Witches, Black Cats and Superstions

Halloween Superstitions may seem silly to us now, but at one time people took them seriously. Here are a few listed below. If you have a superstition you’d like to share, please do.

If a witch infects you with a spell, you must drink water from a running creek, using a cypress wood cup for nine days straight.

Witches cannot pass over cold iron. So many would bury a knife under the doorstep to protect their homes from witches.

The brass bell around the cow’s neck originated from fear that a witch could make the milking cow go dry. Witches supposedly hated brass.

In the Elizabethan era, the broom was one of the most commonly used household items. It is no wonder that the Elizabethan’s believed witches used brooms for transportation.

Did you ever wonder why people say “God Bless You” following a sneeze? The Elizabethans believed the devil could enter the body when the person opened their mouth to sneeze. Blessing the person would ward off the devil.

The Elizabethans also believed black to be evil. They also believed a cat was the witch’s pet. So a black cat crossing your path would surely lead to mishap.

They also believed the seventh son of the seventh son would possess supernatural powers.

Did you ever wonder why people joke about “knock on wood” after a statement so not to have bad luck? This also originated from the Elizabethan era. To touch wood would prevent the evil eye.

Sadly, in the Middle Ages the black cat became affiliated with evil. Cats are nocturnal creatures and they believed the cat was a supernatural being because of its glowing night eyes and sleek movements.

Norse legend of Freya, the goddess of love and fertility had a chariot pulled by two black cats. After serving Freya for seven years, the cats were rewarded and were turned into witches.

A kitten born in May will be a witches cat. (hmm…I have a cat born in May. She’s a little witch at times —not the other way around. Lol  We do love her though.)

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