June 14, 2013

♠ Significantly Saying ♠

Right now, I have an aching elbow.  While helping to clean out the hall cupboard under the stairs, I gave it a right good bashing off the shelves. But instead of giving it a rub or soothe it with something cool, I just stood there like a grimacing statuette, trying to resist blowing on it. And why?  Because it's supposedly a sign of good luck to not rub or soothe and a sign of bad luck if I do!

My mother was a very superstitious woman indeed, and she held her views in high regard.  Jees - the crap me and my sisters had to listen to over the years!  From funny to scary. And the worst thing was that I was a sensitive child, so tended to believe her in my younger years, as she could get herself worked up over many a thing besides superstition. But it was the more negative, slightly sinister side she seemed to be on guard about. 

 Crows in different groups and numbers had particular meanings. If a bird flew into a window, it was a sign that bad luck was to reside in the house.  Then there was the mating call ( loud clicking like a clock ) of the Death Watch beetle.  Hardly heard of these days, back then if one was heard ticking away in the wood of skirting board or walls, it was regarded a prior warning that you would hear of a death of a friend or of family in the near future, lest you be the unfortunate one!  

Now, in all seriousness, there became an event a few weeks later that spooked me out considerably. On the day of my first marriage, my fiance's great auntie had died during the night, and my nephew Craig was born in the early hours of the following morning. So hearing of a birth, death and marriage, all connecting in close proximity here was pretty good going and boy -  just how perfectly does it fuel those old wive's adages and predictions!

We'd all like to think our luck's in, but I'm confused as to whether or not walking under a ladder in town brought me good or back luck those 27 years ago.  You see, I met my husband later that night and  I'm pretty sure he'll be puzzling over the same thought. ♥ ? 

Of course, over the duration of my life, I've pretty much accepted that superstition is a right load of bollocks. There's little evidence to say otherwise.  Then, why oh why, do I still partake in the traits of the belief that superstition may bring. A few examples are: the left hand side of the bed is where I strictly enter and leave, I'll salute to a Magpie if it's on his own, bless myself if I drop cutlery, cross my fingers, knock on wood, pick up pennies, lift my cat's tail and rub my lottery ticket on his fluffy arse, throw slightly cracked mirrors out, etc, and the list goes on.   I reckon that it's a fight between coincidence and superstition to try and determine what's really what for us. A tough one, I know.  I just - even now - don't know exactly which one I'd put my money on!

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8 comments:

Steven Cain said...

Rub a lottery ticket on a cat's butt? Do kittens count?

There are those in my neck of the woods who believe that if you witness a hen crowing at sunrise, someone close to you is set to die. There is a clause however, that states you can kill the crowing hen if you'd like and this somehow keeps the finger of death from poking your loved ones. Good stuff our elders conjured.

Geo. said...

Delightful post! Now there's good reason not to walk under ladders. Things fall off of them. And doubtless some practical sense concealed in other superstitions as well, except annoying the cat with a lottery ticket --that one might truly bring fortune or misfortune one can invoke in no other way.

holli said...

I grew up in the South where there are several "old wives tales" and superstitions. There are some practices you get used to like stopping on a crack in the sidewalk but at the end of the day i dont believe in any of them.
How can you NOT rub your elbow if you banged the crap out of it. ouch!

Nana Jo said...

What a lovely, whimsical post! I had an aunt like that. If there was a portend or superstition out there, she knew it, told it and lived it. She scared my cousins half to death at times.

Thanks for the lovely comment you left on my blog. My grandchildren are, indeed, beautiful and some day, yours will be, too ...and they'll have such a fun Nana!

Little Nell said...

This reminds me of a friend whose mother drew the curtains when the sun shone in case it put out the fire! Even the most level-headed amongst us throw salt over our shoulders when we spill it....don't we?

Helena said...

.....okay - I admit it - the cats ass one was one I invented myself (worth a try - especially in a rollover!) but I did eventually win a tenner! The cat now disappears every Wednesday and Saturday for some reason..........

Intelliblog said...

Love the internal rhymes, too. Wonderful take on this exhilarating image.

Jenny Woolf said...

Oh I did have to laugh at this. I always greet magpies too. It just feels wrong not to. How things that are said to us in childhood, stay with us!