Superstition: White Rabbits and Black Cats - The History of Common Folk Beliefs

Description

Ever wondered why we touch wood, salute magpies, skip over cracks and throw salt over our shoulders? Then Sally Coulthard has the answer as she gets under the skin of these peculiar pastimes in her new book Superstition. Exploring the history and background of fifty of these fascinating cultural behaviours, discover how they affected our everyday life and why many of these beliefs are still pertinent today. Superstitions reveal the hopes, fears and preoccupations of our ancestors and give a fascinating glimpse into how they lived. Seemingly bizarre folk beliefs and practices - in farming, marriage, craft, love, feasting, birth and death - often have their roots in real-life worries and desires. By looking at the material circumstances and challenging environments of our forefathers we start to understand how strange rituals and rules give comfort and reassurance, whether it's hoping for a good harvest, wishing our loved ones a safe journey or trying for a baby. Pick a side. This is a book with two covers, giving you the chance to decide if you want to enter the light or dark side. With its gorgeous folk illustrations and light-hearted tone, Superstition aims not only to give readers a fascinating insight into recent history but also bring a smile of recognition that, perhaps, we've got more in common with our superstitious ancestors than we'd care to admit.

Sally Coulthard is a best-selling author who has written lots of books on lots of subjects including rural life, nature and traditional skills including CRAFTED: A Compendium of Crafts Old, New and Forgotten (Quadrille), The Little Book of Snow and The Little Book of Building Fires (Anima), and The Hedgehog Handbook (Head of Zeus). Sally read Archaeology & Anthropology at Oxford University, subjects stuffed with ancient stories and strange legends. At home, on her Yorkshire farm, one of the old stone barns is filled with witches' marks, the discovery of which set her on a journey to find out more about ancient folk beliefs and the origins of common superstitions. Fingers crossed she's on to something.