Buzz
Even today, many people avoid letting a black cat cross their path, and while some consider killing a ladybug to bring severe misfortune, others simply view it as a bad act. Whether they bring good fortune or cruelly snatch it away, numerous superstitions about animals persist in modern culture. While these bad luck beliefs are often seen as playful myths, others firmly believe in dire omens and curses that warn of something terrible just around the corner.
These superstitions, often tied to animals, continue to this day. Much like the well-known legends of black cats and lucky rabbit feet, many of these curses predict misfortune. Across the globe, animals are thought to foresee someone's death or the downfall of a sports team’s victory streak. The gravity of these curses varies, but animal-related omens and curses are common, and this list will detail ten of them.
10. The Belled Buzzard
In the 19th century, people living in the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains believed that if a carrion bird flew with a bell tied around its neck, calamity would follow. Although seeing a buzzard with a bell seemed too fantastical to be a typical sight, a lady in Arkansas actually attempted to raise turkey vultures as pets, and after releasing them back into the wild with bells attached to their legs, this strange event gave birth to the myth.
But why were these belled buzzards considered an omen in the first place? The loud birds were often spotted before major events, such as the typhoid outbreak in Tennessee in 1878 and a tornado in South Carolina in 1877. While the released turkey vultures wouldn't typically survive for more than a few decades, eventually, just the sound of an errant bell led people to believe a belled buzzard was near. The legend spread from Arkansas to Georgia to Delaware, continuing until the mid-20th century.
9. Peacock Feathers and the Theater
In theater superstitions, everyone knows that saying 'break a leg' is luckier than wishing 'good luck.' Yet fewer people know about the curse tied to peacocks and their role in ruining a show. According to superstitious actors, gifting a performer a peacock feather before a performance is a guaranteed way to doom it.
This superstition seems to connect with the use of peacock feathers in costumes or bringing them onto the stage, which is seen as a bad omen. This belief likely originates from the association of peacock feathers with the evil eye, a superstition from the western Mediterranean. Peacocks' feathers were also believed to be tools for mystics who could use them to spy on others, so perhaps this notion evolved into a curse related specifically to theater performances.
8. The Aye-Aye: Harbinger of Death
The aye-aye, a strange primate found only on the African island of Madagascar, is a creature with large eyes and long fingers. Interestingly, it's more closely related to humans and chimps than the lemurs that are native to the island. Locals of Madagascar believe the aye-aye is an omen of death, largely due to its lack of fear of humans. It often approaches people, unbothered by its unsettling appearance.
In some variations of the myth, the aye-aye takes on a more sinister role, with some believing that it uses its elongated fingers to pierce the hearts of sleeping humans. This eerie reputation has led to the primate being hunted, and combined with deforestation and habitat destruction, the aye-aye is now a critically endangered species.
7. The Killing of an Albatross
Few professions carry as many superstitions as the life of a sailor. Naval life is steeped in legends and curses, many of which are connected to the albatross. According to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous 1798 poem, 'The Rime of an Ancient Mariner,' the death of an albatross is one of the most dreaded omens a sailor can face.
The albatross is remarkable for its ability to travel vast distances without flapping its wings. Modern reports claim some birds have flown over 10,000 miles without expending energy. In the past, this earned the albatross a nearly mystical status. Killing such a bird was thought to bring a terrible curse, though, as Coleridge's poem suggests, wearing the dead bird around one's neck could reverse the ill fate at sea.
6. Kodoku: The Curse Poison
While many curses on this list are to be avoided, this next one actually comes with its own recipe that you can try at home—though it involves a terrifying number of insects. Known as 'Gu' in China and 'Kodoku' in Japan, this curse manifests as literal poison. Sorceresses, who were sometimes also called 'Gu' or 'Kodoku,' would poison men they seduced, and the only antidote would come from the man’s true lover, but only if she still loved him.
Creating a kodoku is no easy task. The curse is made by filling a jar with various venomous creatures—snakes, centipedes, spiders, and scorpions are the usual choices. The jar is sealed tight, and only one creature survives inside, said to be the one with the most powerful poison. The use of this cursed poison has been documented throughout Asian history, with records dating back as far as AD 610.
5. Owls: Portent of Witches
Owls are often seen as symbols of wisdom, but in Eastern Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe and South Africa, these nocturnal birds are given a much darker role. Some superstitions hold that the landing of an owl on an elderly person's roof signals an imminent death. Others believe these owls serve as messengers for witches or are the very vessels through which a witch’s curse is delivered to an unsuspecting victim.
With such a foreboding reputation, many owls are often killed on sight or poisoned if their nest is found. However, conservation efforts have been launched to shed the birds of prey’s cursed image due to their important role in the ecosystem as keystone predators. Today, five owl species still inhabit the region, and thankfully, the public’s growing acceptance has helped protect these birds from extinction.
4. The Knocking of the Deathwatch Beetle
The beetle known as Xestobium rufovillosum has a strange habit of banging its head against the wood around its borehole to attract a mate. This often creates a noise loud enough for people to hear. However, this sound was historically linked with an impending death, believed to be the tapping of the grim reaper’s skeletal fingers. This is why this European beetle is commonly known as the deathwatch beetle.
The omen associated with this beetle’s mating ritual stems from the tradition of death vigils. Before hospitals were common, families would vigilantly watch over their dying loved ones day and night until the moment of their death. This created a quiet and solemn atmosphere, which was often interrupted by the wood-boring deathwatch beetle’s knocking sound, leading people to believe that death was imminent.
3. The Curse of the Billy Goat
While some of the curses and omens on this list portend grim fates of death and regret, none are quite as treacherous as the misfortune that befell the Chicago Cubs baseball team due to a mischievous and cunning goat. The 'Curse of the Billy Goat' is a well-known tale in Chicago folklore, beginning in 1945. A tavern owner named William Sianis purchased tickets for himself and his pet goat, Murphy, to attend a Cubs game.
The Cubs had enjoyed remarkable success in the preceding decades, clinching a dozen NL Pennants and a few World Series titles. Naturally, Sianis was eager to bring his pet goat to see the team play in a World Series game. However, upon arrival at the stadium, Murphy was refused entry simply for being a goat. Outraged, Sianis cursed the Cubs, declaring, 'The Cubs? They ain’t gonna win no more.' Despite attempts to reverse the curse with Holy Water, the allowance of goats at games, and many other efforts, the Cubs would not win another World Series until 2016.
2. Ravens in the Tower of London
Many Englishmen believe that the Kingdom of England would fall if a raven were to leave the Tower of London. Unlike most superstitions, this one is still fervently maintained today. While the origins of this curse remain uncertain, it is said to have begun in the mid-17th century when King Charles II was warned by an unnamed seer that the ravens nesting in the Royal Observatory must remain there forever to safeguard England’s future.
For the past four centuries, six ravens have always been kept at the Tower. The title of Ravenmaster was established by the monarchy to care for these birds. Originally the responsibility of the Yeoman Quartermaster, this role was shifted after WWII, becoming the Ravenmaster in 1968. Today, the Ravenmaster continues this duty, overseeing the ravens' care, including the controversial practice of clipping their wings, which limits their ability to fly, sparking criticism that it is an overly superstitious act at the expense of the ravens’ freedom.
1. Witchcraft and Black Cats
The modern notion of a black cat bringing bad luck may seem mundane today, but its origins are steeped in darker tales. The link between these mysterious creatures and witchcraft goes back to the Greek goddess Hecate, who was said to have kept a black cat as her familiar. Matters worsened in 1233 when Pope Gregory IX condemned black cats as accomplices of Satan, thus cementing their sinister reputation.
As the centuries went on, medieval Europe found itself embroiled in bloody witch hunts, where black cats became associated with witches. A black cat's mere presence signaled that a witch might be nearby. For women on the fringes of society, this could mean a cruel fate, as they were often accused of witchcraft. This superstition persisted across Europe into the 19th century and even spread to America.
