Do you have Triskaidekaphobia?

Do you walk around a ladder, rather than under it?

Does a broken mirror signify seven years of bad luck?

Does the number '13' make you cry like a baby because it signifies bad luck?

Throughout the world, people have a variety of superstitions. Some take these very seriously, while others lightly joke about them.

Just as today, superstitions were present in ancient Rome. While there were many who privately thought superstitions silly, they knew they must publicly follow tradition. Before any public or private ceremony, the signs were consulted to ensure that conditions were favorable.

Here are some Roman superstitions that you might find amusing:

Animals in Superstitions

• An owl was a sign of impending disaster.
• Bees meant good fortune, and were considered messengers of gods.
• An eagle was a sign of power, and the sight of one meant that a storm was on its way.
• If chickens refused to eat food that was offered to them, it was a bad sign.
• There is actually proof of this superstition. According to Polybius, a Greek historian in the second century B.C., Claudius Pulcher, a consul in the third century B.C., took a flock of sacred chickens out to sea with him en route to a decisive naval battle against the Carthaginian navy in the First Punic War. He tried to feed the unfortunate chickens, but they flat out refused to eat. He threw them overboard, and they ended up at the bottom of Davey Jones's locker. Soon after the chicken fiasco, his army suffered a terrible defeat in battle.

Herbs

• Herbs were said to have opened closed doors.
• They dried up rivers and swamps.
• It was thought that herbs made enemies retreat in battle.
• Say 'duo' (two) at the sight of a scorpion to prevent it from stinging.

Paintings or Sculptures of:

• Scorpions
• Snakes
• Bees
  -- paintings or sculptures of these were hung over doorways to bring evil to those inside.

Health Remedies

• Say 'Bona Salus' when someone sneezes (good health).
• If you had a toothache, here is what you would have done: You'd have put your hands behind your back and bitten into a piece of wood that had been struck by lightning, making sure to apply the wood to the sore tooth. Boy, you'd have looked like a fool!
• To lessen a fever, you could have worn a nail or rope that was used in a crucifixion around your neck.
• To get rid of a wart, steal your mother's dirty dishcloth and hide it under a rock outside your house.
• If you lived in ancient Rome, you might have prevented baldness by cutting your hair on the 17th or 29th day of the month.
• If you lived in ancient Rome and you woke up one morning with giant swollen eyes popping out of your head, there was no need to worry. You simply tied a piece of papyrus with two Greek letters on linen thread and wore it around your neck.
• You might chant an incantation while two men held halves of a reed moving each one closer until they came together. Wave an iron knife over the reed, then cut it on the right and left sides. Continue to do this daily until your broken bones are healed.

Good Fortune is Attained by:

• Cut your nails beginning with the index finger, while in Rome during a Market day (every nine days).
• Spit on your hand after striking another to reduce the resentment of the one you struck.
• Spit on your right shoe when dressing.
• Spit on your urine.
• If someone throws a horseshoe, pick it up.
• A bride arranges for a fat pig to touch the doorpost before she enters her new house.

Bad Fortune is Attained by:

• It was unlucky to sweep the floor when dinner guests were leaving a banquet. It was also unlucky to remove mensa when a guest was drinking.
• When crossing over railroad tracks, raise your feet. If you don't you will loose your boyfriend/girlfriend.
• Attack the memory of a deceased person.
• Attending a banquet with an even number of guests.

Miscellaneous

• Odd numbers were more powerful than even ones. Go figure!
• Got an enemy you'd like to curse? Write his/her name on a tablet and stick a long nail through that name. A hammer may be required.
• If your nose itches, you'll soon have company coming.
• If your left hand itches, you're coming into money.
• If someone mentions fire at a banquet, pour water under the table.
• If your right hand itches, you'll soon shake hands with someone you like.
• Never tell about a bad dream until you've eaten breakfast.
• Don't cut your hair when the sun is going down.
• Wear the same pair of socks when you're on a winning streak.
• Go through the same routine before every game.
• Sit on the bench in the same order to continue a winning streak.
• Passing a young child through the branches of a Maple tree has traditionally thought to encourage good health and a long life for the child.

Joan Jahnige/Drew Hunt/David Fite, KY Educational Television, 2001 (revised 2006)

SOURCES:

• The Oxford Classical Dicitonary, 2nd ed., s.v. "Claudius Pulcher"
• Beard, Mary et al., Religions of Rome, vol. 2, Cambridge: 1998, 265 - 272
• http://www.roman-empire.net/religion/superstitions.html