Post by Ang on Aug 14, 2005 20:01:41 GMT -5
After you read this, some of it will probably sound familiar - it did to me. But I found some of it amazing, I knew the superstition - but not it's origin.
In ancient times, a ring on a finger used to be considered a
talisman, the significance and the power of which was changing in a
combination with a precious stone of different shape and color.
Craftsmen used to engrave rings with magic drawings and signs. It was
believed that rings were magic objects, in which specters lived.
There was a special burial ritual with many tribes: people had to
remove all rings from the fingers of a deceased person, not to let
specters hold the person's soul.
Modern people know only one function of the rings: a ring is believe
to be an essential item in wedding ceremonies. The roots of the
custom start in Ancient Rome, when people discovered that a circle
was a wonderful symbol of eternal love. The Greeks were the first
people who started wearing wedding rings on the fourth finger. That
was the best choice to make: scientists determined later that the
vein in the fourth finger - vena amoris - ends directly on the heart.
The belief in the magic power of trees appeared in Ancient Egypt.
Egyptians were the first to wear wooden charms on the neck: different
kinds of trees were possessing special energetic qualities. Our
ancestors eventually started worshipping trees, thinking that trees
were gods' homes. Touching a tree was compared to touching the
divine. The tradition was broken 2005 years ago, when Jesus was
crucified on a wooden cross. In Russia, when people do not want to
jinx themselves, they spit three times over the left shoulder and
knock on a wooden item (that can be a door, a desk, etc) three times
as well.
It is generally believed in Russia that a broken mirror brings
misfortune. The story of this prejudice is ridiculous. Mirrors were
first produced in the 15th century in Venice. Wealthy people made the
token up in order to make their servants handle mirrors carefully.
Thirteen is considered to be the unlucky number all over the world.
The combination of this number with Friday is considered to be a
disaster. It has been documented that the number of various injuries
and traumas increases on such days. It is not ruled out, though, that
such a mystery occurs not because of the unlucky number, but because
of people themselves, whose increased superstitious concerns manifest
themselves in critical situations and troubles.
According to a Scandinavian version, which appeared long before the
formation of Christianity, 12 happy gods were sitting at table in a
palace, eating dinner. The 13th god appeared all of a sudden and
started a flight, in which one of the gods was killed. A Christian
version says that the belief in the fatal power of this number is
explained with the Lord's Last Supper with 12 apostles: someone was
destined to die in the group of 13 people.
Spilling salt has been considered a very bad token for a very simple
reason. Salt was used to keep food fresh, when refrigerators were not
invented. Spilling salt on the ground implied hunger because food
would go bad.
~Ang
In ancient times, a ring on a finger used to be considered a
talisman, the significance and the power of which was changing in a
combination with a precious stone of different shape and color.
Craftsmen used to engrave rings with magic drawings and signs. It was
believed that rings were magic objects, in which specters lived.
There was a special burial ritual with many tribes: people had to
remove all rings from the fingers of a deceased person, not to let
specters hold the person's soul.
Modern people know only one function of the rings: a ring is believe
to be an essential item in wedding ceremonies. The roots of the
custom start in Ancient Rome, when people discovered that a circle
was a wonderful symbol of eternal love. The Greeks were the first
people who started wearing wedding rings on the fourth finger. That
was the best choice to make: scientists determined later that the
vein in the fourth finger - vena amoris - ends directly on the heart.
The belief in the magic power of trees appeared in Ancient Egypt.
Egyptians were the first to wear wooden charms on the neck: different
kinds of trees were possessing special energetic qualities. Our
ancestors eventually started worshipping trees, thinking that trees
were gods' homes. Touching a tree was compared to touching the
divine. The tradition was broken 2005 years ago, when Jesus was
crucified on a wooden cross. In Russia, when people do not want to
jinx themselves, they spit three times over the left shoulder and
knock on a wooden item (that can be a door, a desk, etc) three times
as well.
It is generally believed in Russia that a broken mirror brings
misfortune. The story of this prejudice is ridiculous. Mirrors were
first produced in the 15th century in Venice. Wealthy people made the
token up in order to make their servants handle mirrors carefully.
Thirteen is considered to be the unlucky number all over the world.
The combination of this number with Friday is considered to be a
disaster. It has been documented that the number of various injuries
and traumas increases on such days. It is not ruled out, though, that
such a mystery occurs not because of the unlucky number, but because
of people themselves, whose increased superstitious concerns manifest
themselves in critical situations and troubles.
According to a Scandinavian version, which appeared long before the
formation of Christianity, 12 happy gods were sitting at table in a
palace, eating dinner. The 13th god appeared all of a sudden and
started a flight, in which one of the gods was killed. A Christian
version says that the belief in the fatal power of this number is
explained with the Lord's Last Supper with 12 apostles: someone was
destined to die in the group of 13 people.
Spilling salt has been considered a very bad token for a very simple
reason. Salt was used to keep food fresh, when refrigerators were not
invented. Spilling salt on the ground implied hunger because food
would go bad.
~Ang