The Spell of Superstitions

                                           
        Some days back, during my boring old routine of buying weekly groceries, I felt a tiny lurch in my stomach as I saw the total amount on the bill . Yes, apart from the fact that it was grossly disproportionate to the actual physical weight of the bag I had received in exchange, an amount of an exact Rs 666 made me stop in my tracks and think about what that meant.

          '666'- The number of the beast, of Satan. Melancholic thoughts about what impending doom awaited me crossed my mind. That's when I realised this deep dark secret I had been keeping in the dark for years- I was a non-self-confessed believer in superstitions. I thought I didn't believe in them, but when the situation arose, a part of me did rise to the surface and douse my own self in uneasiness. I am sure I am not alone in this little act of guilt. So when was the last time you felt conscious about your day when a black cat crossed your tracks,or you avoided cutting your nails at night, fearing something calamitous would be triggered by the tiny act of self-hygiene?

       Superstitions and their origins are fascinating and make for interesting tales, mocking human credulity. However smart we think we are, there are always moments when we stoop before our primitive selves and feel nauseous when certain incidents occur. Or when something unfortunate happens, we co-relate it to something else which had happened earlier, attributing a completely random occurrence to the disaster. It is amusing to hear of the origins of these beliefs and how much they have been distorted and unduly protracted  in daily usage.

                                          

        Lets begin with the most pervasive superstition in the world- the fear of Friday the 13th. It is so well-known that it even has a phobia coined after it-  'friggatriskaidekaphobia ' . 12, the number preceding 13 is considered a number of completeness. This is reflected in 12 hours on a clock, 12 months of a year, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 Zodiac signs etc. Consequently,  the 13th number is considered an irregularity and thus, unlucky. What reinforced the fear of Friday the 13th is the fact that the 13th apostle of Jesus, Judas was the one who betrayed him, and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. A seemingly recent deduction, exemplified in Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' was that on Friday, 13th October 1307 , thousands of members of the Knights Templar, an organisation fighting for the Christian Crusades, were arrested, tortured or executed by the then French King Philip, who viewed them as a political threat. It was so infamous that the day's credentials, Friday the 13th became a synonym for misfortune. This day is taken so seriously by some people that there has been documented proof of loss to many businesses as fewer people go about their usual activities on this day. Talk abut humans being an intelligent species.

         The one superstition, which would cause a lot of emotional trauma to the black feline species if they ever found out, seems to be our favourite. That if a black cat crosses your tracks, it would bring you bad luck for the day. The poor animal must be quite indignant with the continuous ostracism , what with once being the favourite pet of the king and then having everything taken away. Yes, that's right. In 17th century England, King Charles kept a black cat as his pet and adored it like his own child. After the cat died, he lamented about his lucky charm being gone.  Two days later,  he was arrested on charges of high treason, and since then black cats came to be feared as omens of ill fortune. In the middle ages, it was said that they were witches in disguise. How unfortunate. They continue to  face the brunt of the superstition till today, in every part of the world.

           Ever talked about something you are hopeful about in the future and then said 'Touch wood' impulsively, for good luck? Did you ever wonder why you did that? This obscure belief takes root in the Pagan belief that trees are homes to mystical creatures like fairies and dryads who bring good luck and ward away evil spirits. It was adapted by Christians and then passed on to almost the whole world. Sometimes, if at that moment, wood is unavailable, people touch their head instead. Don't ask me where THAT ridiculous one came from.

BLESS YOU!

                                           


            What about the last time you sneezed and someone said 'Bless you'. What was that? Why do you need to be blessed for sneezing, it is not really an act of human kindness, is it? So, the line of thought dates back to Italy , sixth century AD when there was a severe flu epidemic, with symptoms including severe sneezing, which often proved fatal.  Pope Gregory the Great passed orders to the public to keep prayers alive, and that responses to sneezes be 'God bless you'. He even recommended that if a person sneezed when they were alone, they say a prayer for themselves like 'God help me'. Thankfully THAT didn't catch on.


                If you have ever walked under a ladder, you would have broken the triangle formed between the ladder and the wall, which signifies the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This would invoke the devil against you. Hope you never carried out  that monstrous act on  yourself.  Broken mirrors distort your soul because the proud Romans who invented mirrors believed that the mirror has the potential to steal part of the owner's soul. Creepy, huh?

              There are a few superstitions which are specific to India. We have our own plethora of weird beliefs which would make you scratch your head for even a slightly remote explanation. Remember your mother warning you not to pluck flowers or leaves after dark, because the plant 'went to sleep'? I remember giving due respect to the plant at its supposed 'bedtime' and saving all plundering activities till the morning. There are some superstitions which have virtually no possible reasoning behind them. If you get hiccups, it means someone is thinking about you at the moment. The person who came up with that must be smiling in his grave, having had so many gullible people hoodwinked.

Hang for good luck

             
       There would be an exhaustive list of superstitions and their explanations(or lack of it) which I can't cover here, so don't be shy,  do visit this interesting link and  check which ones you are guilty of having followed at one point or another.

Everyday Indian Superstitions


             At the end of the day, logical or not, whether we want them to nor not, superstitions become part of our daily life. Sportspersons and performers also  concede to being highly superstitious when it comes to their activities, be it their lucky charm or dress etc. And for the normal person, it adds to the eccentricity of life. Superstitions represent a mass trickery of humankind, but they are harmless most of the time. They are a celebration of the unexplained aspects of life, depicting the playful mood of the course of development of society.

             By the way, fear of the number 666 is known as 'Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia'. And I am a victim of that. Ah well, but who cares, I heard  Nancy and Ronald Reagan got their address changed from '666, St Cloud Road, LA' to '668, St Cloud Road, LA' . I have got company, it seems. And so have you, for whatever you believe in.  We are all in this together.


PS- If you have come across other interesting superstitions and their origins, please do share them below :)

" Have a nice day ..."

                                               



P.S Images from the internet