Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Cutting Nails & Hair

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

CUTTING NAILS & HAIRS

• The paring of nails has given rise to some strange beliefs. So also has the cutting of hair. 

• Sailors believe that to cut the nails or hair during calm will provoke contrary winds. They, therefore, only cut them in a storm. 

• The ancients declared that nails and hair should not be pared or cut when in the presence of the gods, but in the secrecy of one's home. 

• Among the Arabians it is considered lucky to cut the nails and hair on Friday. 

• In some countries it is considered unlucky to cut a child's nails till it is a year old. 

• In Scotland it is believed that if a child's nails are cut before it is a year old, it will grow up to be a thief. In other lands, it is thought the child will stammer. 

• The Jews bum their nail parings with a piece of wood, as a species of offering to insure good luck.

Source: Omens, Signs & Superstitions book

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Stumbling and Falling

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

STUMBLING & FALLING:

• Falling has always been associated with the idea of evil, and its effects can only be averted by a quick-witted remark or a muttered invocation.

• To fall while going upstairs is a sure sign that the victim will not marry within a year.

• The falling of a picture from the will is universally regarded as a bad omen and frequently foretells the death of the original of the picture in the case of a portrait.

• It is related that a well-known English archbishop on entering his study one day, found his portrait lying on the floor, the cord that held it on the hook, having snapped. The sight so unnerved the prelate that he became ill, and died shortly after.

• A fall from a horse, besides being very inconvenient and often painful, is supposed to bring evil consequences. If two person’s part on horseback and one of them falls off his mount, the two will never meet again.

• The fall of a window blind is accounted unlucky, but the evil can be averted by at once replacing it in its sockets.

• The fall of a knife or fork to the floor is usually considered a good omen and foretells a visit from a friend; a female in the case of a knife, or a male in the case of a fork.

• To fall downstairs is a very bad sign and signifies loss of health or money.

• To stumble in the morning on coming downstairs is a sign of ill luck during the day.

• A horse stumbling on the highway brings bad luck to his owner.

• If you stumble over a stick or stone, turn back and kick it out of the way to avert trouble.

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Tingling and Itching

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

TINGLING & ITCHING

• It is a common superstition that when one's ears tingle someone is talking about him.

• The tingling of the right ear is taken to mean that good is spoken, while, that of the left ear is a token of the fact that evil is spoken.

• The itching of the palm is considered an indication that the person will get some unexpected money. If continued for any length of time, a fortune will come to him.

• The itching of the thumb or nose denotes a visitor, sometimes an unwelcome intruder.

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Yawning

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

YAWNING

• Among many peoples, yawning is considered a sign of possession or obsession by an evil spirit.

• When an Indian yawns, he snaps his thumb and finger and repeats the name of one of his deities. To neglect this brings misfortune. 

• When a Arabians yawns he puts the back of his left hand to his mouth and says, "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan." 

• There is an old belief that when one yawns the devil may leap into the open mouth; hence the necessity of holding a hand over the mouth. 

• To yawn in the midst of saying one's prayers, is a bad omen. It is better to say the prayer from the beginning again. 

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions

Superstitions connected with body parts - Moles, Teeth & Warts

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VII

MOLES, TEETH & WARTS

• Moles may denote good or bad fortune cording to where they are found.

• On the throat they are lucky; on the lower jaw, especially of a woman, they denote the opposite. On the back of the neck they are said to predict a hanging.

• Red or black moles are considered unlucky, but brown ones are lucky. If raised like a wart they foretell luck. 

• A mole on the forehead brings good fortune, so also one on the chin. As a rule moles denote coming wealth.

• The hairs growing out of moles are considered harbingers of fortune and in some countries are carefully guarded and cultivated. In Latin countries one can see men go about with long hairs growing out of moles on their faces. They are careful never to shave them.

• When a child loses a tooth it will hasten the growth of the new tooth, if the old is thrown into the fire.

• When a tooth is pulled it should be thrown into the fire. In Switzerland it is carefully wrapped in paper with a pinch of salt and burned.

• To cure a, toothache, the name of St. ApoUonia is invoked in Latin countries. She suffered martyrdom by having her teeth pulled out, and has since been the patron saint of those who suffer from similar pangs.

• To dream of losing a tooth, foretells the death of a friend.

• If a baby's tooth first appears in the upper jaw, it is a sign that the child will die in infancy.

• If the teeth are very irregular it is a sign of bad luck.

• If there is a gap between the two upper middle teeth large enough to pass a coin through, it foretells wealth.

• The Greeks believed that it was unlucky to count one's warts as they would increase in number.

• To charm away a wart, buy it from the possessor for a pin, and it will disappear within a week.

• Another way to charm away a wart is to rub it with half an apple. Tie the two halves together with a thread, and bury it at the foot of a tree. Within a week the wart will have disappeared.

• Spots in the nails foretell riches. If many, the person showing them will gain a fortune. White specks often foretell happenings without wealth.

• On the thumb-nail, they indicate honors.

Source: Omens, Signs and Superstitions book

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Spitting

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

SPITTING

• In ancient times spitting was considered as having the virtue of averting witchcraft, and even in our time many superstitions cling to the habit.

• Spit was considered as a charm against all kinds of fascination. Theocritus says:  "Thrice on my breast I spit to guard me safe from fascinating charms.

• Superstitious nurses will spit on their children to keep them from harm.

• Bruisers and boxers before attacking their adversary, spit on their hands to insure success.

• Boys, when making a pledge or asserting a thing to be "honour bright” often spit on the ground to give emphasis to their good faith.

• Coal miners in England when they form a union for any purpose, sit in a circle and spit on a stone, by way of cementing their friendship and loyalty.

• Devout people often spit at the mention of the name of his satanic majesty, in an effort to keep away evil influences.

• Mohammedans are said to spit at the mention of the name of Jesus.

• To spit on one's hands before undertaking a piece of manual work insures a successful result.

• Spitting three times into their bosoms, was considered by the Greeks as preventive of danger when in the presence of a madman or an epileptic

• When a man hit another and felt remorse for the blow, he spit into the hollow of his hand, and thus freed the other from pain. This was a superstition of the middle Ages.

• Spitting to avert evil influences is still resorted to among country folks, and in some countries is almost considered a religious act.

• In Ireland it is considered unlucky to praise a horse or other animal unless you spit on him and say, ‘God save him’ or other similar prayer.If after three days, any bad luck befalls on the animal, it is necessary to find the person who praised him so that he may whisper the Lord's Prayer into the animal's right ear.

• Hucksters, peddlers, and other trades people, have a habit of fitting for good luck when making a sale. The first money they receive in the morning is spat upon to insure good luck for the day.

• It is customary in some parts when a rainbow appears to make a cross on the ground and spit on each of the four corners.

Source: Omen, Signs and superstitions book

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Sneezing

Superstitions connected with bodily activities - Sneezing

Interesting Myths and Superstitions around the world Part VI

SNEEZING

• The Greeks and Romans had a number of formulas for sneezing, such as, "Long may you live!" "May you enjoy good health" "Jupiter preserves you!" 

• Sneezing was often considered a lucky omen among the ancients. Their history is full of events of importance which were ushered in by a sneeze. 

• In India, when a person sneezes, bystanders say, "Live!" and he replies, "With you!" 

• The Zulus believe that an angry spirit enters the body and that a sneeze is an effort of nature to expel it. 

• Aristotle believed that sneezing from noon till midnight was a good omen, but from midnight till the next noon was a sign of bad luck. 

• All nations have some formula for sneezing. The Germans say, ''Zur Gesundheit !" The English say, "God bless you!" The French say, ‘A vos souhaits' 

• If some one sneezes after you have made a statement, it places the seal of truth upon it and the statement may not be doubted. 

• According to mythology Prometheus made an artificial man, and the first sign of life he gave was to sneeze. It was through the nostril that life entered into his body. 

• In the time of Pope St. Gregory the Great, there was an epidemic of sneezing, and many of the afflicted died. The pope thereupon declared that a certain prayer should be uttered every time a person sneezed, to avert the calamity. 

• To sneeze three times in rapid succession is considered a good omen. 

• Physiologically considered in the light of modern science, sneezing is bad, as it spreads the germs of many diseases by spraying them into the air. One should always sneeze into a handkerchief. 

Source" Signs, Omens and Superstitions Book