Charles I of England owned a black cat and had it guarded all the time. The day after the cat fell ill and died, the king was also assassinated by his enemies
SUPERSTITIONS are passed on from generation to generation and from one place to another on mere verbal transmission. Even in this modern age, people are prone to irrational fears of birds, reptiles, days of the week, numbers, colours, social and cultural customs. Incidentally, a superstition for the followers of a particular religion is not for another. Superstitions have, however, bred from ages due to poverty, ignorance and refusal to accept new ideas.
Carlous Linnaes, the great Swedish naturalist who gave the world a system of classification of plants was also a bit superstitious as he kept a cricket in his house to put him to sleep. Charles Dickens, the famous writer, had a fancy for crickets and wrote: “I love it for the many hours’ thoughts its harmless music has given me.”
In ancient Ireland, if a traveller came across a woman with brown hair, he would turn round and resume his journey again. In Japan, the land of the rising sun, the dragonfly is an insect that commands great esteem. At the Trevi Fountain, the ‘wish fountain’, a small coin is tossed over one’s shoulder in its waters to assure one’s return to Rome.
In the subcontinent, superstitions run very high. Popular superstitions have led to milk being fed to snakes and nuts to monkeys in order to propitiate the gods by Hindus. A small noisy bird called Jay, with gay plumage, is held sacred in India and changes in its appearance is anxiously awaited by followers. The Pipal tree is treated as sacred by Hindus and is not cut for wood but worshipped. Crocodiles are reared in ponds and fed meat by the people, hoping that this act of theirs would bring them good luck in life. During solar eclipses, pregnant women are kept homebound as the eclipse is believed to deform unborn babies. Also, the babies of mothers who die in childbirth are stigmatized as manhoos (ill-fated) throughout their lives. The sharp quills of the porcupine if kept in a house is believed to keep the inmates quarrelling. Many illiterate people still believe that the Earth rests on the horns of a cow and when she is tired and changes her position, it results in earthquakes.
On the other hand, in the civilized West, a horseshoe is a sign of good luck. Even in eastern society, some people nail horseshoes at the entrances of houses or shops to keep misfortune away.
Talking of birds, an owl is the symbol of great wisdom in the West, but for the people of the subcontinent it is a bird of ill- omen. Its midnight hoots are most unwelcome and irksome to listen. There is also an old wives’ tale that if the flesh of the owl is fed by a wife to her husband, it will make him obedient to her for the rest of his life. Likewise, having milk or milk-based products after eating fish is believed to cause white spots on the skin. Some people are so superstitious that they always put the left shoe on first. Walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror or the falling of a hanging picture is taken as a signal that some misfortune is about to happen.
Cats are a popular pet all over the world, but black cats are globally regarded as bad omens. Having a black cat cross one’s path is always avoided by people to avert mishaps. Yet, there are people who have a strong liking for black cats. Fisher women keep a black cat at home to prevent impending disasters to their husbands gone deep-sea fishing. Some sailors also keep black cats on board for good luck. King Charles I of England owned a black cat and had it guarded all the time so that it was not stolen. The day after the cat fell ill and died, the king was also assassinated by his enemies. In North America, no shoe is put on the bed as it is believed to bring about death in the family. Similarly, a wild bird straying into the house is believed to bring the same tidings.
Stray dogs barking at midnight are considered to be a warning sign of evil. In the subcontinent, early morning cawing by crows is a harbinger that one should be prepared to receive guests. Days like Wednesday and Saturday and numbers like 3 and 13 are also unlucky for hordes of people in our society. Important business deals or journeys are not undertaken by some people on these dates or days.
Itching of one’s ears, palms and soles are also considered ominous. Itchy ears means that someone is talking about you, an itchy right palm may bring you across someone entirely new, while an itchy left palm is supposed to bring unexpected treasure. Itchy feet are meant to keep you on the run. Repeated fits of hiccups suggest that you are being remembered by a friend or relative. A one-eyed person or a hunchback is avoided on festive occasions as this is a bad omen. Similarly, young widows in some families are kept at a distance from the bride and the bridegroom as their association is believed to cast unhappiness in the life of the couple.
Young girls visiting the rooftops after sunset with open hair are often frowned upon by old, superstitious ladies, lest they be possessed by an evil or amorous djinn. Black was once worn only on mourning and it was a taboo for married women. But now, even on festive occasions, black is popular with the young as it makes them look prettier.
Years of coexistence with Hindus has made Muslims equally prone to their superstitions. Serious crimes have often been committed in a desperate attempt to get rid of disease, evil spirits, to get rich overnight or to be blessed with offspring. Fake pirs and fakirs, claiming special powers, also exploit the innocent with such tactics.
Lots of people now wear good-luck charms, lockets, bracelets or rings. The ears are pierced of small children at the time of birth as a sign of good omen and to protect them from evil, illness and enemies.
Mostly, superstitions breed in a society due to poverty and ignorance. In the West, a higher percentage of education and scientific knowledge has made people more bold, confident and self-reliant, ridding them of common superstitions that were once a part of their life, too. Superstitions are imaginary and directly related to hearsay, fears and old and out-dated customs.
Charles I of England owned a black cat and had it guarded all the time. The day after the cat fell ill and died, the king was also assassinated by his enemies 
