Superstitions
In Huckleberry Finn
What is a Superstition?
Irrational belief that future events influence by specific behaviors, without having a casual relationship.
Or…
A belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.
Common Superstitions
• • • • • • • • • Friday the 13th is unlucky A rabbit’s foot brings good luck At the end of the rainbow is a pot A cat has 9 lives Washing a car brings rain Crossing paths with a black cat is Breaking a mirror bring 7 years of Eating fish makes you smart Bringing a goldfish into the house luck of gold
bad luck bad luck
is bad
History of a Superstition
The true orgin of superstition is to be found in a early man’s effort to explain nature and his own existence, in the desire to propitiate fate and invite fortune, in the wish to avoid evil he could not understand in the unavoidable attempt to pry into the future. From these sources alone must have sprung that system of crude notions and practices still obtaining among savage nations; and although in more advanced nations the crude system gave place to attractive mythology, the moving power was still the same; man's interpretation of the world was equal to his ability to understand its mysteries no more, no less. The first note in all superstitions is that of ignorance. Allied with ignorance is fear, which is the second element calling for notice. The events of Christianity, the birth, life, and death of Christ were themselves the basis of a mew superstition.
Superstitions in Huckleberry Finn
• Tying a lock of hair together keeps witches away • Burning a spider gives you bad luck • When chickens fly a few yards or two at a time there will be lightning • Counting the things you are going to cook for dinner is bad luck • Grabbing a rattlesnake skin is the worst luck you can get • If you have hairy arms and a hairy chest you will be rich
More Superstitions From Huck Finn
• Looking at a new moon over your left shoulder is bad luck • If a man who owns a bee-hive dies, the bees must be told before sunrise the next morning or the bees will die • Eating a snake that bit you will cure you • Tying a rattlesnake rattle to your wrist will heal a bite
Bibliography
“Common Superstitions.” 14 April 2008 http://www.csicop.org/superstitions/library/common.html
“Superstitions in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” 123helpme.com. 14 April 2008.
By CJ Burdulis. Felicia Yabor, Alex Chrostowski, Courtney Owens, and Chris Wanner