Is it to scare Satan one says "Touch wood" during a happy narration of something?

Answer 1

No.To touch wood or knock on wood is a superstition action to ward off any evil consequences or bad luck, perhaps because of some recent action you’ve taken or untimely boasting about your good fortune (“I’ve never been in danger of drowning, touch wood”); it can also be a charm to bring good luck.

The origin is unknown, though some writers have pointed to pre-Christian rituals involving the spirits of sacred trees such as the oak, ash, holly or hawthorn. There is, I’m told, an old Irish belief that you should knock on wood to let the little people know that you are thanking them for a bit of good luck. There’s also a belief that the knocking sound prevents the Devil from hearing your unwise comments. Others have sought a meaning in which the wood symbolises the timber of the cross, but this may be a Christianisation of an older ritual. It wasn’t always wood that was lucky: in older days, iron was also thought to have magical properties, and to touch iron was an equivalent preventative against ill-fortune.

Answer 2

It's an expression used when wishing good fortune to a person or venture. "Good luck at the job interview! Touching wood for you!" "I hope the weather is good for the barbeque tomorrow. Touch wood!"

: I've been told it refers to a medieval custom of touching a piece of the "True Cross," or of a reliquary that contained such a piece. Can anybody corroborate this?

That theory is around but not, it seems, proved.

From Eric Partridge, "A Dictionary of Catch Phrases":
'touch wood!' . . . For the various origins proposed for this phrase, you must consult the folklorists; the more, the greater fun. As merest layman and not all that seriously, I suggest that it originates in some half-buried myth about 'the Great God Pan', haunter of woods and forests. . . . Vernon Noble proposed, 1977: 'This is probably of ancient origin, or perhaps no further back than mediaeval times when relics were hawked about the country, including pieces of "the true cross". Those . . . unable to buy splinters . . . were probably allowed to touch them freely, as a gesture of piety and to bring them good luck or a blessing".

Answer 3

I think it goes back to pre-Christian religions, where most aspects of nature had associated with them various spirits. Forests were magical places, and wood was inhabited by "wood sprites" which could be the source of good or bad luck. Knocking on wood or touching wood was a gesture meant to invoke these forest spirits in a friendly way. When Christianity largely replaced animism, the concept was transferred from wood in general to wood as a symbol for the cross (which was of course made of wood).

Answer 4

No, the tradition goes further back than the satan and god rubbish to when good spirits lived in the woods. You touch wood to invoke the goos spirits and keep your luck alive

Answer 5

"touch wood" or "knock wood 3 times" is when someone say bad things in front of you and you want to cancel it.

It originally came from Christian, the cross is made from wood. So in one way its quite true.

When someone want to put curse on you, you " touch" the cross, you remembered Jesus and His finished work at the cross that He is the only one that can remove the curse in your life.
:)

+ indeed satan scare his pants off when he sees Jesus and His mighty work at the cross.

Answer 6

It originates from cross that Jesus was hung on you touch wood as the cross was made of wood.

Answer 7

You mean "knock on wood" and it has something to do with warding off bad luck

Answer 8

Touching wood - doesn't scare me away!!!!!

Answer 9

Following superstition, it is meant to ward of bad luck.

Answer 10

its an old folk tale people never got rid off its just to keep the goodluck