SUPERSTITIONS Jillian Stringfellow. WHAT IS A SUPERSTITION? Superstitions have been around since...
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Transcript of SUPERSTITIONS Jillian Stringfellow. WHAT IS A SUPERSTITION? Superstitions have been around since...
SUPERSTITIONS
Jillian Stringfellow
WHAT IS A SUPERSTITION?
Superstitions have been around since the
beginning of man kind. It’s the irrational fear of the
unknown. Many people fear the idea of death, and
they tend to create these superstitions based off of
things that they see in their every day life. Like the
unlucky number 13, or that spilling salt on a table
will give you bad luck for 7 years.
SUPERSTITION EXAMPLE:
An example of superstitions that many tend to believe is
the one about the black cat. It is to be said that if one is to
cross paths with a black cat, they have misfortune coming
to their future.
A book written in 1584 called Beware the Cat talked
about witches, and how black cats were said to be witches
in disguise.
During the middle ages, black cats brains were used for
witch hunters and spells that were used to ward them off.
MAGIC AND SUPERSTITIONS
Magic and Superstitions have the same origins.
They both spring from the belief in supernatural
forces that can possibly control the courses of
peoples lives and the way they live it. Due to the
superstitions that people have believed over time it
brought the idea of magic and ways to ward off the
fear, summon good fortune and placing angry deities
on others.
WHITE MAGIC
Superstitions are related to white magic in the
way that people will believe that the rituals they
are practicing will supposedly bring them good
luck, prevent illnesses and ward off evils.
Superstitions and white magic both have to do
with ways of over coming negative acts by
threatening omens.
BLACK MAGIC
Black magic can relate to superstitions because it
is what superstitions are warding off. In another
sense it is what the people fear. Black magic is the
act of evil that causes harm to others. Superstitions
are made around black magic and fear what the
“harm” may be, the superstitions is made to ward off
the evil sports that black magic brings.
ANCIENT SUPERSTITIONS
During ancient times, they created objects
that are similar to good luck charms that we
have today, but they were called talisman.
Talisman were created to put magical
influences on evils spirits and frighten them
away.
EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Early Christians changed the meaning of
superstitions to a more negative side. The church
fathers used roman statues as their new idols, starts
sending scarifies to the devil, and oracles as the
voices of common demons. These acts were said not
to be ones of those who belong to religion, because
religion is through true belief. Lactatius said that
they were of superstitions, because superstitions are
just false beliefs.
ANCIENT GREEKS
Superstitions were first used in a positive way during
ancient times. The Greeks called superstitions
deisidaimonia, which was referred to as “God-fearing”.
It wasn’t until B.C.E when superstitions became
warding off the negative. It was the character of one
man who had an obsession with warding off the anger of
god. After this the negative superstition because more
common.
MEDIEVAL SUPERSTITIONS
Many superstitions that we know about today derive from
the ideas they had during medieval times, like the ideas of
witches, Jack-o-lanterns and Halloween. It was believed that
witches flew on broom sticks because horses repelled them,
which is why people would hang the horseshoe above doors.
Halloween was said to be the night when witches could roam
free on the land or it was the night of the dead to early
Christianity. Halloween was actually recorded all the way
back to 800 AD.
NIELS BOHR
For many years it has been said that a horseshoe is
to bring good luck. One example of superstitions
believers is Niels Bohr, above the door in his
laboratory he would have a horseshoe. He said even
though he didn’t believe in superstitions it’s still said
to bring him good luck with his experiments and
projects.
MODERN SUPERSTITIONS
Unlike in the earlier time, superstitions today are
less likely to go against modern religion an is more
likely to oppose with science, modern life style or
reason. Research has been done recently to discover
which groups of population are most likely to believe
in superstitions and which ones those might be.
QUESTION
What are superstitions?
Why is magic usually associated with
superstitions?
Where did many superstitions we know today
derive from?
What was the horseshoe said to do?
What is it called when an act of evils causes harm
to others?
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Nov. 2013.
"magic." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
O'Neil, Mary R. "Superstition." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 13. Detroit:
Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 8864-8867. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
"Superstitions." The Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained. Ed. Brad Steiger and
Sherry Hanson Steiger. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 189-200. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17
Nov. 2013.
"Superstitions, Strange Customs, Taboos, and Urban Legends: Introduction." The Gale Encyclopedia
of the Unusual and Unexplained. Ed. Brad Steiger and Sherry Hanson Steiger. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale,
2003. 188. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
O'Neil, Mary R. "Superstition." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 13. Detroit:
Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 8864-8867. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2013