Legends, Charms and Superstitions

On a recent getaway to Italy, a distant cousin approached me with a smile on her face. “Look how pretty you are,” she exclaimed, “and your eyes, they are so beautiful … just like your grandmother’s.” Later that night, hot oil from a cooking pan spurted violently on my left arm, inflicting me with burns that ran from my hand up to my shoulders. Shocked, I quickly covered my throbbing limb with a wet towel, and applied soothing after-sun lotion to quell the redness and bubbles that were beginning to form. Worried that the marks would stay, I decided that the best thing for me was to relax and go to bed. I dozed off, but while I slept, voices from passersby floating through the window. I jumped out of bed in a panic and bang! I knocked my left eye hard against the sturdy bedpost.

My world became white. After a few moments, I rushed to the bathroom mirror and there it was: my brow bone had swollen to a horrible black mess the size of a golf ball, and a deep red line bubbled just above my eyelashes. Your eyes, they are so beautiful. The words echoed inside my head in an instant. Had my fortune caused my misfortune?

In most cultures where folk religion still runs rampant, the answer would be a resounding ‘yes.’ For centuries, legends of wickedness have swept through the nations and continue to be referenced in our daily lives. Most of the superstitions that are widely believed today may have originated to bring a sense of comfort during the plagues that inflicted Europe.

Communities in the Middle East, Asia and Europe would most likely deem my experience as a classic case of the evil eye. This phenomenon is believed in various ways by different cultures, and can be traced back to the earliest of human records.

Advocators of this ancient belief would say that the evil eye had tempted my fate because I had not protected myself verbally or physically against the compliments given to me. I don’t know about you, but when someone gives me a compliment, I don’t automatically kick into combat gear and mutter mystical words under my breath – I just smile and say thank you.

In the Jewish community, some rabbis describe the evil eye as a person’s ability to inflict evil with a mere glance. We should all be wary of words or glances, then – even if they are said in good faith by a relative. Some Jewish parents tie the ultimate weapon onto an infant’s crib: a red ribbon or string. Unfortunately for me, I wore pink and grey on that hot summer night.

In the Italian community, believers would concur with the Jews, and say I had been cursed with mallocchio. I could have avoided all that happened by simply forming the sacred hand sign mano cornuto (a fist with your pinkie and index finger extended) behind my back. Carrying a pepper-shaped charm, or a tiny ladybug figurine fights the evil eye quite nicely, Italians say.

Turkish believers carry an evil eye pendant (nazor), to stave off greedy eyes. These talismans, they say, would have eliminated any evil curses from sneaking into my soul. A simple murmur of “God Bless” would have perhaps done the trick, saving me from an experience that prohibited me from being in the sun for four days!

Today, superstitions continue to shape a part of our lives, from picking a penny for good luck and not opening umbrellas inside. But I can’t help but wonder: Aren’t superstitions just excuses for us to personally avoid responsibility for our actions?

Examine, consider or dismiss the superstitious beliefs to the side to get your own answer. Perhaps you’ll realize that superstitions defy conventional logic, or maybe you’ll want to carry a charm around with you – just in case.

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1. LAUGHING BUDDHA A popular effigy in nail salons and other businesses, a Budai, or Laughing Budda, has evolved into a good luck symbol and a must-have décor piece in Western society. Gary, a salesman from the World of Feng Shui shop, says that placing a Laughing Budda in the northeast or east corner of your living room brings wealth and health, and harmony to your home.

2.HORSESHOE Legend has it that around AD 959, Archbishop of Canterbury Saint Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the devil’s hoof. Since this caused Satan much pain, he promised never to return to a home that displayed a horseshoe. In some cultures, a horseshoe hung downwards signifies luck being poured onto you, and in others, a horseshoe pointing up ensures that your luck won’t fall out.

3. FOUR-LEAF CLOVER The proverbial good luck charm, a four-leaf clover has the power to protect us from the wicked spells of magicians and fairies. Its four leaflets bring hope, faith, love and luck.

4. BLACK CAT The most popular superstition, cats used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt and Rome. Today, a black cat crossing your path is thought to bring bad luck because they are associated with evil.

5. OLD WOMAN SYNDROME Some people believe that while you’re sleeping on your back, an old witch can squeeze life out of you. Asian cultures say this occurs when an angry demon wasn’t given a proper offering.

6. FRIDAY THE 13TH History has it that Friday and the number 13 result in disaster. According to Norse mythology, the world became dark when Loki, the naughty 13th guest at a dinner party, tricked the god of darkness to shoot the god of joy. In ancient Rome, witches reportedly met in groups of 12, because the 13th member was the devil. And if you have 13 letters in your name, you might have the devil’s luck – just like Jack the Ripper and Charles Manson.