Archangel Gabriel handing
Mary lilies as he tells her she is expecting the son of God, and St Thomas was said to have found lilies in place of Mary’s body in her tomb after she ascended to heaven. The flower was also
said to have sprung from drops of Jesus’s sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before the crucifixion, which made them symbolic of the Resurrection. Lilies can often still be seen
decorating churches at Easter.
At Roman burials a lily was placed in the hands of the deceased to signify rebirth. This tradition was adopted by the early Church, which eventually appropriated the flower as a Christian symbol
of death, and it is from this that the superstition about them bringing bad luck if brought into the home derives.
IT IS UNLUCKY TO DENY A PREGNANT WOMAN HER CRAVINGS
Many readers might view this one as less of a superstition and more of a self-defence measure, since hell is widely known to have no fury like a pregnant woman denied the
midnight snack her heart desires. However, thissuperstition began with the belief that if a woman was made to go without the food she craved, her baby might be
‘marked’.
The 1507 translation of medieval manuscript the
Distaff Gospels
includes the opinions of two wise women on this subject: ‘I tell you also that when you are with a married woman who could
have children or who is pregnant . . . God and reason forbid talking about any food which could not be found at that time if needed, in order that her baby does not have a mark on the body.’
A second testimony to this superstition comes from Lady Abonde du Four who claims that if cherries, strawberries or red wine are thrown in the face of a pregnant woman, the child will have marks on
the body.
This latter view reflects medieval beliefs in ‘Maternal Impression’ where experiences the mother has during pregnancy were thought to be visible on the child after its birth. Some
American folklore suggests that birthmarks could be found on parts of the body that suffered injuries in a past life, while Iranian mythology states that a mark can appear on an unborn child when
its mother touches a part of her own body during a solar eclipse.
However, the unsatisfied cravings theory was most widely believed to be the cause and the naming of birthmarks in several languages reflects this. In Italian they’re called
‘
voglie
’, in Spanish they are known as ‘
antojos
’ and in Arabic ‘
wiham
’, all of which can be roughly translated as ‘wishes’, since they symbolized the
unfulfilled wishes of the child’s mother as she carried the unborn child.
NEVER CUT AN ELDER TREE
The elder tree is revered in pagan folklore for its magical powers and its ability to ward off evil. As a symbol of the natural cycle of life, death and
rebirth, its blossom was worn at the May fire festival of Beltane and its branches were used for blessings. It was also an important source of herbal medicine, and its flowers, bark and berries
were all used in restorative remedies. Countryside tradition held that it was unlucky to cut down an elder, perhaps because of the early European folktale that it was home to a tree spirit, or
dryad called Hylde-moer, who would haunt anyone who chopped the tree down. People were particularly careful to avoid using it to make cradles, as one legend said that Hylde-moer would visit any
child laid in a cradle made from her wood and pinch it black and blue. Branches of elder, though, were often cut down and hung over doorways to keep evil spirits at bay and it is only according to
Christian legend that bringing elder inside is unlucky.
Christian distrust of Druid customs may have fuelled fear of the elder and during the Middle Ages it was viewed with suspicion by many because of its association with magic
and witchcraft. As well as its use in medicine it was also used to make witches’ wands. It was said to be the tree that Judas hanged himself from and was sometimes referred
Mary lilies as he tells her she is expecting the son of God, and St Thomas was said to have found lilies in place of Mary’s body in her tomb after she ascended to heaven. The flower was also
said to have sprung from drops of Jesus’s sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before the crucifixion, which made them symbolic of the Resurrection. Lilies can often still be seen
decorating churches at Easter.
At Roman burials a lily was placed in the hands of the deceased to signify rebirth. This tradition was adopted by the early Church, which eventually appropriated the flower as a Christian symbol
of death, and it is from this that the superstition about them bringing bad luck if brought into the home derives.
IT IS UNLUCKY TO DENY A PREGNANT WOMAN HER CRAVINGS
Many readers might view this one as less of a superstition and more of a self-defence measure, since hell is widely known to have no fury like a pregnant woman denied the
midnight snack her heart desires. However, thissuperstition began with the belief that if a woman was made to go without the food she craved, her baby might be
‘marked’.
The 1507 translation of medieval manuscript the
Distaff Gospels
includes the opinions of two wise women on this subject: ‘I tell you also that when you are with a married woman who could
have children or who is pregnant . . . God and reason forbid talking about any food which could not be found at that time if needed, in order that her baby does not have a mark on the body.’
A second testimony to this superstition comes from Lady Abonde du Four who claims that if cherries, strawberries or red wine are thrown in the face of a pregnant woman, the child will have marks on
the body.
This latter view reflects medieval beliefs in ‘Maternal Impression’ where experiences the mother has during pregnancy were thought to be visible on the child after its birth. Some
American folklore suggests that birthmarks could be found on parts of the body that suffered injuries in a past life, while Iranian mythology states that a mark can appear on an unborn child when
its mother touches a part of her own body during a solar eclipse.
However, the unsatisfied cravings theory was most widely believed to be the cause and the naming of birthmarks in several languages reflects this. In Italian they’re called
‘
voglie
’, in Spanish they are known as ‘
antojos
’ and in Arabic ‘
wiham
’, all of which can be roughly translated as ‘wishes’, since they symbolized the
unfulfilled wishes of the child’s mother as she carried the unborn child.
NEVER CUT AN ELDER TREE
The elder tree is revered in pagan folklore for its magical powers and its ability to ward off evil. As a symbol of the natural cycle of life, death and
rebirth, its blossom was worn at the May fire festival of Beltane and its branches were used for blessings. It was also an important source of herbal medicine, and its flowers, bark and berries
were all used in restorative remedies. Countryside tradition held that it was unlucky to cut down an elder, perhaps because of the early European folktale that it was home to a tree spirit, or
dryad called Hylde-moer, who would haunt anyone who chopped the tree down. People were particularly careful to avoid using it to make cradles, as one legend said that Hylde-moer would visit any
child laid in a cradle made from her wood and pinch it black and blue. Branches of elder, though, were often cut down and hung over doorways to keep evil spirits at bay and it is only according to
Christian legend that bringing elder inside is unlucky.
Christian distrust of Druid customs may have fuelled fear of the elder and during the Middle Ages it was viewed with suspicion by many because of its association with magic
and witchcraft. As well as its use in medicine it was also used to make witches’ wands. It was said to be the tree that Judas hanged himself from and was sometimes referred
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