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Superstitions: How Did They Start?
Superstitions have been around for a long time. I’m not generally superstitious apart from one firm belief that has been proved again and again. Our State of Origin Rugby League series is coming up: three games between New South Wales and Queensland. Queenslander!
But every time I actually watch the game, Queensland loses. My family didn’t believe me for a long time, but it’s happened once too often to be a coincidence. I generally watch the first game and if Qld loses (as they will if I watch it), they’ve got a chance to win the series by winning the next two games which I will not watch.
Superstitions arose from fear of things they couldn’t understand, such as illness or death. Superstitions often arose as a way to make sense of these events and to feel a sense of control over the unpredictability of life. The superstitions that arose around covid are a recent example.
Some superstitions started in ancient religious practices. Early religions often attributed mystical powers to certain objects, animals, or celestial bodies. Think of the magic eye in Türkiye to ward off evil spirits. And astrology is more or less based on the superstition that somehow the planets rule our lives. There are brass statues all over the world of various animals. the superstition is if you rub the nose or ear or whatever, you will have good luck. You will…
