The entire nature of superstitions is that no one really knows where they originated. While some people have theories about the origins of or general areas of the world that a superstition may have come from, superstitions have a very ambiguous history. Superstitions have such an unidentifiable background because many of them have been passed down orally.
Some have an easily identifiable origin, like the saying “Red sky at night, sailors' delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning”. This prediction may actually have some truth to it. Clouds enhance the color of sunsets and sunrises. The red morning sky foretells a day of possible bad weather. Evening clouds may pass away during the night to have a clear next day. Although the meaning of the superstition may be clear, where and when it originated is unknown.
Other superstitions, such as spilling salt as bad luck and throwing a pinch over one’s shoulder as good luck, seemingly have no link to the luck caused by the action. Salt was thought to have caused bad luck because, in the past, salt was a valuable commodity, and if someone spilled it, they were being careless and wasteful. Counteracting the spill was throwing a pinch of salt over one’s left shoulder. This pinch would be thrown into the eyes of the devil in order to distract him.
Some superstitions, like carrying a rabbit’s left foot, are so old and far spread that one cannot even point to a general area on a map of the world where the superstition may have originated.
As suggested by Sanguinarius in the Origins of Popular Superstitions, this practice "was originally considered a Southern (United States) tradition to carry a rabbit's foot; particularly among African Americans. The tradition made its way to the States with African slaves, and it is thought to be among the oldest traditions in the world, dating from around 600 BC." In an article by Kathleen Davis titled “the Origins of 13 Common Superstitions”, she adds that “the Chinese consider it [a rabbit’s foot] a sign of prosperity”.
Superstitions have been passes down, from generation to generation, orally, leaving the source of origin unidentifiable.
It's funny how we still have superstitions today even though we're supposed to be scientific and modern. I hear people saying "knock on wood" all the time. Something I've seen from missionaries is when someone says something a little iffy, they put up a "lightening rod" just in case God decides to zap them. Looks like it's not easy to let things we've heard for generations go.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to me that sometimes knowledge is so wide-spread that we don't even know where the ideas originated from. If we don't even know how we "know" something, should we really believe it?
ReplyDeleteEmily, I think our willingness to believe in, and ad hear to, superstitions shows just how much of a mantic society we are. Maybe we don't really want to know everything there is to know because what would we do with all that power?
ReplyDeleteKim, way to go sophic there. I don't think we have to know how we know something, just so long as we know it is true, then we can act like it is true.