What would a Lucky 13 Blog Hop be without some superstitions? Shall we explore them?
Knock on wood:
Knock, knock. Who’s there? Ever wonder why people knock on
wood to prevent being jinxed? Well, the Pagans believed that all living
materials were imbued with spiritual powers, including trees. By knocking on
the wood, a person could drive away the evil spirits from the object in which
they resided. Think about that next time you knock on someone’s door.
Breaking mirrors:
Souls were said to dwell in mirrors, and in the ancient
world, if you looked into one you could invite death. Also that any harm done
to the mirror, would be reflected back on the person who broke it. As time went
by, the punishment lessoned to 7 years for cracking that looking-glass.
The Victorians covered their mirrors in black cloth while a
body was laid out in the house. This was thought to keep the spirit from
becoming trapped in the glass, instead of moving on to the afterlife. Going
hand and hand with that, if you saw your reflection in a mirror in a room where
someone just died, you would die soon also. Many cultures believe cameras can capture soul, like a mirror. So, if the Victorians were so superstitious, I wonder why they took portraits of their dead loved ones. Anyone?
Mirror, mirror on the wall....
Black cats:
I had a black cat for 16 years and he, like the lucky 13, brought me nothing but luck. So, where did they get their bad reputations? In the Western culture, black cats are considered bad luck.
In fact, people still hold to this superstition today. Go to any humane society
and ask. The black cats are the last to be adopted. But where did this madness
come from? In some cultures, black cats are considered good luck. Look at the
early pagans. They believed them to be so.
And since early Christians believed pagans to be witches, it
didn’t take long for them to link a black cat to a witch, someone in league with the devil.
Pleaseeeeeeee.
Besides the black
cat, some other black animals are known for being bad omens. I mean you can
have a flock of geese, but when you have a group of ravens, they are called a
murder. Nevermore!
Black hounds:
From folklore of the British Isles, the black hound is
thought to be a hellhound, or portent of death. Black dogs are universally
regarded as malevolent, some are even accused of being harmful, or causing
death. A few of the more notorious: The Gurt Dog of Somerset, The Black Hound
of Hanging Hills Connecticut and The Barghest.
Black Horses:
Púca—or ghost horse
from Irish folklore can either bring good or bad luck. Tales say that if he
appears to you in the form of a black colt, with chains hanging from him and
you climb on his back, you’ll never be seen again.
However, if you are
a farmer and you offer him a gift, he will return it tenfold, blessing you with
wealth. Maybe. Are you ready to make a deal with the Devil?
Most say beware the
devil beasts that bear a black coat.
Wonder what my cat would have thought of that?
Walking under a ladder brings bad luck.
Where did this superstition come from? There are a couple of
theories. One is that in medieval times, the ladders were used to get criminals
to the gallows, in fact, in areas where trees were scarce; some criminals were
hung from the top rung of a ladder that had been leaned against a wall. The
evil spirit was thought to reside there. So when you walked under the ladder,
you took a chance you’d encounter that spirit.
The other theory is that early Christians believed the
triangle a sacred symbol of the Trinity. By walking under a ladder, you were
breaking the triangle and this meant you were in league with the devil.
Trick or treat?This phrase owes its origins to souling and guising. Beggars would often beg for cakes in return for offering prayers for the dead on All Souls Day.
You ready for your
trick?
Let’s talk alien
abduction. In Last Flight of the Ark, Col Kaleb Titan and his crew discover
aliens have been taking people from Earth for thousands of years. But why? In
this tale from a darker side of the galaxy, Kaleb and his crew are placed in a situation
where they must make a choice that won't be easy.
Buy Links:
Publisher
Kindle
Nook
Blurb:
Evolution never happened so fast.
Twelve hours outside of Terra II, Colonel Kaleb Titan, a molecular geneticist and commander of the Ark faces a life or death choice that could change the fate of mankind.
The Genesis I, aka the Ark, travels with a hold full of wildlife and three crew members. When a wolf bite and genetically-altering gamma radiation transform Kaleb, he notices his senses have been heightened, his libido has gone haywire and he can’t keep his hands off his crew. Worse yet, they don't seem inclined to stop him.
When their sister ship, the Genesis II arrives early, Kaleb’s problems compound. As soon as the command crew of the Genesis II boards, one whiff tells Kaleb they’re not from Earth or who they appear to be.
When he discovers that they’ve kept the Genesis II’s crew of over two thousand alive, he begins to believe their reasons may be far more ominous than anyone could have imagined. However, he also discovers what’s holding them back. The hijackers seem to be allergic to canines.
Now they're forced to employ biological warfare against their own, but will it be enough to save humanity?
History is about to repeat and only one species will survive.
I’m giving away an
e-copy of Last Flight of the Ark to one lucky commenter. All you have to do is
leave your email and a short thought or two about superstitions and their
origins. That’s it. At the end of the hop, I’ll draw a name from my virtual
hat.
Be sure to visit the
other participating blogs to get in on the goodies here:
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And enter the Rafflecopter to get in on the big prize of a Kindle Paperwhite here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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And enter the Rafflecopter to get in on the big prize of a Kindle Paperwhite here:
Thanks for stopping
by today. For buy links to my books, and excerpts, please stop by my website at
www.authordljackson.com
Beware, what goes
bump in the night.
D L Jackson
