SUPERSTITIONS

Jillian Stringfellow

WHAT IS A SUPERSTITION?

Superstitions have been around since the

beginning of man kind. It’s the irrational fear of the

unknown. Many people fear the idea of death, and

they tend to create these superstitions based off of

things that they see in their every day life. Like the

unlucky number 13, or that spilling salt on a table

will give you bad luck for 7 years.

SUPERSTITION EXAMPLE:

An example of superstitions that many tend to believe is

the one about the black cat. It is to be said that if one is to

cross paths with a black cat, they have misfortune coming

to their future.

A book written in 1584 called Beware the Cat talked

about witches, and how black cats were said to be witches

in disguise.

During the middle ages, black cats brains were used for

witch hunters and spells that were used to ward them off.

MAGIC AND SUPERSTITIONS

Magic and Superstitions have the same origins.

They both spring from the belief in supernatural

forces that can possibly control the courses of

peoples lives and the way they live it. Due to the

superstitions that people have believed over time it

brought the idea of magic and ways to ward off the

fear, summon good fortune and placing angry deities

on others.

WHITE MAGIC

Superstitions are related to white magic in the

way that people will believe that the rituals they

are practicing will supposedly bring them good

luck, prevent illnesses and ward off evils.

Superstitions and white magic both have to do

with ways of over coming negative acts by

threatening omens.

BLACK MAGIC

Black magic can relate to superstitions because it

is what superstitions are warding off. In another

sense it is what the people fear. Black magic is the

act of evil that causes harm to others. Superstitions

are made around black magic and fear what the

“harm” may be, the superstitions is made to ward off

the evil sports that black magic brings.

ANCIENT SUPERSTITIONS

During ancient times, they created objects

that are similar to good luck charms that we

have today, but they were called talisman.

Talisman were created to put magical

influences on evils spirits and frighten them

away.

EARLY CHRISTIANITY

Early Christians changed the meaning of

superstitions to a more negative side. The church

fathers used roman statues as their new idols, starts

sending scarifies to the devil, and oracles as the

voices of common demons. These acts were said not

to be ones of those who belong to religion, because

religion is through true belief. Lactatius said that

they were of superstitions, because superstitions are

just false beliefs.

ANCIENT GREEKS

Superstitions were first used in a positive way during

ancient times. The Greeks called superstitions

deisidaimonia, which was referred to as “God-fearing”.

It wasn’t until B.C.E when superstitions became

warding off the negative. It was the character of one

man who had an obsession with warding off the anger of

god. After this the negative superstition because more

common.

MEDIEVAL SUPERSTITIONS

Many superstitions that we know about today derive from

the ideas they had during medieval times, like the ideas of

witches, Jack-o-lanterns and Halloween. It was believed that

witches flew on broom sticks because horses repelled them,

which is why people would hang the horseshoe above doors.

Halloween was said to be the night when witches could roam

free on the land or it was the night of the dead to early

Christianity. Halloween was actually recorded all the way

back to 800 AD.

NIELS BOHR

For many years it has been said that a horseshoe is

to bring good luck. One example of superstitions

believers is Niels Bohr, above the door in his

laboratory he would have a horseshoe. He said even

though he didn’t believe in superstitions it’s still said

to bring him good luck with his experiments and

projects.

MODERN SUPERSTITIONS

Unlike in the earlier time, superstitions today are

less likely to go against modern religion an is more

likely to oppose with science, modern life style or

reason. Research has been done recently to discover

which groups of population are most likely to believe

in superstitions and which ones those might be.

QUESTION

What are superstitions?

Why is magic usually associated with

superstitions?

Where did many superstitions we know today

derive from?

What was the horseshoe said to do?

What is it called when an act of evils causes harm

to others?

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