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No one desires to have their own death foretold, yet human nature drives us to seek glimpses of the future and delve into the supernatural to quell our curiosity. We constantly search for meaning and signs in nearly everything we encounter. And what could be more captivating than omens signaling destruction and death?
Here is a list of 10 omens once believed to foretell death. Interestingly, some cultures still hold these omens in high regard to this day.
10. Crowns of Death
In Appalachia, hardened, crown-like clusters of feathers discovered in the pillows of the sick were interpreted as a forewarning of death. These feather formations measured 3–5 centimeters (2–3 in) in diameter and about 1.5 centimeters (1 in) thick. They were referred to as 'death crowns,' or less frequently, 'angel crowns.'
This phenomenon of death crowns seems to have been mostly isolated to Appalachia, owing to the region's seclusion. However, the belief spread to other areas such as Missouri, Indiana, and any region where the mountain people had relocated.
Death crowns were likely a result of the movements of an ill person (such as tossing and turning). Finding one of these formations in the pillow of a sick individual was thought to predict death within three days. Some believed that destroying the feather crown could break the omen. However, if a death crown was found in the pillow of someone who had recently passed, it was interpreted as a comforting sign, signaling that the person had ascended to heaven. Many of the remaining death crowns are now housed in museums, with the largest collection at the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton, Tennessee.
9. Black Butterflies
The interpretation and symbolism of black butterflies vary across cultures, but they are generally seen as harbingers of doom and death, particularly in regions like Brazil, Colombia, Central America, and China. Spotting a black butterfly inside a home is believed to signal the impending death of a household member, though on rare occasions, a black butterfly appears in the home after someone has already passed.
For the Celts, black butterflies represent the souls of the departed. When a soul is unable to find rest in the afterlife, it transforms into a black butterfly and sometimes returns to the places it once inhabited. Some folklore also suggests that witches can transform into black butterflies to steal food without being detected, although in Caribbean traditions, encountering a black butterfly that is actually a witch signifies that someone has cast an evil spell on you.
In Mexico, the Black Witch moth is referred to as the 'butterfly of death.' It is believed that when this butterfly enters the home of a sick person, death will soon follow. In southern Texas, however, death is thought to occur only if the butterfly visits all four corners of the house. In Hawaii, a black butterfly is considered an embodiment of a loved one who has come to say goodbye.
8. Halley’s Comet
In ancient times, comets puzzled people because they were unlike other celestial bodies, which moved across the sky in predictable patterns. Instead, comets appeared suddenly and erratically, leading many to believe they were divine omens. Different cultures interpreted the images they saw in the comet's trail. For example, some saw the comet's long shape as a fiery sword streaking across the night, symbolizing war and death.
It’s no surprise then that comets were often blamed for disasters. A notable example is the Bayeux tapestry, which depicts a messenger rushing to inform Harold about a celestial event while he sits on his throne. Halley’s Comet is seen in the upper left corner of the tapestry, and it was believed to signify God’s wrath at Harold for breaking his oath to William and seizing the throne. Shortly after, Harold was overthrown, and William ascended to power.
In Switzerland, Halley’s Comet was blamed for earthquakes, plagues, red rain, and even the birth of two-headed creatures.
In England, the Black Death was believed to be caused by Halley’s Comet. It was even rumored that Pope Calixtus III had excommunicated the comet, branding it as a tool of the devil. While this was not true, the legend still endures to this day.
7. Doppelgangers/Spirit Doubles
The word doppelganger comes from German and means 'double goer,' referring to a duplicate, apparition, or a living person's exact counterpart. While the doppelganger concept is rooted in German tradition, it extends to other cultures as well. In Irish lore, a doppelganger is known as a 'Fetch,' and in the Orkney Islands, locals feared faeries called 'Trows.' Trows were portrayed as mischievous, ugly creatures, whose children were often frail. These faeries were believed to abduct healthy human babies, swapping them with replicas that eventually grew sick and died young.
Due to their eerie nature, doppelgangers were often interpreted as harbingers of misfortune or even death. If relatives or friends encountered a person’s doppelganger, it signified that the individual might soon face illness or danger. However, if a person saw their own doppelganger, it was taken as an ominous sign of imminent death.
Doppelgangers, sometimes dubbed 'evil twins,' were believed to cause confusion by offering misleading advice and planting negative thoughts in their human counterpart's mind. This was thought to create mental disarray and uncertainty, which is why people were warned against engaging with their doppelganger.
Doppelgangers became a widely recognized symbol in horror literature. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, for example, delves into the theme in his novel The Double, where a poor clerk, driven to madness by financial struggles and unrequited love, encounters a successful version of himself. The double ultimately eliminates the original. Additionally, real-life encounters with doppelgangers have been reported. Abraham Lincoln, for instance, is said to have told his wife that after his presidential election, he saw two reflections of himself in a mirror—one much paler than the other. His wife interpreted this as a sign that he would be re-elected but would not survive his second term. She was right.
6. Deathwatch Beetle
Deathwatch beetles, notorious for infesting and damaging wooden furniture and structural timbers in buildings, are perhaps most famous for the distinctive tapping or ticking sound they make during mating season. These beetles drum their heads against the wood to signal potential mates. This noise is especially audible during quiet nights in old homes, which led to its association with the unsettling silence often experienced by those sitting vigil by a dying or deceased loved one. As such, the sound of deathwatch beetles has long been considered a harbinger of doom and death.
The eerie ticking of the deathwatch beetle has been referred to by various names, with the most well-known being 'the death watch.' Other regional variations include: Clock of St. Paschal, St. John, St. Bernard, St. Anthony, St. Vital, or Madonna's Clock. However, the title 'Clock of St. Paschal' is often deemed the most fitting due to the legend of Saint Paschal, who, while working as a doorman at a convent, supposedly gained the ability to sense impending death simply by touching a door.
5. Solar Eclipse
Historically, solar eclipses were viewed as unsettling disruptions in the natural balance of the cosmos, often signaling that something was amiss. In Vietnam, it was believed that a giant frog was devouring the Sun, while Vikings blamed wolves for consuming the Sun and causing the eclipse. In ancient China, a celestial dragon was said to be feasting on the Sun, and in Greece, it was interpreted as a portent of wrathful gods signaling the start of impending calamities. It is no surprise that solar eclipses came to symbolize ominous events such as death, destruction, and catastrophe.
Throughout history, solar eclipses have been tied to significant tragedies, particularly deaths. For instance, in AD 840, when Louis of Bavaria, the ruler of a mighty empire, saw a solar eclipse, he was so struck with fear that he passed away shortly afterward. Another notable eclipse took place in 1133, visible in both Germany and England. In England, it was seen as an omen foreshadowing the death of King Henry I, who died soon after in Normandy, confirming the eclipse’s forewarning. In Germany, the eclipse was linked to the sacking of Augsburg and the massacre of its residents by Duke Frederick.
Even in modern times, certain cultures still regard solar eclipses as omens of death and disaster. In some regions, eclipses are thought to be hazardous to pregnant women and children. In India, many people observe fasting during a solar eclipse, believing that food prepared during this time becomes toxic and harmful.
4. Opals
Across history, certain stones have been revered for their magical properties, while others have been shunned as bearers of evil. Opals were placed in the latter category. It was widely believed that witches and sorcerers harnessed opals to amplify their supernatural abilities, using them like lasers to target and curse their intended victims.
Medieval Europeans were particularly wary of opals due to their similarity to the evil eye and their resemblance to the eyes of creatures such as cats, toads, and snakes. An opal fully corrupted by evil was believed to possess the power to harm, injure, or even cause death to its wearer.
During the Black Death, as it spread across Europe, many people began to associate opals with the wave of deaths that followed. It was noticed that victims of the plague who wore opals had their stones shine brilliantly, only for that brilliance to fade quickly. In reality, the change was due to the shift in temperature, from the warmth of a fever to the chill of death. However, many believed that the stone's transformation was a result of its malevolent influence on the wearer’s fate. As a consequence, opals became linked with death, and wearing one was soon considered an omen of death.
3. Corpse Candles
Corpse candles are strange and eerie lights, often in the form of floating white, blue, or yellow orbs or flickering candle flames. These lights are also known as ignis fatuus (foolish light), will-o’-the-wisp, and even jack-o'-lanterns. They are most commonly seen in marshy areas, and while one explanation is that they are simply glowing balls of marsh gas, others believe they are much darker forces, seen as ominous signs of death and disaster.
It is thought that some corpse candles hover over the homes of those who are about to die. Others are believed to float midway between a person's house and their final resting place. Some are said to hover over the chest of an ill person. In some accounts, they are even seen hovering over the boats of fishermen, foretelling an impending drowning. Moreover, the presence of a corpse candle is said to signal the death of the person who sees it, or someone close to them. In Ireland, these mysterious lights are believed to lead phantom funerals to their destination.
2. Phantom Funerals
Phantom funerals are mysterious processions that predict the death of a loved one, with the ghostly parade taking the same route as the actual funeral will in the future. On some occasions, the observer of the phantom funeral can even recognize participants and spot details that later appear in the real funeral. However, it is said that if the witness dares to peek inside the casket, they will see their own dead body, marking the certainty of their impending death. The legend of phantom funerals is prevalent in the folklore of the British Isles, as well as in Germany and Switzerland.
Only those with a special gift are able to witness phantom funerals, though certain churches have gained a reputation as notorious sites for such events. These funerals are also referred to as “goblin” or “fairy” funerals, as it is believed they are sent by faeries to disturb the living.
The ghostly procession of a phantom funeral can sometimes be heard, as well. In Welsh folklore, this is known as the “Tolaeth before the Burying.” Those who witness the funeral may hear voices singing psalms, the rhythmic sound of footsteps, and the weeping and groaning of mourners. However, it is said that phantom funerals affect only one sense at a time. When heard, the procession cannot be seen, though sometimes after being heard, it will also become visible, yet in complete silence.
1. Death Knocks
An ancient superstition holds that when three knocks echo at the door with no one in sight, it signals that someone has passed away or is about to. This eerie phenomenon is often referred to as the “three knocks of doom.” In Ireland, these knocks at the door or window are seen as an ominous herald of death. In Scotland, the knocks are viewed as a deathly sign if they come at precise intervals, generally spaced one to two minutes apart.
The three knocks superstition is also prevalent among many Native American tribes. Spirits, unrestrained by physical limitations, are believed to create noises in different ways, such as by tapping a stick on the ground (as opposed to knocking on the skin wall of a tepee, which would be difficult to accomplish).
The three knocks of death are also present in Jewish, Indian, and Arab traditions. In Africa, the “three knocks of doom” hold significant meaning in the Yoruba religion, associated with a god named Orisha. A well-known Yoruba tale, “The Oriate and His Brothers,” tells the story of three brothers from the Oriate lineage, destined to become high priests through dedication and rituals. The older brothers, impatient and envious of their hardworking younger sibling, decided to throw him off a cliff. Unbeknownst to them, he survived. Later, while practicing divination with seashells, the brothers predicted death. Just then, they heard three knocks at the door, and the younger brother walked in. Upon seeing him, the oldest brother died of a heart attack, and the younger brother’s remaining sibling was killed by the village once the villagers learned of the brothers’ treachery.
