Bizarre beliefs range
from sex to weather
Focus, The Battalion Q
Thursday, March 12, 1981 -7
By Kate McElroy
Battalion Staff
The musical group Devo re
minded us of the old schoolyard
superstition: "Step on a crack,
break your momma's back." But
there are more superstitions
more complicated and bizarre
than the standard lore. Here are
some of the more off-the-wall
beliefs that are mentioned in va
rious books about folklore and
superstitions.
Weather superstitions:
— If it snows on Christmas,
Easter will be green.
— If you see a dog eating
grass, it's going to rain soon.
— Sleep with a flower under
your pillow tonight — the
weather will be fair tomorrow.
Sex and Superstitions:
— Peel an apple in one long
strip, throw it over your left
shoulder, and the peel will fall in
the shape of your future hus
band's initial. (The book didn't
specify which initial, and ob
viously this one pertains to
women).
— Men who kill glow-worms
are forever doomed to tragic
love affairs.
— A burning sensation of the
right cheek is welcomed by men
and women; it's a sign their lov
ers are thinldng of them.
—If a woman obtains the root
of a wolf's tail, she must soak it
in water; the lotion it creates
should then be rubbed on her
right breast to ensure her lover's
sincerity.
— Two spoons in a saucer
foretell a wedding.
— If an engaged woman
drops her fork, the marriage is
off.
— A woman with a mole on
her left breast is irrestible to
men, but...
— A woman should beware
of a man with a mole on his left
shoulder.
—If a couple is photographed
together, their relationship will
coUapse.
Animals and Superstitions:
—Cut off the tip of a dog's tail
and carry it with you — that dog
will never harm you.
— If you see a stray dog on
your lawn, cross your fingers
and hold them tight, and the
dog won't defecate on your
property.
— Hold your breath and bees
won't sting you.
Evil spirits and superstitions:
— If you shiver, someone is
walking over the spot where
you will be buried.
— Spitting is a protection
against witches.
— Witches are not only fond
of black cats, but also of black
sheep (thus the term "the black
sheep of the family.")
Miscellaneous superstitions:
—If your knee itches, you will
kneel in a strange church; if the
sole of your feet itches, you'll
walk over a strange ground; if
your elbow itches, you'll sleep
with a stranger.
— Touching the hump of a
hunchback will bring success,
especially if you touch him
while making the sign of the
cross.
— If two persons wash in the
same water, it's bad luck.
— The opal gem is bad luck to
the owner unless he was bom in
October.
— A baby should never look
in a mirror before he's four
months old; to look before then
will cause rickets.
Luck sours on Friday 13th
By Ruth M. Daly
Battalion Reporter
Students leaving for spring
break Friday will probably see
the day as a particularly good
T.G.I.F. and disregard the su
perstition that it's bad luck to
start a journey on a Friday.
But this Friday is bad news for
the superstitious — it's Friday
the thirteenth.
The superstition that Friday is
an unlucky day originated with
the Scandinavians. It was the
festival day of the goddess
Freya, the goddess of love, and
only unlucky for those who dis
regarded her festivities to follow
their own pursuits.
In Europe, Friday was hang
man's day; it was the day crimin
als were executed.
Superstitious Christians con
sider it an unlucky day because
Christ was crucified on a Friday.
However, it's good luck to die
on Friday, be buried on Satur
day and be prayed for on
Sunday.
Thirteen generally represents
misfortune, bad luck, contradic
tion, death, disaster or min.
Ancient holy men regarded
the number as sacred, so they
didn't mention it. This hesita
tion led common people to be
lieve 13 was evil.
Superstitious Christians con
sider the number unlucky be
cause 13 men were present at
Christ's Last Supper.
Even today some sailors re
gard the thirteenth day of the
month as such a bad day that
they don't like to leave port on
the thirteenth, especially if it
falls on a Friday.
Dr. Joe Graham, a folklore
teacher at Texas A&M Universi
ty, said people are superstitious
today because superstitions give
them some sense of control over
their lives.
Even though the original
meaning of some superstitions
may be forgotten, Graham said,
superstitions provide ways to
explain why bad things happen.
There's an "after this there
fore because of this" logic be
hind superstitions, Graham
said. If something bad happens
to someone and he remembers
that he walked under a ladder or
that a black cat crossed his path,
the person can blame his misfor-
tune on the superstitious inci
dent.
For example, Graham said, if
a telephone pole falls on a per
son's car and the person remem
bers a black cat crossed his path,
the person then has a legitimate
explanation for his bad luck.
This reasoning helps him feel he
has some control over his life,
and so he thinks he can avoid
future unfortunate events by
avoiding black cats.
Graham said that supersti
tious people stay home on Fri
day the thirteenth to avoid bad
luck.
He said that in the United
States and similar cultures, the
home is considered a safe place.
Superstitious people in these
cultures believe they can control
what will happen to them when
they're at home, Graham said.
Graham said that today, even
some rational people have su
perstitious rituals.
Some students, for example,
use their "lucky pencil" for ex
ams and wear their "lucky
underwear" on test days.
And people tend to pray more
when they're in trouble, Gra
ham said, so they can find some
help from beyond and gain con
trol over their futures.
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