whole family good luck.
Go and find some bread and some salt. Then walk into each
different room carrying the bread in one hand and the salt
in the other. This is meant to please any spirits which are
around.
Another common 'house' superstition concerns what you must do if
you ever forget your keys, and have to climb in through a window.
When you have managed to get into your house, and have opened the
door, you must remember to do a rather strange thing. Go back out
through the window before entering through the door agam.
You may feel a bit silly, but it may be worth it in the long run.
Jjust watch out the police don't see you climbing out of the
wmdow and get the wrong idea. It may be rather
difficult to explain!
Back to MAVWEB or SUPERSTITIONS INDEX PAGE