Meaning behind this superstition?
I'm doing this project on superstitions and omens around the world and I came across the Irish proverb "a whistling woman and a crowing hen will bring no luck to the home they are in". I also saw "a whistling woman and a crowing hen are neither good for God nor man" and "a whistling woman and a crowing hen will frighten the devil out of his den". Why whistling women and crowing hens? Where did this superstition start?
In the United Kingdom (or Ireland), is there the superstition that it is unlucky to take a redhaired woman on board a boat?
Answer requested by Christine ChristieIt’s more any woman on board… but then so many things are considered bad luck aboard a boat/ship, anyway. You could write whole books just listing them… Touching a sailor’s collar, whistling - Even having a banana aboard is bad luck, though how they used to transport the bloody things to England in the 1600s before air freight was invented is a sticky question to ask of a supserstitious seafarer!!You know, Lieutenant Hornblower - If sailors spent more time learning to sail and less time dreaming up silly superstitions, we might have the makings of a proper Navy!!
What superstitions are there in the United Kingdom and Ireland about red-haired people?
Not exactly a superstition, but way back in the 1970s my dentist told me he didn’t give gas and air to redheads, even kids who would have preferred having it before the local anaesthetic jab (which is the actual important one), because it often didn’t work as expected. I think some recent research says he may have been right in his hunch there was a difference, but he just needed to give more gas.Can’t recall ever hearing any unlucky, lucky, etc type superstitions in either country. I’ll bet sailors have one, because historically sailors everywhere had a superstition about everything. It goes with the territory.
What are superstitions about The Blarney Stone?
Well it's a block of stone half way up a wall in blarney castle, Co. Cork. Kissing it is supposed to give you the "Gift of the gab" aka the ability to talk as eloquently as the Irish. There's loads of theories about it's origins like it's part of the Stone of Scone on which British royalty are crowned or it's the rock on which Moses smote his staff. Not too sure if there's any truth in these. That's about all there is for superstitions, the Gift of easy speech is about it.
Irish cladaugh ring superstitions?
According to 16th-century Irish folk lore, a fishing boat from the village of Claddagh was captured by Algerian pirates and the crew was sold into slavery. One of the crew was a young man by the name of Richard Joyce, who was to be married the same week he was captured. Instead, Richard found himself far away from his love and his homeland. He was sold to a wealthy Moorish goldsmith who taught him the trade and, eventually, he became skilled enough to design a ring of special significance: the hands were for friendship, the crown was for loyalty, and the heart was for love. Years went by, but Richard never forgot his sweetheart. Somehow, he managed to escape and make his way home to Ireland. When he arrived back in Claddagh, he discovered that his girl had never married. They were wed immediately, and the ring he gave her was the one he had designed and made while he was a slave. Over the years, the design became extremely popular as a betrothal or wedding ring and took on even more significance. Worn on the right hand with the heart pointing out means that the heart is uncommitted. Worn on the same hand with the heart pointing in means that the heart is taken. Worn on the left hand with the heart pointing in means "Let Love and Friendship reign forever, never to be separated." In the old days, Claddagh rings were worn widely by women on the west coast and off-shore islands of Galway. Often representing the sole major investment of a fishing family, they were handed down from mother to daughter. Now, many couples, even those not of Irish descent, are choosing the Claddagh symbol for their engagement and wedding rings. They are widely available, as are a wide range of other Claddagh accessories from earrings to cuff links. But one word of caution: it is said to be very bad luck for a person to purchase a Claddagh ring for themselves. It must be given or received as a gift.
Going out through the door you came in. An old Irish superstitions. Meaning?
When I was young my superstitious grandmother always told me to always "go out the way you came in" meaning to always leave a room, a house or apartment by the same door through which you entered. This was reference in "Duplex" when Mrs. Connelly told the young couple to exit through the way they entered because "We Irish have a belief about going out the way you came in, it's something to do with death". I've wondered what the actual meaning of the superstition is. Does anyone know?
What are some common superstitions believed in the US?
Black cats are bad luck.Break a mirror and you’ll get seven years bad luckNever whistle in a theaterNever walk under a ladderYou must say god bless you (or equivalent) after someone sneezes, however there is no similar superstition for coughingIf you talk about something you hope will happen, you may prevent it happening, this can be avoided by knocking on woodTeaching people how sex works causes pregnancy.Providing condoms and access to other birth control causes sex.Pets don’t die, they go live on a farm somewhere upstate where they can run and play all day.Never light three cigarettes on one match.Hit the ceiling of your car if you drive under a light as it turns redThe sole purpose of guns is to kill other people.Guns are a great form of self defenseGuns that look like military weapons are more dangerous than ones that do not (even if in all other respects the two are identical).Guns with a high ammo capacity and short barrel are not more suited for mass killing than ones with a low capacity and a long barrel.Changing lanes when you see a cop will prevent them from seeing how fast you were going.Driving the speed limit is safer than driving ten miles per hour faster, when everyone else is driving at that speed.Driving faster than everyone around you is safer than driving that average speed.The left lane is for anyone who wants to drive in itThe left lane is only for the fastest person around, anyone in ahead of such a person who is driving the least bit slower must pull into the right lane, even if this puts them behind someone going 20mph slower.If someone is behind someone going very slow, it is important to go around them rather than let them move into the left lane to pass.You must merge as soon as you see a “merge ahead” sign. Anyone failing to do so is cheating.And finallyThis is the greatest country in the world, statistics be damned.
What superstitions are common in your country?
During menstruation, girls still aren't allowed to enter temples, kitchen and in other religious gatherings. We aren't even supposed to touch any male members of family, it is supposed to shorten their lifespan.We aren't supposed to cut nails, bathe, comb, wash face at night.Odd number of people aren't supposed to get out of a house at the same time.Laughing too much now means you will have to cry later on.Hearing dog's howling or crows' cawing means bad omen.Seeing empty pot called “Gagri”, spilling of food after cooking, breaking of mirror, sitting with hands on forehead, serving food in odd numbers etc signify bad luck.Most of us believe in “not to travel days”, people mostly don't travel in Saturdays and Tuesdays.Every time we touch our own or somebody else's neck, we blow our hand; if not done so, we believe our neck will get infected.When we spit out while talking, we are supposed to say, “chokho, chokho”, don't know what that means!If cat, indifferent of its color, crosses road while traveling, it's believed to be a bad luck.If your hand is itching, it means you will either loose or gain money soon, it's different (right and left) hands in girls and boys that signifies losing or gaining of money.If you whistle inside home, that means you are inviting ghosts! Never try this in front of old people.If you accidentally hit somebody's head with your head, you are supposed to bang it again. If not, they say you are going to have some hard times with that person.We eat curd for good luck before leaving for any important task.While combing hair if your comb falls off your hand, that means you are going to have guest(s) coming over your house that night.Appearance of white spots on your nails you are going to have new clothes soon .It’s unlucky to return home on the 9th day or the 9th month after you left home.If somebody asks for any sharp instruments like knife, instead of giving in on hand,we are supposed to place them next to that person and let them pick themselves.Many people still believe in black magic and witch doctors.There are many weird interpretations of dreams we see. (Though it's a superstition, being a believer of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis, I do believe that dreams have some significance to some extent)