Signs, omens and superstitions

It is an interesting question as to how the many superstitious beliefs and practices had their beginning. The origin of most of them is no doubt to be found in man’s efforts to explain the phenomena of nature, and in an attempt to propitiate an angry deity and to invite a better fortune. From these sources come many of the absurd notions still in vogue among primitive people, which have been handed down in modified form to us.

Man has ever found it difficult to understand the mysteries surrounding him on all sides, and groping in the dark he has tried by prayer, incantation or peculiar practices to force nature to do his bidding.

Superstition, therefore, arises primarily from ignorance. Early man believed that every phenomenon of nature was the work of a spirit or devil. His intelligence could not suggest any other explanation. To this belief was added fear. The thunder, the lightning, the earthquake, darkness—all filled him with fearful dread. To him they were the workings of spiteful powers to be propitiated. Where ignorance and fear are surrounded by danger they will always grope for a way of escape. Thus superstition is born. A belief in the existence of spirits antagonistic to man gave rise to most of the old superstitions.

There is no nation, however ignorant or advanced, which does not recognize customs, rites, usages and beliefs which have their origin in superstition. The Bible speaks of such practices as had found their way from pagan sources into the monotheistic beliefs of the Israelites, calls them “abominations,” and warns the Jews against them. The penalty of death was attached to sorcery, yet many of the superstitious practices continued to be observed, as is proved by the invocation by Saul of Samuel’s spirit. All the prophets spoke strenuously against the existing immoral and superstitious rites, and Judaism was probably the first religion that attempted to free itself from their shackles. In Egypt, Greece and Rome, superstition gave birth to mythology with its pagan rites and ceremonies. During the Dark and Middle Ages when people were for the most part illiterate, superstition flourished with unprecedented vigor. Every religious sect gave rise to new beliefs. The Crusades had the effect of bringing to Europe many oriental practices and ideas that in the course of time became grafted on the religious habits of the people, and not a few of them have been handed down to our own times.

It is, in fact, a difficult matter at times to draw the line between superstition and religion, for what appears as a sacred rite to one creed may appear as rank folly to the adherent of another. The Fiji Islander, for example, believes that thunder is a sign of God’s anger, and he falls flat on his face and mutters an invocation to appease the deity. To an enlightened European this becomes a superstition, yet this same European may wear an amulet or charm to ward off sickness or bad luck, and the Fiji Islander might be moved to laughter at the idea.

In fact, certain superstitions had their origin in one sect trying to oppose the tenets of another sect. Again many superstitions were created by a literal or often a false interpretation of the Bible. For instance, among the Jews it was considered lucky to begin a journey on Tuesday, because in describing the third day of Creation, it is said: “God saw that it was good.” On the other hand, it was thought unlucky to commence anything on Monday, when God omitted to say it was good.

Similarly Christians have a superstition that Friday is a bad day to begin an important work, because Christ was crucified on that day. The fear of sitting down with thirteen at table had its origin in the Last Supper and its sad ending.

Many a superstition had its beginning in a command that was laid down to teach a lesson or avoid trouble. For instance, it is considered bad to step over a child. This may have had its beginning when a careful father feared that in stepping over a child one might accidentally step on it and cripple it. To drive the lesson home more effectively, it was stated that stepping over a child would stunt its growth, and in that form it is still held in respect by many at the present time. So also the belief that it is unlucky to sing before breakfast may have been taught by an indolent father who hated to have his morning slumbers disturbed by his daughter’s singing, and so frightened her off by an admonition appealing to her fear. Every superstition can probably be traced to a similar cause.

There are few persons, no matter how rational or level-headed, who are not given to superstition in some form. With some there is a deep-seated belief that evil will result from an infraction of a rule. With others an amused idea that if a ceremony does no good it can do no harm, and so to be on the safe side they carry out some mummery. The lady who will not go to a card party, unless she wears some particular amulet or jewel, the man who will not speculate or play cards without first touching his lucky coin or pocket-piece, the fisherman who spits on his bait for good luck, are all descendants of the primitive savage who tried by some secret method to force nature to be good to him.

One reason why superstition has not yet died out among intelligent people is because it is contagious. In colonial days in Salem even the learned professors and lawyers believed in witchcraft. It was in the very air. Children brought up in an atmosphere of credulity rarely rise above it. It is the hardest thing to shake off superstitious prejudices. They are sucked, as it were, with our mother’s milk, and become so interwoven with our thoughts that a very strong mind is required to shake them off. They become a sort of religion, semisacred in their appeal. No wonder that the lower classes cannot abandon them and that even men of intellect cling to them.

It is the object of this book to review the subject of superstition without prejudice or condemnation, but to present the data and explain their origin wherever possible, leaving it to the reader to reject such beliefs as seem absurd and irreconcilable with modern culture.