Buzz
Humans have always been prone to superstition. In a world filled with uncertainty and danger, we often seek protection and luck wherever we can find it. This leads us to rely on amulets, talismans, and even animals, hoping they will shield us from harm. Yet, some of these objects carry histories that are far from comforting.
10. The Saint Benedict Medal
One side of the medal features the cross of Saint Benedict and a powerful prayer meant to ward off evil. The inscription surrounding the medal (V.R.S.N.S.M.V.) stands for “Vade retro Satana; nunquam suade mihi vana,” which translates to “Step back, Satan! Do not tempt me with your empty promises.”
The teachings of Saint Benedict have endured for centuries, with the most comprehensive accounts found in the sixth-century works of Saint Gregory the Great. However, the prayer inscribed on his medal emerged much later, during a witchcraft trial. In 1647, a group of women in the Bavarian town of Natternberg were accused of witchcraft. They confessed to practicing dark arts but admitted their powers were useless against the nearby Metten Abbey. The women claimed the abbey was shielded by an extraordinary force they could not penetrate.
An investigation into the abbey revealed the source of its protection. Crosses painted on the walls bore the same inscription now found on the medal. The meaning of the letters remained a mystery until a 1415 manuscript was discovered. It featured an illustration of Saint Benedict holding a scroll and staff, both inscribed with the powerful incantation linked to him.
The prayer that thwarted the witches' powers gained widespread popularity in the 17th century. Medals engraved with the incantation spread across Europe, renowned for their effectiveness against demonic possession. Wearers believed the medals offered divine protection, repelled evil forces, and brought inner peace and purity of heart.
9. Anting-Anting
The Anting-Anting amulet originates from the Philippines, where it was thought to shield its wearer from bullets and blades. This charm gained particular fame among the nation’s outlaws. Folklorist John Maurice Miller recounted the tale of Manuelito, a notorious bandit leader whose Anting-Anting was said to make him invulnerable.
Manuelito’s encounters with the law were frequent, yet he always escaped unscathed. Legend has it that no matter how many bullets were fired at him, his Anting-Anting would redirect them harmlessly. To prove his invincibility, he would often have his own men shoot at him during festivities. However, when Manuelito and his gang neared Manila, a group of Macabebes armed with silver bullets—melted from a statue of the Virgin Mary—finally ended his reign. The silver was believed to be the only force capable of breaking the amulet’s power.
Replicas of Manuelito’s charm were mass-produced, but the rituals to create an Anting-Anting were grim. The most potent charms were crafted during Holy Week. One method involved exhuming the body of an unbaptized child or an aborted fetus, placing it inside a bamboo tube, and collecting the draining fluid. The individual seeking protection would then drink the liquid. Alternatively, during Holy Week, one could leave food and wine on a grave in a cemetery. Spirits would consume the offering and leave a white stone, granting their protection in return.
8. Chimney Sweeps
Chimney sweeps, an unlikely profession, have become the center of numerous superstitions and beliefs. In Germany, spotting a chimney sweep around New Year’s was thought to herald good fortune for the coming year. Countries like Germany and England often use miniature sweeps or their tools as lucky charms, even incorporating them into wedding traditions. In England, inviting a chimney sweep to a wedding is believed to bring luck and fertility, a tradition dating back to the reign of King George II that continues today.
The chimney sweep’s reputation as a bringer of luck stems from an old tale involving King George II. One version recounts that the king’s horse was startled by a dog, and a chimney sweep intervened to save him. Another version places the king in a carriage, but the outcome remains the same. The sweep’s bravery earned him recognition as a symbol of good fortune.
Despite their lucky reputation, Victorian-era chimney sweeps often faced grim realities. Young boys, small enough to navigate chimneys, were apprenticed to master sweepers. By the 1870s, newspapers frequently reported cases of master sweepers being convicted of manslaughter. One such case in February 1875 involved a Cambridge sweep found guilty after a boy he sent up a flue at Fulborn Asylum suffocated from soot upon emerging.
Chimney sweeps also featured in folklore used to scare children. Misbehaving kids were warned that a sweep would stuff them into a sack and carry them up the chimney if they didn’t behave.
7. Horseshoes
Horseshoes are widely regarded as symbols of good luck, whether hung on walls to trap fortune or positioned to share it with passersby. One origin story ties their luck to Saint Dunstan, a devout blacksmith who balanced his time between prayer, harp-playing, and forging.
Legend has it that while Saint Dunstan was playing his harp, the devil overheard and was consumed by hatred. The devil began to sing, creating a dreadful noise that revealed his evil nature. Dunstan, recognizing the threat, grabbed the devil’s nose with red-hot pliers and affixed scorching iron shoes to his feet, hammering nails into the tender flesh. The devil’s agonized screams were said to be deafening.
Dunstan only removed the shoes after the devil agreed to a pact: he would never disturb those praying in church or under the protection of a horseshoe. True to his word, Dunstan upheld the agreement, and since then, horseshoes have been believed to safeguard those who display them—provided they remain virtuous.
Other theories about the horseshoe’s significance include its connection to the number seven, representing the typical number of nails used. Interestingly, blacksmiths were often associated with evil, while whitesmiths, who worked with lead or tin, were seen as more honorable.
6. Gorgoneion
The severed head of Medusa, known as the gorgoneion, has been a peculiar symbol of protection since ancient Greece. This image was widely used, appearing on shields to safeguard soldiers in battle and as masks to shield actors from the evil eye. The gorgon’s head was ubiquitous, believed to offer protection to its bearer. Even Minerva carried it, reinforcing the idea of its protective powers.
The depiction of a woman with snake hair originates from the Greek epic of Perseus and Medusa. Medusa, the only mortal among her three sisters, was beheaded by Perseus at the command of King Polydektes of Seriphos. Her immortal sisters then pursued Perseus in retaliation.
Before her death, Medusa was Poseidon’s lover. When Perseus beheaded her, she gave birth to their children: the winged horse Pegasus and Khrysaor, who was sometimes portrayed as a giant or a winged boar. Early myths describe Medusa and her sisters as terrifying sea demons, but some versions suggest Medusa was once beautiful. Her transformation into a snake-haired monster came after she and Poseidon defiled Athena’s shrine, earning her the curse she is infamous for.
5. Witch Windows
Originating in the 1830s, witch windows are a distinctive architectural feature primarily found in Vermont. These windows are installed on the second floor of homes at a 45-degree angle, a practical solution when additions to the house blocked existing windows. With limited space available, the angled design allowed for new windows to be fitted. Crafted from leftover materials, witch windows reflect the resourcefulness of the era.
Folklore surrounding these windows claims they were designed to ward off witches. According to legend, witches cannot navigate their brooms through windows set at such an angle, making them a protective feature for the home’s inhabitants.
Also known as coffin windows, these angled windows served another purpose during a time when wakes were held at home. Navigating a coffin through the narrow hallways and staircases of 19th-century homes was challenging. The angled windows provided an easier way to remove a coffin from the house without struggling through doorways.
4. The Capon Stone
Capon stones have been regarded as lucky charms since the time of Pliny, who mentioned them in his renowned work Natural History. These small, bean-sized stones were found in the gizzards of capons, castrated roosters. Pliny recounted a tale of Milo of Croton, who became invincible thanks to a capon stone. By the second century, the stone’s powers expanded. Damigeron, a magician, claimed that placing the stone in one’s mouth would grant battle skills, eloquence, charm, virtue, and even the ability to make one’s wife exceedingly devoted.
Over time, the stone’s abilities grew further. If taken from a capon castrated for three, four, seven, nine, or ten years, it could eliminate thirst, ease childbirth, and cure eye diseases. By the 16th century, medical texts proposed using the stone as an early form of contact lens. The crystal-like stone, polished and small, was inserted into the eye to correct vision, though it was noted that damage occurred only if it touched the pupil.
The transition from a lucky charm to a medical tool likely stemmed from a centuries-old misinterpretation. Dioscorides, a Roman physician, referenced Pliny in his medical text, which remained influential for 1,600 years. He described the inner lining of the capon’s stomach, which, when dried, powdered, and mixed with wine, could soothe stomach ailments. This led to the belief that holding the stone in the mouth would convey its benefits, and eventually, some began placing it directly in their eyes.
3. The Black Cat
In ancient Egypt, black cats were seen as symbols of good fortune and were linked to Bastet until her cult was banned in AD 390. In certain regions, their reputation as protectors persisted. In Scotland, a black cat visiting your home is believed to bring prosperity, and sailors from Northern Europe often carried black cats on ships to ward off misfortune and storms. In southern France, black cats are thought to be magical companions, and gaining their favor is said to bring blessings. However, their downfall began with associations to witchcraft.
In 1170, Peter Waldo established the Waldenses, a Christian sect that claimed direct communication with God, challenging the authority of the pope and the church. After their excommunication, the Waldenses were accused of worshipping the devil in the form of a black cat. Similar accusations were made against the Knights Templar and the Cathars. Medieval writer Walter Map described a heretical ceremony where Cathars gathered in synagogues, awaiting a large black cat to descend from a rope. Once the cat appeared, they extinguished the lights and kissed it in the dark. The Knights Templar faced identical charges, which became a major accusation against them.
The association of black cats with witchcraft became widespread under Pope Gregory IX. Before his papacy, investigations into heretics and witches were rare unless requested. Gregory actively sought out heretics and, in his text Vox in Rama, claimed black cats were clear indicators of witchcraft or devil worship. He asserted that these cats were not innocent but active participants in evil rituals, transforming into pale-skinned men with black eyes. A telltale sign of these demonic cats was their upright tails, allegedly aiding in obscene rituals involving witches.
Gregory’s declaration sparked a 500-year-long campaign against black cats, leading to their near extinction in some regions. The persecution was so effective that finding a purely black cat became rare in certain parts of the world.
2. A Rabbit’s Foot
A rabbit’s foot is considered lucky—except for the rabbit. This belief is especially strong in the American South, where folklore collectors have documented numerous tales of its protective powers. To maximize its effectiveness, the foot must be the front left one, dipped in water from a cemetery’s rotten tree stump at midnight. Some versions insist it should be the right front foot, and the rabbit must be killed in a graveyard.
The rabbit’s significance stems from tales like that of Ole Brer Rabbit, recorded in the Greenwood Library of American Folktales in 1900. The story tells of a 500-year-old witch who cursed the South, causing widespread famine. Brer Rabbit, known for his cleverness, tricked the witch by filling her shed skin with mashed hot peppers. When she returned and donned her skin, the burning sensation paralyzed her, allowing the animals to capture and burn her, ending her reign of terror. This tale cemented the rabbit’s foot as a powerful charm against witches and evil.
Tales also exist of rabbits injured at night, with identical wounds appearing on local women the next day, exposing them as witches. This association of rabbits with witchcraft or as witches’ familiars made their feet potent symbols of their dark powers. Properly prepared, the rabbit’s foot could transfer the witch’s power to the bearer, allowing them to counteract it.
1. Ghost Shirt
The ghost shirt was a key element of the 19th-century Native American Ghost Dance movement. Believers thought the shirt would shield its wearer from harm, particularly bullets. Today, it is seen as a symbol of the desire for peace and resistance during a turbulent time.
In 1896, James Mooney documented his observations of the ghost shirt, noting it was worn by men, women, and children, either beneath everyday clothing or during Ghost Dance ceremonies. Adorned with sacred symbols, it was believed the designs and paint imbued the shirt with its protective qualities. This belief caused some to view the shirt as a symbol of conflict rather than peace, creating a divide in its interpretation.
During the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, 250 Sioux lost their lives, and their belongings were looted. A year later, Wild Bill Cody arrived in Glasgow with his Wild West show, displaying items taken from the fallen, including a ghost shirt. He donated some artifacts to the city, but it wasn’t until 1998 that the ghost shirt was repatriated to the descendants of the Wounded Knee victims. Scottish officials facilitated its return, acknowledging the importance of restoring it to its rightful home.
