Curious about Old Wives Tales

I was just wondering what wives tale you may find yourself doing on a regular occasion or almost subconscieniously.

For example, I find myself throwing a pinch of salt over my shoulder if I have spilt some. It isn't like I grew up with a mother or grandmother that did that themselves. For that matter, I can't even remember exactly what the reason was that the tale came about to begin with. Even when I have automatically done it I feel silly for doing it and not sure why I did.

I had a friend once that would make me turn the car around and go a different way if a black cat happened to cross our path and no matter how hard I tried to not go around, they were adamant that I do it.

So. Like I said in the beginning, what do you do? Avoid cracks in the sidewalk? Go around ladders? Anything else? I know there are lots of them from different countries.

None of the above. I am not superstitious.

originally posted by: onehuman
I was just wondering what wives tale you may find yourself doing on a regular occasion or almost subconscieniously.

For example, I find myself throwing a pinch of salt over my shoulder if I have spilt some. It isn't like I grew up with a mother or grandmother that did that themselves. For that matter, I can't even remember exactly what the reason was that the tale came about to begin with. Even when I have automatically done it I feel silly for doing it and not sure why I did.

I had a friend once that would make me turn the car around and go a different way if a black cat happened to cross our path and no matter how hard I tried to not go around, they were adamant that I do it.

So. Like I said in the beginning, what do you do? Avoid cracks in the sidewalk? Go around ladders? Anything else? I know there are lots of them from different countries.

I think the salt over the shoulder was something to do with the devil looking over your shoulder, if so he's pee'd of with you for throwing salt in his eyes

Like night star - None of the above coz I'm not superstitious, touch wood

a reply to: onehuman

I find myself watching the puddles when it rains. If there are big bubbles where the raindrops land in the gutter or puddles, that means it will rain again within 24 hours. Funny thing is, it's pretty accurate, LOL.

originally posted by: onehuman
I was just wondering what wives tale you may find yourself doing on a regular occasion or almost subconscieniously.

For example, I find myself throwing a pinch of salt over my shoulder if I have spilt some.

Hi onehuman, the salt thing comes from salt being expensive. If you wasted it the Devil would be looking over your shoulder and you would blind him.

The black cat comes for black cats being associated with witches. They were thought to be a Witches companion, a link to the Devil.

Most of these old wives tales come from Europe. The woman of the village, midwives/doctors were proclaimed to be witches by TPTB to take back there power.

I hope this helps.

Marc

Just to add black cats still get a hard time being re homed due to people thinking there unlucky. And a lot of there superstitions make sense like don't walk under a ladder because something might land on you head. LOL

My grandmother swears that when a woman is on her period she cannot be apart of anything to do with canning food. She claims this one lady wanted to help can green beans, didn't tell anyone she was on her period, and the whole batch went bad. I don't know how true this is, but to be on the safe side, no one cans food a my house if they are menstruating.

Pladuim

i do the black cat thing never walk under a ladder pinch of salt sometimes not always careful not to break mirrors dont like to see a single crow by its self or an owl in the day time my wife reminded me of half of these lol she knows me well friday the 13th is NOT a good day to go to the casino knock on wood death comes in 3's make a wish with wish bone no umbrellas inside also horse shoes have to be up not down so the luck dont pour out lol ichy palms means ur gonna come into money good time to go to the casino have to say god bless u after some one sneezes Four-leaf clover is good luck Washing a car will bring rain

originally posted by: Pladuim
I don't know how true this is, but to be on the safe side, no one cans food a my house if they are menstruating.

Pladuim

I think you going to lose out on part of your work force my friend. A woman on the menstrual cycle is not unclean. This comes from early man thinking that a someone bleeding for a week must be dead very soon.

Marc

Regarding the "Old Wives' Tale", is it the tale that is old, or is it the wives?

My mother, when entering a home or a building has to leave via the same doorway.

Interesting thread.

SnF

Just my old man impression but I thought old wives tales were more about natural cures than superstitions?

I have some books on stuff like that.

One I remember and I have proven to myself is ants know before hand when its going to rain. They plug up their nest hole and hunker down to wait out the storm.

"Midwives" knew a lot back when about things like birthing babies and prescribing herbs for conditions.

The most famous herbologist I know is the Orangoutang. They actively seek and ingest over 400 different plants in their habitat.

I'm not too superstitious but one I have picked up in just the past year while living in Russia, and it is when you leave your home, if you forget something and have to return you must look in a mirror before leaving again, otherwise you will have a bad day.

I first heard this when I moved to Russia last December and for some reason I picked it up instantly, I've even returned a 2nd time (only a few feet) because I forgot to look in the mirror. It is so far true that every Russian home and most offices have a mirror at the front door for this reason.


a reply to: onehuman

I don't know if it's an old wives tale or not, but my mom is of the belief that if you catch a cat sleeping on the back of its head, it will soon rain. We did have one cat when I was growing up who seemed to be pretty good little weatherkitty.

I'm unsure of the origin, but I remember reading somewhere that if you accidentally put an article of clothing on inside out, it's supposed to be indicative of having unexpected blessings during the day.

My mother believes that green cars are bad luck- perhaps because that side of the family is Irish background? I bought a green car years ago aand she saw it and walked away saying it was bad luck. It was involved in a fatal car accident 2 years later. I am not really superstitious but.....

originally posted by: grumpy64
My mother believes that green cars are bad luck

Green boats or green on boats are also bad luck. Did your Mum come from a sailing family?


To add love Sabbath. Listening to Never say die album at the moment. Keep on rockin

The wisest one I knew was to always have clean underwear on.

In China, mostly good luck numbers, like 4 and 8, bad luck numbers, 3 and 7.
My husband and I were married on the fourth mouth and the eighth day, Very good luck.
Oh,, Of-Course Never look at a Skeleton, some one will die or get very sick in your family.
Oh, Oh,Never wear your outside shoes in my house, the bad / evil deities follow you in, change your shoes.

Before piped water to homes, there was a tradition of using "unspoken water" as a treatment for illnesses. You had to go down to the river, find a spot underneath a bridge, grab the bucket of water and rush back without speaking to anyone. That's what made it "unspoken water".

a reply to: marc72
No my mum came from a farming background. But that is interesting about boats. Never say Die was the first Sabbath album I bought. Then I went and bought all the earlier albums with Ozzy.
cheers