mainoff.gif
lastdyoff.gif
lastwkoff.gif
treeoff.gif
searchoff.gif
helpoff.gif
contactoff.gif
creditsoff.gif
homeoff.gif


The Daltaí Boards » Archive: 1999-2004 » 2004 (October-December) » Archive through November 11, 2004 » Superstitions « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Allmytee_meg
Member
Username: Allmytee_meg

Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 11:36 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Hi, my name is Megan and I’m from Weed, California. I’m in a folklore class and for my semester paper I’ve chosen to do Superstitions of Ireland and Scotland. As part of my requirement for the paper my instructor wants me to talk to different people around the world and of different ethnicities to see if the superstitions vary between cultures and geographic locations. I’ve asked my relatives who live in Ireland and Scotland, but my instructor would like me to gather the insights of others whom I don’t know to see the difference in superstitions.

So if anyone is willing you can either post your answers here, or e-mail me at telling me the superstitions you’ve heard about these items: black cats, throwing salt over your shoulder, saying “God Bless You” when someone sneezes, Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder, knocking on wood, the superstitions surrounding death and weddings, and the superstitions about the Banshee and Leprechauns.

You can choose to answer all of them or some of them, but I need for you tell me the superstition you know about each item, whether or not you still believe in it and why, where you heard it from (has it been passed down through your family and for how long?) and what will happen to you if you don’t obey the superstition.

At the end of the post/e-mail I’ll need your first name only (you can make one up if you like), your age, ethnicity, and where you’re from. Thanks so much in advance!!!!

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tomás (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From:
Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 08:48 am:   Edit Post Print Post

What do you mean "the superstitions" about the Bean Sí and Na Leipreacháin? You and I may not believe in them, but they are there just the same.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Jonas
Member
Username: Jonas

Post Number: 510
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 09:43 am:   Edit Post Print Post

black cats, throwing salt over your shoulder, saying “God Bless You” when someone sneezes, Friday the 13th, walking under a ladder, knocking on wood, the superstitions surrounding death and weddings, and the superstitions about the Banshee and Leprechauns.

This is not an answer to your question, but you might find it useful all the same:
Each and every one of these are just as much Scandinavian as Celtic/Brittish, although there are slightly different forms with regards to Bean Sí and Leipreacháin.

Come to think of it, they are all much more common in Scandianavia than in Ireland or Scotland. The superstitions I know from Ireland are all quite different.

(Message edited by jonas on November 02, 2004)

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Diarmo
Member
Username: Diarmo

Post Number: 62
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 09:59 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Is there Halloween in Scandanavia? and I mean not the imported one from the US

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Jonas
Member
Username: Jonas

Post Number: 511
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:11 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Absolutely not!!!!! :-)

No, we don't have it. We do have Allhelgona, roughly meaning "The day of all Saints" but it is quite different from the US-variety. More somber, lightning candles on the graves.

Sure, the US-thing has been imported in recent years and most people hate it. This Saturday I went out with some of my friends and at one point four of us sat discussing at a table when this topic came up. We all agreed that it is a total disgrace and only imported for businessmen to sell phony dresses. I might add that everyone of us four have a M.Sc in Economics with our major in Marketing. So if we dislike it, I can guarantee that everybody else does as well :-)

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Seán a' Chaipín (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From:
Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 01:11 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Well Jonas, at least you can console yourself that it's a little bit of Irish culture transmitting itself through the diaspora. When you get Cinquo de Mayo in Scandinavia then you can start to worry...

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Jonas
Member
Username: Jonas

Post Number: 512
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 01:51 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Oh, I wouldn't mind a proper Samhain, but the Halloween we have here have no resemblance whatsoever to the original.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

seanSeán (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From:
Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 02:25 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

This subject begs for a story: There was an Irish family living in a big city in USA. The only time the parents spoke Irish was when they didn't want the children to understand them. The mother was superstious and whenever she would display it to the children the annoyed father would who was not superstious would tell her in Irish,"Don't be putting blank in the boys' heads.", where blank is a necessary human function but a rather vulgar topic nevertheless.
There were attending a dinner reception for visiting priest from Ireland. The hostess called for the children to fill their plates. A little salt was dropped and the smiling hostess told the child to throw a pinch of salt over his shoulder.His younger brother shouts out what his father would always say having no idea of its meaning.There was a second or two of stunned silence but then they realized what had happened and the whole room erupted in gales of laughter while the poor mother tried to crawl under the table.

I don't know about other countries but the only reason Ireland has superstions is because every now and again they make for a good story.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

pad (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From:
Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 10:10 pm:   Edit Post Print Post

Jonas - If everyone in your country dislikes the imported American Halloween customs, why don't they just ignore them? Are they forced to buy the phoney dresses?

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Jonas
Member
Username: Jonas

Post Number: 513
Registered: 08-2004


Posted on Wednesday, November 03, 2004 - 04:48 am:   Edit Post Print Post

Quite true :-) Almost no-one buys them, no. It's more the fact that some stores make an effort to introduce them.

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

(Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Posted From:
Posted on Wednesday, November 03, 2004 - 06:47 am:   Edit Post Print Post

As far as I know the banshee followed families who were very Irish (mainly people with the surname ó), when the English invaded Ireland was when the banshee first appeared. She would appear to a member of the family to warn of the death of another member. She was not meant to be scary but was supposed to be something of importance, something the English could not take away from the Irish, therefore she would never appear for an englishman. There are alot of different versions of legends about the banshee.



©Daltaí na Gaeilge