"Signs, Omens, and Superstitions" is technically a skeptic work from its era. While it provides an enormous number of individual tales and practices related to superstition, it technically spurns them all.The folklore here (for folklore it is) ranges from the animal, plant, and mineral, through the strictly philosophical. From good and bad luck to marriage, relationships, child rearing, and every other field, and from moles on the flesh to signs in dreams, Cielo's excellent work includes a bit of everything from dozens of cultures and thousands of years of history, for the reader to consider.

Excerpt from Signs, Omens and Superstitions It is an interesting question as to how the many superstitious beliefs and practices had their begin ning. The origin of most of them is no doubt to be found in man's efforts to explain the phe momena of nature, and in an attempt to propitiate an angry deity and to invite a better fortune. From these sources come many of the absurd notions? Still in vogue among primitive people, which have been handed down in modified form to us. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Explains the history, meaning, and significance of more than six hundred omens, signs, and superstitions

Do you avoid anything connected with the number thirteen, think it lucky when a black cat crosses your path and unlucky to see the new moon through glass? Belief in superstitions links us with a time when everyday events and objects had magical significance. A treasure trove of fascinating information, A dictionary of Omens and Superstitions reveals the secrets of hundreds of ancient traditions. Do you know: What it means if a cat sits and washes itself in your doorway? Why women should have their hair cut only when the moon is waxing? Why people in Yorkshire throw caterpillars over their shoulders? What it means if you mistakenly recognize a perfect stranger as someone you know? Why Thursdays are the unluckiest days in Germany and 28 December ill-fated throughout Europe? And why it is universally believed unlucky to walk under ladders?