Superstitions in Writing

Superstitions have been a part of our everyday life since the beginning of time. The basis for these beliefs has its source in fear, the main ingredient in the Horror/Scary Genre. Superstitions are the result of storytelling, making them an excellent foundation for a story.

Superstitions are not based on rationale and practical thought. They’ve evolved from ancient religious or supernatural genres, a huge resource that includes belief in specific events (Halloween), apparitions (vampires, werewolves and ghosts), charms and incantations (salt over the shoulder, avoiding pavement cracks) and predicting the future (horoscopes, palm reading).

Animals are great sources of superstition. The examples given below demonstrate the lack of logic in the beliefs, although a writer could produce a very interesting story describing how any of these superstitions were born:

Bird – when one flies into the house a death will follow.
Cat – if a black one walks towards you it brings luck; walking away means the luck goes too.
Dog – it’s considered a bad omen if a dog howls at night and his owner is sick.
Lizard – dreaming of one is an indication of a secret enemy.
Raven – killing a raven harms the spirit of King Arthur, who is said to visit the world in this form.
Swan – sewing one’s feather into a husband’s pillow ensure his fidelity.

Another famous superstition revolves around the number 13, with the date being an inspiration for a series of horror films entitled Friday the 13th. There are many different stories that have evolved to give this date its notoriety:

The biblical reference to the Last Supper, with Judas betraying Jesus. He was the 13th guest at the table.
Jesus was reportedly crucified on Friday.
In ancient Rome a witch’s coven comprised 12, with the 13th member being the devil.
A Norse myth tells of 12 gods dining at Valhallah, their heaven. A 13th uninvited guest, Loki, arrived, persuading the god of darkness to slay the god of happiness.

Numerologists consider the number 12 a complete number for several reasons: the number of apostles, the total number of tribes in Israel, the number of months in a year, the number of Olympian gods, the zodiac signs and Hercules’ labours. 13’s association with bad luck is the simple, unavoidable fact that it exceeds a complete number by just one.

Another modern myth about this unfortunate number claims that if you have 13 letters in your name you will have the devil’s luck. So is it a coincidence that the following characters reflect this trait?

Jack the Ripper
Charles Manson
Jeffrey Dahmer
Theodore Bundy
Albert De Salvo

The humble mirror is probably the focus of more superstitions than any other object. These stories evolved from the times when water was used as a mirror. People would look into the water to see their fates. If the image was distorted it was a sure sign of the viewer's death. As the mirror changed form, so did the beliefs. Early people gazed into a mirror in the same way that someone might gaze into a crystal ball. He imagined he saw the image of his soul. If the mirror was shattered so was the soul, and the person would die. The seven year’s bad luck seems to have evolved from the ancient Roman belief that it took seven years for life to renew itself. The Romans are also responsible for little known remedy useful for anyone who breaks a mirror – the only way to escape the seven year sentence is to bury the broken mirror pieces!

Here are some superstitions about mirrors that you might want to incorporate into a story. They are all very different, which reflects the superstitious history attached to this particular object:

There’s an ancient superstition that says all mirrors in a house where someone has died must be covered. This prevents the soul from getting trapped in the mirror. And anyone else who’s admired his or her reflection in the mirror risks loosing his or her soul, because the ghost of the dead person will take it!
If a mirror falls from a wall it means someone is going to die.
Vampires and witches show no reflection in mirrors because they have no souls.
A mirror framed on three sides means a witch has used it to see over long distances.
Some cultures believe that a baby who looks into a mirror during the first year of its life will die.
Ancient Chinese believed that mirrors frighten away evil spirits who get scared when they see themselves; and if the mirror was broken the protection was lost.
It’s considered bad luck to see your face in a mirror when sitting by candlelight. In your youth did you look at your faces in a mirror with a torch shining below your chin? That was a scary sight!
Actors believe it’s bad luck to see their reflection while looking over the shoulder of another person.
If a couple’s first sight of each other is their reflections in a mirror they will have a happy marriage.
Want to see what your future husband looks like? Sit down in front of a mirror and eat an apple before brushing your hair. An image of a man will appear behind your shoulder!