Old superstitions you've heard of/still use

Zaph

Zaph wrote: »

a woman once moved away from my mother on the bus because my mother started knitting something green. The woman explained why she was moving before she did so, so as not to offend my mother. :rolleyes:

Yeah, that's kinda weird, but she just sounds like a sweet old lady, tbh, if it a little too superstitious. Not sure why you're rolling your eyes.

I'm curious. Do you find Greek myths totally absurd? Myth and superstition are historical artifacts that serve as parables, parables are old information intending to serve some useful purpose (the world changes, and they often don't serve a purpose).

I wouldn't be so dismissive of it. I don't think it's necessarily useful, but it's almost always historically useful. It gives a rare insight into the priorities of a people who rarely left written information.

saabsaab

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Yeah, that's kinda weird, but she just sounds like a sweet old lady, tbh, if it a little too superstitious. Not sure why you're rolling your eyes.

I'm curious. Do you find Greek myths totally absurd? Myth and superstition are historical artifacts that serve as parables, parables are old information intending to serve some useful purpose (the world changes, and they often don't serve a purpose).

I wouldn't be so dismissive of it. I don't think it's necessarily useful, but it's almost always historically useful. It gives a rare insight into the priorities of a people who rarely left written information.

A renowned Physicist was asked by a visiting colleague why he had a horseshoe over his door. He said it was for good luck. The colleague said mockingly 'surely you of all people don't believe in all that nonsense?' He replied 'No, I don't but I'm told it works anyway!'

Doctors room ghost

Endaaaagh wrote: »

He also has a podcast where he discusses a lot of the old myths and folklore, "Tell me a story with Eddie Lenihan"

I like his books and videos.takes you away from your problems for a while.hes a great story teller.

Strumms

Deleted User wrote: »

I have a black cat Cross my path many times a day in my apartment on his three legs... I think my very mixed luck is due to his presence.

That be little Tripod

saabsaab

The most famous is the belief that 13 is unlucky. Our number plate format was changed to avoid a 13 D xxxx reg!

erada

Contentment is the most valuable thing you will ever own.

saabsaab

erada wrote: »

Contentment is the most valuable thing you will ever own.

I must get myself a matching pair.

Nodster

It's considered good luck if you give a present of a purse or wallet with a lucky coin in it.

Be right back

When a bird flies into a house, it's a sign of death.


Opening a window when a person dies, to leave their spirit go free.

bcklschaps

A knife on the floor, a man at the door.

steamsey

Suckler wrote: »

The person you gift the knife to gives you a coin in return.
(is my understanding)

Recently re-watched The Edge with Alex Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins so can confirm

saabsaab

Nodster wrote: »

It's considered good luck if you give a present of a purse or wallet with a lucky coin in it.

Turning over silver coins in your pocket to ward off evil or bring good luck.

Someone having an evil eye. They can compliment but it is bad luck they may even not be aware of their power.

Zaph

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Yeah, that's kinda weird, but she just sounds like a sweet old lady, tbh, if it a little too superstitious. Not sure why you're rolling your eyes.

I'm curious. Do you find Greek myths totally absurd? Myth and superstition are historical artifacts that serve as parables, parables are old information intending to serve some useful purpose (the world changes, and they often don't serve a purpose).

I wouldn't be so dismissive of it. I don't think it's necessarily useful, but it's almost always historically useful. It gives a rare insight into the priorities of a people who rarely left written information.

A myth is a fictional story, even if some served a secondary purpose as a parable. I'd almost consider them to be the novels of their time. Everybody loves a good story, and our ancestors would have been no different. I wouldn't put them in the same category as superstitions at all.

Superstitions hark from a less sophisticated/scientific time where many things were unexplained or simply not understood. Developing little rituals to ward off bad luck, illness or whatever is understandable under those circumstances. What's not understandable is why people still cling to them today, sometimes fiercely, as in the examples I mentioned above in relation to the colour green. My dismissal of superstitions is entirely aimed at their place in modern society and those who continue to believe them. It's quite ridiculous that any rational and educated 21st century adult would touch wood, wave at magpies, avoid the colour green, believe in fairy forts, etc.

saabsaab wrote: »

The most famous is the belief that 13 is unlucky. Our number plate format was changed to avoid a 13 D xxxx reg!

That was done at the behest of the motor trade who were afraid that car sales would drop off massively in 2013. It's embarrassing that 1) their request was granted; and 2) that there are clearly enough people around who believe that guff to make them ask for the change in the first place.

Sandor Clegane

A recent one that came up for me was not painting in the month of May, we got the house painted recently but my mother refused to have it done in May due to it being unlucky or something...I'm actually serious, the painter wanted to start in May but she postponed it until June due to this superstition.

She said she got it from her mother who wouldn't let any painting go on in the house during the month of may.

Capt'n Midnight

Lighting three cigarettes from one match

Zaph

Zaph wrote: »

And yet you still have people to this day greeting magpies, touching wood, throwing spilled salt over their shoulder and other such nonsense. There may have been relevance to these actions in the past, but a lot of people still perform them to this day, in some cases almost unconsciously because the superstition is so ingrained in them. While it may be interesting to explore how these superstitions came about, I'd be more interested in finding out why so many people today persist with such foolishness.

Live n let live.

triona1

bcklschaps wrote:

A knife on the floor, a man at the door.

Fork on the floor is a stranger to the door.

triona1

triona1 wrote: »

Fork on the floor is a stranger to the door.

Fork on the floor, woman to the door.
Knife on the floor, man at the door (swit swoo)

chooseusername

Zaph wrote: »

Superstitions hark from a less sophisticated/scientific time where many things were unexplained or simply not understood. Developing little rituals to ward off bad luck, illness or whatever is understandable under those circumstances. What's not understandable is why people still cling to them today, sometimes fiercely, as in the examples I mentioned above in relation to the colour green. My dismissal of superstitions is entirely aimed at their place in modern society and those who continue to believe them. It's quite ridiculous that any rational and educated 21st century adult would touch wood, wave at magpies, avoid the colour green, believe in fairy forts, etc.

Better be superstitious and leave the ring forts alone for that reason ,
than be the vandal who bulldozes them.

Zaph

Zaph wrote: »

Superstitions hark from a less sophisticated/scientific time where many things were unexplained or simply not understood. Developing little rituals to ward off bad luck, illness or whatever is understandable under those circumstances. What's not understandable is why people still cling to them today, sometimes fiercely, as in the examples I mentioned above in relation to the colour green. My dismissal of superstitions is entirely aimed at their place in modern society and those who continue to believe them. It's quite ridiculous that any rational and educated 21st century adult would touch wood, wave at magpies, avoid the colour green, believe in fairy forts, etc.

That's the problem right there though, we aren't rational creatures. I'm sure you've come across the book "thinking fast and slow" but if you haven't you should read it. Even very educated people, who would say to you (and themselves) "I'm a rational person" aren't. We fall prey to loads of biases all the time.

I imagine some superstitions arose because they were useful shorthand beliefs to avoid trouble. They worked in their original context that we've now, sometimes, moved beyond. The boots on the table one makes sense if you lived in an era of open sewers etc when you'll transfer dirt from your shoes to the place where you are eating for example. I imagine the luck money thing was a way to demonstrate to the buyer you were trustworthy, or as a promise on future sales etc, from a time before written contracts of ownership (maybe?).

Zaph

Zaph wrote: »

Superstitions hark from a less sophisticated/scientific time where many things were unexplained or simply not understood. Developing little rituals to ward off bad luck, illness or whatever is understandable under those circumstances. What's not understandable is why people still cling to them today, sometimes fiercely, as in the examples I mentioned above in relation to the colour green. My dismissal of superstitions is entirely aimed at their place in modern society and those who continue to believe them. It's quite ridiculous that any rational and educated 21st century adult would touch wood, wave at magpies, avoid the colour green, believe in fairy forts, etc.

Being superstitious is not entirely empty-headed though. Superstitions, and acting on them, are statements of value and intentionality; expressions of emotion too. So, they have profound psychological value despite, or because of, the fact that they indicate irrational values based on creative interpretations of causality.


I always touch wood so as not to jinx myself. Does touching wood have any impact on outcomes? Unlikely. :pac: But it has the psychological value of reminding me not to get carried away with myself at times and not to indulge in too much speculation about the future. Irrational, but not contemptible behaviour, I'd have thought, knowing that there are worse things in this world.

MeepMeep2021

MeepMeep2021 wrote: »

Being superstitious is not entirely empty-headed though. Superstitions, and acting on them, are statements of value and intentionality; expressions of emotion too. So, they have profound psychological value despite, or because of, the fact that they indicate irrational values based on creative interpretations of causality.


I always touch wood so as not to jinx myself. Does touching wood have any impact on outcomes? Unlikely. :pac: But it has the psychological value of reminding me not to get carried away with myself at times and not to indulge in too much speculation about the future. Irrational, but not contemptible behaviour, I'd have thought, knowing that there are worse things in this world.

Is it even irrational behaviour if it works for you though? You have a reason to do it.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it even irrational behaviour if it works for you though? You have a reason to do it.

Exactly. It has real value. But by the measure of logic and utility it is purely absurd and meaningless.

Ash.J.Williams

It takes a spectacular type of pr1ck to bulldoze a ring fort , that’s as far as my superstition goes ,


I did notice in Croke park that if my team won the first match they would lose the 2nd game


( I’m from an under achieving county and support multiple teams)

Capt'n Midnight

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Fork on the floor, woman to the door.
Knife on the floor, man at the door (swit swoo)

Spork on the floor ...

Sgt Hartman

bcklschaps wrote: »

A knife on the floor, a man at the door.

Or when you drop a knife you're supposed to say "Sharp Surprise! Touch it on wood, sure to be good" The whole "touch wood" superstition comes from the time when a druid would knock on a tree or piece of wood in order to invoke the wood spirits and ask for their favour.

There's a Facebook group called Save Irish Fairy Forts which highlights the destruction caused to Ringforts throughout the country by ignorant greedy landowners. The worse case of destruction I've seen so far has been the damage done to the Hill of Allen in Co.Kildare by Roadstone with the backing of Kildare County Council.

buried

Zaph wrote: »

Superstitions hark from a less sophisticated/scientific time where many things were unexplained or simply not understood. Developing little rituals to ward off bad luck, illness or whatever is understandable under those circumstances.

Less sophisticated and scientific? The ancient Egyptians were obsessed with magic and superstitions and they built The Great Pyramid. An absolute feat of scientific mathematical engineering, including astronomical knowledge. Their acquisition of it remains a complete mystery to modern day scholars and scientists.

Ash.J.Williams

buried wrote: »

Less sophisticated and scientific? The ancient Egyptians were obsessed with magic and superstitions and they built The Great Pyramid. An absolute feat of scientific mathematical engineering, including astronomical knowledge. Their acquisition of it remains a complete mystery to modern day scholars and scientists.

we've lost so much knowledge it's sickening

Capt'n Midnight

buried wrote: »

Less sophisticated and scientific? The ancient Egyptians were obsessed with magic and superstitions and they built The Great Pyramid. An absolute feat of scientific mathematical engineering, including astronomical knowledge. Their acquisition of it remains a complete mystery to modern day scholars and scientists.

black & white

Saying "White Rabbits" on the morning of 1st day of each month

Capt'n Midnight

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

we've lost so much knowledge it's sickening

A lot of the knowledge lost was already hidden and jealously protected by castes and guilds. It was secret even then.

There was technological progress during the medieval 'Dark Ages' especially in agriculture which meant more people could do things other than subsistence agriculture.

buried

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

That little stick man 'thinks' they used ramps. They didn't, ramps that are required to carry a load of up to 20 tonnes up to a level of 139 metres on nothing but rollers and planks would have to be as permanent a structure as the pyramid itself.

Capt'n Midnight

buried wrote: »

That little stick man 'thinks' they used ramps. They didn't, ramps that are required to carry a load of up to 20 tonnes up to a level of 139 metres on nothing but rollers and planks would have to be as permanent a structure as the pyramid itself.

Only if you build a ramp like this






other options are way better but still use lots of material




A better option is to put the ramp inside and cover it with the outside layer and you'd need no excess material to make it. You'd have to dismantle a pyramid to check though.

buried

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Only if you build a ramp like this






other options are way better but still use lots of material




A better option is to put the ramp inside and cover it with the outside layer and you'd need no excess material to make it. You'd have to dismantle a pyramid to check though.

Drawings are all well and good, but until you have to deal with such massive amounts of weights and loads with nothing but your hands utilising nothing but wood and ropes the drawings soon become pretty useless. I know because I work in the monumental stone trade. All those ramps there have to be the same structure as the pyramid itself, so how did they get the blocks up there for the ramps and how did they remove them? They still don't know. The master masons who trained me didn't even know.

chooseusername

buried wrote: »

Drawings are all well and good, but until you have to deal with such massive amounts of weights and loads with nothing but your hands utilising nothing but wood and ropes the drawings soon become pretty useless. I know because I work in the monumental stone trade. All those ramps there have to be the same structure as the pyramid itself, so how did they get the blocks up there for the ramps and how did they remove them? They still don't know. The master masons who trained me didn't even know.

They built ramps to build the ramps to build the ramps .........to build the pyramids.

saabsaab

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Lighting three cigarettes from one match

I've read that it dates from the WWI trenches. The sniper would be alerted by the match strike, take aim and a second later fire.


1, 2 and three. Unlucky no. 3.

Munstergirl854

On the interesting topic of fairy forts there was an interesting thread here 10 years ago where interesting stories were being shared....
I've copied and pasted two (very tragic) stories from it, it would be great if anyone from the local areas (Dingle/Limerick/Clare) remembers these cases and an confirm if these are true or not.Really sad if so...

"Dingle, Kerry- Major faery fort site disturbed by local developer.

New born baby in stroller suddenly moves away from parent without explanation away to result in child's death.

Older child dies same week by drowning

Worker on land covered with scratches and sores before even approaching site.

Thats only one place in Dingle, which has a different vibe all of its own."

"I actually worked on the motorway in shannon where the two guys died for no reason, the arcelologists couldn't get ppl to take down a ring forth we were told by local ppl that something bad would happen if it was taken down but the guys had little money an were threatned with their jobs, i knew one of them quiet well he was from kildare meath area he had just moved to clare an was taking down the forth stone by stone an twas a very big forth he finished up friday to go home for the weekend an to get his gear etc for living, his mother gave him a loan of her car to bring his stuff to clare he never made it though had a fatal crash on the way down an his work mate died the same nite/weekend too,an thats good enough for me, sure we are only tennents for 40/50 years anyway so im never going to touch one. true story."

Capt'n Midnight

buried wrote: »

Drawings are all well and good, but until you have to deal with such massive amounts of weights and loads with nothing but your hands utilising nothing but wood and ropes the drawings soon become pretty useless. I know because I work in the monumental stone trade. All those ramps there have to be the same structure as the pyramid itself, so how did they get the blocks up there for the ramps and how did they remove them? They still don't know. The master masons who trained me didn't even know.

The suggestion is that ramps were part of the pyramid , like a multi story car park and that if you removed some of the outer layers you'd see them.

Water John

Still on this pyramid side track. There are more of them in Sudan than Egypt. They are the same height but have a steeper 70 degree side. How did they build them?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubian_pyramids

I wouldn't interfere with old forts or graveyards. Wouldn't be very religious but would have respect for such things. There's enough land.
a lot of activity around superstitions, May Day etc is only two generations back. I suspect that's why the Catholic church in Ireland dedicated that day and month of devotion to Mary.

Wanderer2010

I remember as a kid in the 80s going to visit a recently bereaved family and they covered all the mirrors with brown paper, something to do with blocking Satan from claiming souls in the house. Now, why Satan would be more likely to claim souls at this point than before is beyond me, but that was their belief.
I think they kept it on until the burial.

Physeter

Working in a pet shop we used to hear that story of the pet sitter who brought the snake to the vet quite often.

The story goes that this person minding this huge, yet docile python while its owner was away was allowing the snake to sleep in the bedroom as it did with its owner. The pet sitter brought the snake to the vet when it started sleeping straight and parallel to the bed where it usually would curl up around one of the bedposts. The perplexed vet dismisses the behavior initially then calls the pet sitter frantically later that night to insist the pet sitter gets out of the house and away from the snake immediately as the snake was sizing the pet sitter up to be eaten.

I must have heard that story 100 times. Complete bull****.

Inventive User Name

Haven't read through the thread, so I don't know if it's been mentioned, but the ultimate one has to be the fairy fort. I'm agnostic, I don't believe in ghosts or the supernatural, but I'd never have the balls to disturb a fairy fort, and I don't know anyone else who would.

tom1ie

Touch wood.

tom1ie

Munstergirl854 wrote: »

On the interesting topic of fairy forts there was an interesting thread here 10 years ago where interesting stories were being shared....
I've copied and pasted two (very tragic) stories from it, it would be great if anyone from the local areas (Dingle/Limerick/Clare) remembers these cases and an confirm if these are true or not.Really sad if so...

"Dingle, Kerry- Major faery fort site disturbed by local developer.

New born baby in stroller suddenly moves away from parent without explanation away to result in child's death.

Older child dies same week by drowning

Worker on land covered with scratches and sores before even approaching site.

Thats only one place in Dingle, which has a different vibe all of its own."

"I actually worked on the motorway in shannon where the two guys died for no reason, the arcelologists couldn't get ppl to take down a ring forth we were told by local ppl that something bad would happen if it was taken down but the guys had little money an were threatned with their jobs, i knew one of them quiet well he was from kildare meath area he had just moved to clare an was taking down the forth stone by stone an twas a very big forth he finished up friday to go home for the weekend an to get his gear etc for living, his mother gave him a loan of her car to bring his stuff to clare he never made it though had a fatal crash on the way down an his work mate died the same nite/weekend too,an thats good enough for me, sure we are only tennents for 40/50 years anyway so im never going to touch one. true story."

Ah that's gotta be coincidence and/or bull****.
Fairy forts?
Built by humans years ago that were no more magic than ourselves.

Wanderer2010

Inventive User Name wrote: »

Haven't read through the thread, so I don't know if it's been mentioned, but the ultimate one has to be the fairy fort. I'm agnostic, I don't believe in ghosts or the supernatural, but I'd never have the balls to disturb a fairy fort, and I don't know anyone else who would.

So if you dont truly believe in any ghosts etc then why wouldnt you disturb one? Is there a tiny part of you willing to accept the possibility of something else in this world?

Wibbs

Water John wrote: »

Still on this pyramid side track. There are more of them in Sudan than Egypt. They are the same height but have a steeper 70 degree side. How did they build them?

They're impressive alright, but not close to the same height or scale. The Egyptian ones absolutely dwarf them. The very biggest of the Sudanese pyramids is under 30 metres in height, the biggest Egyptian one is Khufu's at 140 metres tall and would have been taller again when new, because what we see today is missing the majority of the outer finely carved outside casing. That's before we get to the sheer weight of stone involved. The largest by volume pyramid(whose name escapes ) is found in Mexico, though it's not as tall and was made from mud bricks.

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

So if you dont truly believe in any ghosts etc then why wouldnt you disturb one? Is there a tiny part of you willing to accept the possibility of something else in this world?

Yeah, but the great thing about that superstition is that it has meant Ireland has so many such sites still around and left alone because of it. In other countries a lot of them were dug out/flattened over the centuries including in the UK.

Fils

Don’t wipe into your under carriage.

Wibbs

buried wrote: »

Less sophisticated and scientific? The ancient Egyptians were obsessed with magic and superstitions and they built The Great Pyramid. An absolute feat of scientific mathematical engineering, including astronomical knowledge. Their acquisition of it remains a complete mystery to modern day scholars and scientists.

It does and it doesn't B. Over the years we've found out more and more and some of their solutions were simple genius, like how did they make such level foundations for pyramids. They built a low dam around the site and filled it with Nile water and chipped the bedrock away until the depth was the same across the site. No spirit levels or lasers required. Clever bastards.

buried wrote: »

Drawings are all well and good, but until you have to deal with such massive amounts of weights and loads with nothing but your hands utilising nothing but wood and ropes the drawings soon become pretty useless. I know because I work in the monumental stone trade. All those ramps there have to be the same structure as the pyramid itself, so how did they get the blocks up there for the ramps and how did they remove them? They still don't know. The master masons who trained me didn't even know.

One thing they had a lot of was labour and muscle. Egypts economy was based almost entirely around the NIle and the growing season, so when the crops were planted you had tens of thousands of able bodied farmers ready and eager because of their faith to work. Much more recently navvies(many who were Irish) dug canals and built railways across the UK at a breakneck pace only using shovels and picks with dynamite for the big jobs. The Great Wall of China was built using no machinery we have today. They also dug massive canals. The medieval Cathedrals of Europe were raised by muscle power augmented with cranes also driven by muscle power. Athens had a population of only around 40-50,000 people, a GAA final crowd as it were, and they built the city walls, the Parthenon and surrounding buildings and then slapped incredible carvings on them, as you do.

Even so the Egyptians had a few trial goes at things. They started off with stepped pyramids, then figured, hey we'll cover them and make them smooth, but that had some teething stages too.



Halfway up they went; oh crap! :mad: angle's too steep, change it before anyone notices... Now the bottom bit would have taken a couple of years most likely so someone didn't get a bonus when the mistake was realised. The next pyramid built was more like the later good ones, but again there were some problems. Soon after it was pretty much finished the main internal vault started to slump, so they brought in a load of big thick cedar logs as RSJ's. They're still there.

A large amount of extremely organised and skilled manpower mixed with very clever engineers and builders can build incredible things. There's a long list. Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the largest religious building on the planet in what was the largest city on Earth at the time(1 in 15 people alive anywhere lived there), surrounded by massive waterworks dug from the living ground. All built by manpower and no machines.

whisky_galore

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

So if you dont truly believe in any ghosts etc then why wouldnt you disturb one? Is there a tiny part of you willing to accept the possibility of something else in this world?

I don't believe either, just the wilful destruction of one is a dick move imo.

Capt'n Midnight

Do a wee wee on the back wheel of the bus that's taking you to the spaceship.