6 Superstitions and Omens
For the very superstitious, these premonitions and beliefs don't leave much room for second-guessing. See a new meaning for black cats, what to make of ringing ears, and absorb the mystery of everyday life sans modern science.
Compiled by Amy Zerello from Superstitions: 1,013 of the World's Wackiest Myths, Fables & Old Wives Tales
©2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
1. Feline Fallacies
Long ago, visitors to English homes were expected to greet the family cat with a kiss to bring good luck. And believe it or not, in the 16th century, white cats were a sign of bad luck, unlike today's idea about their midnight-cloaked counterparts.
3 More Cat Fancies
In Scotland, if a black cat happened to appear on the doorstep, the family believed their wealth would increase.
In Italy, fisherman's wives kept company with black cats to prevent disasters at sea.
Some folks thought a cat's sneeze forecasted rain, while others believed unusually playful behavior signaled a storm was brewing.
©2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
2. Over the Rainbow
Rainbows are mostly thought of as positive symbols, though in parts of Scotland and Ireland, rainbows whose ends touched down within the same town or island foretold death. It's also still believed in some places that to point a finger at a rainbow, the moon, or the stars is bad luck, since at one time celestial bodies were thought of as gods, and pointing at them was deemed disrespectful.
©2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
3. Light up the Night
Comets were commonly believed to precede great events, while shooting stars were thought to foretell ordinary peoples' deaths, since in some cultures it was believed that each person possessed a star in the sky representing his soul.
©2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
4. All Ears
Itching, tingling or a feeling of warmth in your ears is thought to mean someone is talking about you. Particular associations have been made for each ear -- if the right ear is affected, it indicates the words being spoken are good, while sensations in the left ear meant the opposite. Grimly, ringing in the ears was believed to predict the death of someone close.
©2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
5. Forecasting the Heavens
While some people prophesize weather based on cloud formations (high, scattered clouds, known as 'mackerel sky' mean a safeguard from rain for at least 12 hours), others rely on color. Green through rain clouds forecasts more rain is to come, while green after sunset brings gales. Red foretold both good and bad, based on time of day. An evening red sky predicted favorable weather for the following day, while morning meant to prepare for bad weather.
©2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
6. Hold Your Breath
When passing graveyards, children in North America, Europe and other parts of the world, held their breath for fear they'd breathe in the souls of the recently deceased. British and French persons held the common belief that the keeper of the graveyard was the soul of the last person buried in it. It was this soul's job to keep watch until the next person was laid to rest. In an alternate telling, the first person in a parish to pass on was thought to keep watch for the following 12 months.
