Download or read book Superstition A Very Short Introduction written by Stuart Vyse and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-01-23 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you touch wood for luck, or avoid hotel rooms on floor thirteen? Would you cross the path of a black cat, or step under a ladder? Is breaking a mirror just an expensive waste of glass, or something rather more sinister? Despite the dominance of science in today's world, superstitious beliefs - both traditional and new - remain surprisingly popular. A recent survey of adults in the United States found that 33 percent believed that finding a penny was good luck, and 23 percent believed that the number seven was lucky. Where did these superstitions come from, and why do they persist today? This Very Short Introduction explores the nature and surprising history of superstition from antiquity to the present. For two millennia, superstition was a label derisively applied to foreign religions and unacceptable religious practices, and its primary purpose was used to separate groups and assert religious and social authority. After the Enlightenment, the superstition label was still used to define groups, but the new dividing line was between reason and unreason. Today, despite our apparent sophistication and technological advances, superstitious belief and behaviour remain widespread, and highly educated people are not immune. Stuart Vyse takes an exciting look at the varieties of popular superstitious beliefs today and the psychological reasons behind their continued existence, as well as the likely future course of superstition in our increasingly connected world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Download or read book Giant Book of Superstitions written by Claudia DeLys and published by Carol Publishing Corporation. This book was released on 1979-09 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the evolution and meaning of and describes practices associated with common superstitious beliefs about nature, animals, men and women, love, food, luck, and other topics.

Download or read book Every Man s Book of Superstitions written by Christine Chaundler and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An enlightening examination of common superstitions and their fascinating origins in history, myth, and ancient religion. Superstitions represent some of humanity’s earliest attempts to make sense of a dangerous and often incomprehensible world. Even ideas that seem innocuous today, like “getting up on the wrong side of the bed,” have their origins in beliefs and practices of vital importance. In Every Man’s Book of Superstitions, English historian Christine Chaundler explores enduring ideas about luck, magic, astrology, portentous symbols, and more. She also looks at superstitions related to illness, animals, mealtimes, special occasions, specific professions, and so on.

Download or read book Bad Luck Bridesmaid written by Alison Rose Greenberg and published by St. Martin's Griffin. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most Anticipated Romance of 2022 by Goodreads "A compulsively readable, witty, and humorous novel about the pursuit of a happily ever after...with oneself." - Tif Marcelo Whip-smart, heartfelt and joyful, Alison Rose Greenberg's Bad Luck Bridesmaid is a celebration of complicated women and a power-anthem to live your truth. Happy Ever After. On Her Own Terms. It’s official: Zoey Marks is the cursed bridesmaid that no engagement can survive. Ten years, three empire waist dresses, and ZERO brides have walked down the aisle. After strike three, Zoey is left wondering if her own ambivalence towards marriage has rubbed off on those she loves. And when her building distrust of matrimony culminates in turning down a proposal from her perfect All-American boyfriend, Rylan Harper III, she and Rylan are both left heartbroken, leaving Zoey to wonder: what is it exactly about tying the knot that makes her want to run in the opposite direction? Enter Hannah Green: Zoey’s best friend, who announces that she’s marrying a guy she just met (cue eye roll). At a castle. In gorgeous, romantic Ireland, where Rylan will be in attendance, and Zoey will be a bridesmaid. It’ll be fine. Okay, the woman definition of fine (NOT FINE). Determined to turn her luck around, Zoey accepts her role and vows to get Hannah down the aisle—all the while praying her best friend’s wedded bliss will allow her to embrace marriage and get Rylan back. But as the weekend goes on, Zoey is plagued with more questions than answers. Can you be a free spirit, yet still want a certain future? Can you have love and be loved on your terms? And how DO you wrangle a bossy falcon into doing your bidding? "Laugh-out-loud funny in places and heart-rending serious in others, Greenberg's debut is a unique romance strong on friendships and the importance of being true to oneself that also explores an alternate route to a different happily-ever-after. " —Booklist "An unconventional love story for independent women." —Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book It s Bad Luck to Be Superstitious written by Pat Tito and published by Random House Value Publishing. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book 101 American Superstitions written by Harry Collis and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 1998-03-02 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of 101 American superstitions, arranged within nine sections including body language, love and marriage, special days, and food for thought. Includes cartoon illustrations.

Download or read book Lancashire Folk lore Illustrative of the Superstitious Beliefs and Practices Local Customs and Usages of the People of the County Palatine written by John Harland and published by Library of Alexandria. This book was released on with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Chinese Beliefs and Superstitions written by Evelyn Lip and published by Heian International Publishing Company. This book was released on 1985-06-01 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A lighthearted representation of some of China's fantasies and superstitions.

Download or read book Superstition in Medicine written by Hugo Magnus and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2021-05-19 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Superstition in Medicine is a book by Hugo Magnus. It examines in detail what superstition in medicine is, its roots and causes and provides a remedy against dogma usually caused by theological misinterpretation.

Download or read book Enchanted Europe written by Euan Cameron and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-03-18 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the dawn of history people have used charms and spells to try to control their environment, and forms of divination to try to foresee the otherwise unpredictable chances of life. Many of these techniques were called 'superstitious' by educated elites. For centuries religious believers used 'superstition' as a term of abuse to denounce another religion that they thought inferior, or to criticize their fellow-believers for practising their faith 'wrongly'. From the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, scholars argued over what 'superstition' was, how to identify it, and how to persuade people to avoid it. Learned believers in demons and witchcraft, in their treatises and sermons, tried to make 'rational' sense of popular superstitions by blaming them on the deceptive tricks of seductive demons. Every major movement in Christian thought, from rival schools of medieval theology through to the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment, added new twists to the debates over superstition. Protestants saw Catholics as superstitious, and vice versa. Enlightened philosophers mocked traditional cults as superstitions. Eventually, the learned lost their worry about popular belief, and turned instead to chronicling and preserving 'superstitious' customs as folklore and ethnic heritage. Enchanted Europe is the first comprehensive, integrated account of western Europe's long, complex dialogue with its own folklore and popular beliefs. Drawing on many little-known and rarely used texts, Euan Cameron constructs a compelling narrative of the rise, diversification, and decline of popular 'superstition' in the European mind.

Download or read book Lancashire Folk Lore illustrative of the superstitious beliefs and practices local customs of the people of the County Palatine Compiled and edited by J H and T T W written by John HARLAND (Antiquary, and WILKINSON (Thomas Turner)) and published by . This book was released on 1867 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Dictionary of Superstitions written by Iona Archibald Opie and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you've ever wanted the definitive answers on subjects such as black cats and white heather, look no further than this classic dictionary. Entries are illustrated by quotations that trace their development through the centuries. A work of reference for anyone with an interest in superstitions and their history." "Entries give real examples of usage, illustrating the meaning, history, and origin of superstitions. Subjects covered include spells, cures, rituals, taboos, charms, and omens. The dictionary is fully cross-referenced for easy browsing."--BOOK JACKET.

Download or read book Lancashire Folk Lore Illustrative of the Superstitious Beliefs and Practices Local Customs and Usages of the People of the County Palatine written by T. T. Wilkinson and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2016-03-10 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This vintage book contains a comprehensive encyclopedia of the folk-lore of Lancashire. The north of England has enjoyed a particularly rich history of folk-lore, having been influenced by the cultures of the Celts, Angles, Teutonic people, Scandinavians, the Normans, and more. This volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in English Folklore, and it would make for a fantastic addition to collections of related literature. Contents include: "Superstitious Beliefs and Practices", "Charms and Spells", "The Devil, Demons, &c", "Divination", "Miscellaneous", "Miracles", "Omens and Predictions", "Superstitions, General and Miscellaneous", "Witches and Witchcraft", "Local Customs and Usages at Various Seasons", "Eating and Drinking Customs", et cetera. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction. This book was first published in 1867.

Download or read book Recipes for Good Luck written by Ellen Weinstein and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A visual compendium of good luck habits implemented by influential people from history. What did Maya Angelou do to keep the words flowing? How do NASA engineers ensure a successful launch? What was Audrey Hepburn’s lucky number? How does Thom Yorke get ready for a concert? How did Björn Borg prepare for Wimbledon? This charmingly illustrated book reveals the real-life creative processes, superstitions, curious practices, and performance routines of influential leaders from every walk of life—artists, writers, scientists, politicians, musicians, actors, and more—who forged their own path and left an indelible mark on the world. It is a celebration of all the many weird and wonderful ways we find the courage to boldly go forth. So, get out there and start making some good luck of your own!

Download or read book Curiosities of Superstition and Sketches of Some Unrevealed Religions written by W. H. Davenport Adams and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2022-11-21 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Curiosities of Superstition, and Sketches of Some Unrevealed Religions" is a series of essays on the superstitions in different world religions. The author studies and compares the superstitions present in the religions of Buddhism, magianism, Fiji beliefs, Judaism, Brahmanism, Chinese religions, and more.

Download or read book Inventing Superstition written by Dale B. Martin and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2004-11-19 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Roman author Pliny the Younger characterizes Christianity as “contagious superstition”; two centuries later the Christian writer Eusebius vigorously denounces Greek and Roman religions as vain and impotent “superstitions.” The term of abuse is the same, yet the two writers suggest entirely different things by “superstition.” Dale Martin provides the first detailed genealogy of the idea of superstition, its history over eight centuries, from classical Greece to the Christianized Roman Empire of the fourth century C.E. With illuminating reference to the writings of philosophers, historians, and medical teachers he demonstrates that the concept of superstition was invented by Greek intellectuals to condemn popular religious practices and beliefs, especially the belief that gods or other superhuman beings would harm people or cause disease. Tracing the social, political, and cultural influences that informed classical thinking about piety and superstition, nature and the divine, Inventing Superstition exposes the manipulation of the label of superstition in arguments between Greek and Roman intellectuals on the one hand and Christians on the other, and the purposeful alteration of the idea by Neoplatonic philosophers and Christian apologists in late antiquity. Inventing Superstition weaves a powerfully coherent argument that will transform our understanding of religion in Greek and Roman culture and the wider ancient Mediterranean world.

Download or read book Superstitions written by D.R. McElroy and published by Wellfleet Press. This book was released on 2020-05-26 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Across all cultures and spanning centuries, superstitions rooted in cultural legends and myths have formed and influenced daily life. Superstitions: A Handbook of Folklore, Myths, and Legends from around the World​ explains how and why these legends and the associated behaviors behind them developed, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. In this definitive reference, you’ll learn the fascinating and often bizarre histories of a comprehensive range of superstitions from around the world. For example, the belief that one will have seven years' bad luck if you break a mirror is said to come from the Romans, who were the first to create glass mirrors. And in Japanese culture, cutting your nails at night is thought to lead to a quick death because the two phrases sound similar. You’ll also find out why some superstitions vary from culture to culture. For instance, the “unlucky” number 13 is considered a bad omen in some countries, like the US, and “lucky” in other countries, like Italy—where the number 17 is considered unlucky. The information is organized by country, so you can easily investigate the popular superstitions linked to your own or other specific ethnic heritage or cultural identity. Satisfy your burning curiosity with this complete guide to superstitions, folklore, and myths. The Mystical Handbook series from Wellfleet takes you on a magical journey through the wonderful world of spellcraft and spellcasting. Explore a new practice with each volume and learn how to incorporate spells, rituals, blessings, and cleansings into your daily routine. These portable companions feature beautiful foil-detail covers and color-saturated interiors on a premium paper blend. Other titles in the series include: Witchcraft, Love Spells, Moon Magic, Knot Magic, and House Magic.