Irish Superstitions

Add a Comment

Comment by NIta on July 29, 2009 at 20:48

Brendan, I don't have a dog. I can't help you with the white cow but I do have a lovely Irish tune called The Fair-Haired White Skinned Calf. This is connected to a Fairy Queen who took this form. You may have THAT if you like.

Comment by Brendan O'Neill on July 29, 2009 at 19:56

Nlta, these are good. I was wondering how does one call their dog if it is barking ? Most of us whistle for our dogs. I can only suggest you find another way to manage those barking dogs if you want money to come your way?

Siusan & Zig some of these are downright scary. I would like to get rid of some of my ailments and I am now looking for a White Cow. Keep the sayings coming, they are a reflection of our Irish culture - without them we would be like the rest of the world. Now that is a scary thought!

Comment by NIta on July 29, 2009 at 0:23

I remember something about a "whistling maid and a barking dog". I whistle all the time and until last week I worked with hundreds of barking dogs. Is that why I'm poor?
When you speak of anyone who "has passed to the other side" you must bless that person immediately as you say their name or his/her spirit will rise up and become troublesome. "John Doe, may he rest in peace,..."

Comment by Siusan O'Rourke & Zig Zeitler on July 29, 2009 at 0:10

Well heres my two cents...

NEVER give a gift to anyone that has a cutting edge such as a knife or even a brooche unless at least a penny has been given to the giver of the gift from the recipient...

When you see a White Crow something remarkable will happen.. THIS is now the name of our business..

When the dead are carried out of the house they must go FEET FIRST so that their souls cannot find their way back in!

If you touch the hand of a corpse you will be cured of whatever ails you.

Its unlucky if you stand up and your chair tips over.. "probably because your ma will swat you for it"

Im not certain why but a whistling girl is bad luck.. I was scolded all the time for this one...

of course you must cross yourself continuously for the safety and protection of yourself.. loved ones.. complete strangers and yes even when dead strangers names are mentioned.. when you pass a church.. when you hear an ambulance.. when you hear of a divorce..or a separation or that someone is back off the Wagon...pretty much any life occurence should be sealed with a Good Crossing of yourself.
YOU know its a miracle any of us are sane and alive dontcha.

Siusan

Comment by Brendan O'Neill on July 24, 2009 at 0:25

Let's hear form some of you Irish that live in Ireland!

Comment by Brendan O'Neill on July 24, 2009 at 0:23

This is good stuff to know. I need to start practicing these rituals and watch my step!

Comment by NIta on July 23, 2009 at 16:18

Never whistle or sing while preparing food or the Good People will take all the nutrition out of it and it might make you sick.
If you drop a bit of food on the floor, pick it up and put it on your doorstep as the Good People want it.
Hang an iron nail where it will sweep the back of the cow as she enters the milking shed. That will keep Them from taking the milk.
Bury a jar of nails by your doorstep to keep out evil.

Comment by NIta on July 23, 2009 at 16:15

A bird in the house means Death. My mother would not allow any birds in the house unless it was dead and we were going to eat it. If a bird should fly in through a window, chaos would reign and pity the poor bird being chased thru the house with a broom and much shrieking.
The "astray" story is probably true. There was a piece of ground outside a city in Illinois that the road went around rather than across.
A farm decided to take a short cut across this ground and ended up going in circles. he finally found his way back to the main road and swore he would never try it again.
I also knew a woman who was riding with her pastor from a church meeting. They drove far too long and didn't seem to be getting anywhere and then found themselves back at the church. And no one could remember turning around.

Comment by Kevin Tyler (Savage) on July 23, 2009 at 6:29

I don't know if my mum's superstitions scare me, but to this day I freak out if my daughter puts new shoes on the table, or opens an umbrella in the house. I always try to divine who's coming to visit when we drop silverware, and I try to avoid walking across a grave.
I read something in a book called The Druid Way by Philip Carr-Gomm who is the present chief of The OBOD (Order of Bards Ovates and Druids) where he claimed that he was walking toward a supposed Sid (a fairy mound) in Ireland and every time he got within 100 yards of it, he would look down to make sure of his footing and when he looked back up the mound was gone. As he looked around he spotted it off a distance away, and couldnt figure out how he got that far away from it that quickly. (This is the old superstition of being led "astray") Finally after a few unsuccessful attempts to reach the mound, he took off his jacket, turned it inside out, put it back on, and was able to walk right up to the mound without a problem. I don't know how much truth there is to this story, but he claimed it was true. I thought it was interesting to relate at the very least, even if it is just a story.

Comment by Brendan O'Neill on July 23, 2009 at 1:24

These are good ones keep them coming

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• Next ›
• Page