HALLOWEEN BLOG

[GEMINIGUY]

(con't)
roof of a house this is particularly to be lamented, threatening ill luck. In the Shetlands, farmers believe that their cows will give bloodied milk and then die if an owl brushes against them." Bat "With their nocturnal flight and habit of roosting in secluded shadowy places such as ruins and caves, bats have long been associated with the darker side of superstition; in many cultures they are linked with Witchcraft and death."

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Bat

The appearance of a bat in a church during a wedding ceremony is considered a bad omen, and if a bat flies 3 times round a house or hits a windowpane this is a sure prophecy of the impending death of someone within. Equally ominous in many countries is the discovery of a bat actually in the house, which again threatens the life of one of the occupants or else is taken as a sign that the human occupants are about to leave. A near miss when a bat flies close by is a warning that the person concerned is threatened by betrayal or Witchcraft at the hands of another.

[GEMINIGUY]

(con't)
"If a bat actually collides with a building, then rain can be expected. Other traditions suggest that Witches sometimes turn themselves into bats in order to enter people's houses and that the sight of bats flying vertically upwards and then dropping back to Earth is a sign that the Witching hour has come. Witches, it is said, often include a few drop of bat's blood in the flying ointment they are said to smear on their bodies before taking off on their broomsticks; the idea is that they will then be safe from colliding with anything, as bats appear to be. In order to keep Witches away superstitious people are advised to carry a live bat 3 times round the outside of the house, then to kill it and nail its dead body beside a window or else to the door of one of their outhouses."   

[GEMINIGUY]

**October 27th** Corpse "The handling of human corpses is the focus of a myriad of superstitions around the world... The moment death has taken place superstition insists that the eyes, if still open, be closed, or their gaze will summon another person who is present to accompany the departed to the grave [in some countries the eyes are prevented from reopening by covering them with coins]. Distraught friends and relatives should not allow their tears to fall upon the body, as their distress is believed to trouble the departed soul. Scottish tradition discourages mourners from crying at any stage during a funeral. *************** Touching the corpse is recommended as it brings the living good luck and will, save them from nightmares in which the dead person appears. The touch of a dead person's hand - particularly one who has died a violent death - may prove of benefit to various medical conditions. The corpse of a person who has been murdered, however, will bleed if touched by the murderer, thus revealing

[GEMINIGUY]

the latter's guilt. ***************  On no account must an animal of any kind be allowed to jump over the coffin...the animal must be killed immediately to prevent further deaths in the family. A corpse that remains limp long after rigor mortis should have set is a bad omen, warning of another death in the household. *************** A corpse should be removed from the house before the weekend, for a body that remains unburied over a sunday will soon be joined by another in the grave. It is also thought unlucky for a corpse to remain unburied over New Year's Day. Miners go further and may refuse to return to work until the body of a colleague killed in an accident is properly laid to rest. Sailors, too, dislike having a body on board ship, and if the burial takes place at sea are nervous of watching the body  sink for fear that they will follow it. ***************  When the time comes for the body to be carried away it is important that it be removed feet first, in contradiction to the usual manner of birth,

[GEMINIGUY]

or the deceased's ghost may return. Any ground of which the corpse is carried is fated to become barren... Once the body is gone, the front steps should be washed at once to clean it of any ill luck left behind. Linen used to wrap a body is considered very lucky and may be used to relieve headaches if wrapped around the head."

[GEMINIGUY]

**October 28th**  Looking Under The Bed "The irrational fear of something hideous lurking under the bed when one retires for the night may be scorned by many people, but rural superstition readily forgives such weakness and adviser that no one should be ashamed of a quick glance under the bed as this may well warn off the Devil and his minions." Nightmares "Superstition maintains that nightmares are sent by the Devil and his minions to trouble the dreams of sleepers. Such demons steal into bedrooms in the dead of night, often taking the form of spectral horses [hence 'nightmare']. *************** Superstition offers various remedies for those unfortunate enough to be plagued by nightmares. These include pinning one's socks into the shape of a cross to the end of the bed or else placing a knife or some other metal object nearby, on the grounds that the latent magic of iron or steel will see off malevolent spirits. Carefully placing one's shoes under the bed so that the toes point outwards is also said to be

[GEMINIGUY]

effective. Other precautions include sleeping with the hands crossed on the breast and fixing little straw crosses to the 4 corners of the bed. Any lingering ill effects resulting from nightmares may be dismissed by spitting 3 times on waking up." Nightshade "The poisonous nature of various nightshade plants is reflected in the superstitions concerning them. Alleged to be a favourite ingredient of Witches' spells, deadly nightshade was, in former times, consumed in small quantities by those wishing to see the future; too large a dose, of course, could induce madness and even prove fatal. It was also said to be an ingredient in the mysterious flying ointment with which Witches smeared their bodies in order to acquire the power of flight. Sprigs of woody nightshade festooned about the person or around the home will, however, keep evil spirits away and may also be used to protect livestock from the threat of Witchcraft and disease."   

[GEMINIGUY]

**October 29th** Ghost "The spirit of someone who is dead, around which idea numerous superstitions have evolved. Whether a ghost manifests itself as a visible apparition, as an invisible poltergeist who disturbs the furniture or merely as a 'presence' felt by those particularly sensitive to such entities, most people are terrified at the thought of meeting one and fear the ramifications of such an encounter. Superstition holds that spirits, which may include apparitions of animals, return to Earth for a variety of reasons. These include seeking vengeance for their deaths, warning others of danger, and seeing to some unfinished business that must be put right before they can enjoy eternal repose. *************** Disregarding many of the taboos insisted upon by superstition may result in the calling up of the dead and even lingering in the vicinity of such ominous places as crossroads may be enough in itself to summon the attention of the supernatural. ... Measures that may be taken against encountering ghosts

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include, according to Scottish tradition, wearing a cross of Rowan wood fastened with red thread and concealed in the lining of one's coat." Fairy "The magical and traditionally malevolent 'little people' to whom many misfortunes and supernatural happenings are frequently attributed. Including such unearthly creatures as goblins, pixies, elves, changelings and gnomes... Fairies are associated with Arcadian landscapes of streams and woods, though they may be attracted to the history or certain families. They are often depicte as mischievous and vain. According to different accounts, fairies are fallen angels, the spirits of the prematurely dead or the last survivors of a race of tiny beings who inhabited Celtic lands long ago. Threatening small children that the fairies would come and get them was a favourite ruse of parents for many centuries, adults themselves much feared the interference of the little people, who had the power to injure their livestock and to cause terrible misfortune if crossed, either   

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accidently or on purpose. Back in the 17th century it was thought unlucky even to mention the word 'fairy', and such euphemisms as 'the good neighbour' were preferred. Inhabitants of rural areas learned to shun places where fairies were reputed to gather, but greatly prized any fossil seaurchins they found, believing they were really 'fairy loaves'."

[GEMINIGUY]

**October 30th** **Mischief Night* Banshee "Perpetrator of unearthly wailing that is much feared in Ireland and western Scotland as an omen of approaching death. The banshee is usually heard at night and its supernatural ululations are generally associated with a particular family or clan, who can often detail a history of such warnings from spectral guardians. *************** Some claim that the banshee wail is made by the fairies, who sense the coming of death and want to warn the family. Alternately the banshee is held to be a dead ancestor or perhaps the vengeful spirit who has suffered some wrong at the family's hand. In some parts of Scotland the banshee is known as the 'washer by the ford' because her figure is seen washing the bloodstained clothes of the person fated to die."

[GEMINIGUY]

**October 31st** *All Hallow's Eve* [This one is for 'Jeneee' and...she knows who she is...] Twins "Superstition has always regarded twins with mistrust, believing them to be in some way closer to the spirit world than other children. In many primitive societies twins may be ostracised and everything they touch will be declared taboo for other children [in pagan times both the twins and their mother risked being put to death]. Superstitious people will suggest various reasons why a woman gives birth to twins, often speculating that she has at some point during her pregnancy consumed a double fruit. Twins will also result if husbands spill the pepper while their wives are pregnant, and women with a red line down the middle of their stomachs are said to be naturally prone to giving birth to more than one baby at a time. A rather pernicious tradition holds that a man may only father one child at once, and that therefore the second child is the result of the wife's infidelity or the action of the spirits. 

[GEMINIGUY]

"It is widely believed that twins, particularly those who are identical, enjoy telepathic sympathy for one another, knowing when the other twin is in pain and so forth, and science seems to  provide some evidence for this. According to one ancient tradition twins share a single soul: and if one dies and signs mortis does not set in in the usual way this is a sign that the dead twin is waiting for its partner to join it in the afterlife. If the remaining twin survives the demise of its sibling it is supposed to acquire new vitality as well as  supernatural healing powers, being able to cure thrush by breathing into the patient's mouth [though only if the patient is of the opposite sex]. As regarding lifestock, farmers are inclined to see the birth of twin calves as an unlucky event and may seek to sell one without delay." HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL MY FIENDS HERE ON KRISTEN'S BOARD!!!

[GEMINIGUY]

I'd be curious to find out which superstitions were you favorites.

[Grm]

This is just the place for the witching night.

http://www.crossbones.org.uk/#/history/4527977516

[Gina Marie]

Thank you for diligently posting and daily updating this, Geminiguy! It was informitive and fun.

a WOO for your effort!

~Gia

[GEMINIGUY]

Thank you for your feedback. I enjoyed posting it.

[GEMINIGUY]

It's been almost two years since i posted this. Feel free to have a look at it if you missed it. I plan on posting another one for Halloween month, though i'm not sure if i'll do it in the same way.

[theclown74]

Great stuff,GG! Can't wait to see what happens for this year.

[GEMINIGUY]

Thanks. I had fun posting it and hope to find at least thirty-one more good superstitions for next month.