M is for Magical Mirrors

This is the 13th day of the A to Z Challenge.

M is for Magical Mirrors

I bet you’re wondering how an ordinary mirror could be magical. At one time they were thought to be a gateway to another realm.

Now, we look at them to check our appearance and brush our hair. We might even have mirror or two that is strictly for decoration.

From the beginning of time, humans were able to gaze at their reflections in pools of water. Very few animals recognize their own reflection. These first humans who caught sight of their reflection in a pool of water, loch or river, may have been startled at what they saw. Perhaps this is where the earliest superstitions first began.

Superstitions

To gaze at your own reflection was believed to be a way to enter another world where you could divine your future. Some believed if the image was distorted it meant their would be a death.

Breaking a mirror brings seven years bad luck. (Who hasn’t heard that one?) Romans believed that it took seven years for the soul to renew itself. They believed the reflection in the mirror was their soul. So if you broke the mirror, it would shatter your soul.

However, you could overcome this stroke of bad luck if you buried the pieces deep in the ground, or threw the broken pieces of glass into a river that flowed south.

A mirror falling from a wall was a sign that someone was going to die.

At one time it was common practice to cover all the mirrors in the house if someone died. This would prevent the soul of the decease from being trapped in the glass by the devil.

Another superstition is that you can find out whom you’re going to marry by sitting in front of the mirror and eat an apple. Then you must brush your hair, and your future beloved will appear behind you in the reflection.

The first time a couple locks gazes in the mirror, this is a sign they will have a long and happy marriage.

The legend that a vampire cannot see his or hers reflection in a mirror is due to the belief vampires do not have souls.

Bad luck will follow you if you gaze at your reflection with only candlelight to light the room.

Actors do not look at their reflection over another’s shoulder for it will bring bad luck.

Infants were not allowed to gaze into a mirror for the first year of their life, for fear bad luck will befall the child.

Tidbit of History

Greek or Roman mirrors were disks of metal with a polished face. These mirrors usually had a handle attached, and some had a design etched or painted on the back.

Mirrors were used for fortune telling and scrying. John Dee, the astrologer and court magician for Elizabeth I of England was supposedly an excellent scryer.

In the 17^th century, mirror making was a secret process monopolized by Venetian Republic. To furnish the Palace of Versailles Hall of Mirrors, Jean Baptiste Colbert, French Minister of Finance at the time, hired Venetian workers to create these mirrors. After the completion of the Hall of Mirrors, it is believed the Venetian Republic sent secret agents to poison the workers so to keep the mirror making process a secret.

Illusionists used ‘smoke and mirrors’ to make it look like objects appeared and disappeared. The mirrors are extended and retracted amid a burst of smoke.

A Chinese magic mirror is an art creation. The face of the bronze mirror projects the same image cast on the back. The effect is due to the curvatures on the front. This ancient art that can be traced back to the Chinese Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD).

Mirrors or Reflective Devices used in Literature

Oscar Wilde’s novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”: The portrait is the magical mirror in this tale, reflecting the true visage of Dorian Gray’s soul.

Narcissus of Greek mythology: Narcissus wastes away while he admires his reflection, and think of nothing else.

The Lady Shalott by Tennyson. She possesses a mirror that enables her to see the people in Camelot. Only the curse prevents her from seeing Camelot directly.

I only named a few. Can you think of others? Hint for one: "Mirror, mirror on the wall..."

So the next time you look into a mirror, reflect on what you see. Perhaps you’re peering at your soul, or maybe you’ll see your future as you floss your teeth, or brush your hair. Then again, maybe it is simply your reflection smiling back at you, and encouraging you to take on the day.

**Public Domain photo: An illustration from page 30 of Mjallhvít (Snow White) an 1852 icelandic translation of the Grimm-version fairytale.

**Magic Mirror Free Desktop Photo: http://abstract.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/1328278/ ***Magic Mirror Free Wallpaper Photo http://mi9.com/wallpaper/magic-mirror_13720/