Where/How did the following superstitions come about?

Question

Walking under ladders, spilling salt, and breaking mirrors cause bad luck.

Answer 1

Walking under ladders:

A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle, which has long been regarded by many societies as the most common expression of a sacred trinity of gods. For example, the pyramids where based on a triangular plane. The ladder in and of its self was regarded as a good luck symbol by the Egyptians. It was a ladder that that rescued the sun god Osiris from imprisonment by the spirit of Darkness. Plus, ladders were placed in tombs of Egyptian kings to help them climb to heaven. Years later because a ladder had rested against the cross of Jesus Christ, it was seen as a symbol of wickedness, betrayal, and death. In England and France in the 1600s, criminals on their way to the gallows were compelled to walk under a ladder, while the executionar, called the Groom of the Ladder, walked around it.
An interesting antidote for this is the sign of the 'fico' which came from the Romans. A person would close their fist and allow the thumb to protrude between their index and middle finger. The fist would then be thrust upward at the ladder. This antidote is believed by some to be the precursor of the extended middle finger. Also the accompanying words that follow are not really all that different from the sound 'fico'.

Spilling Salt:

Because salt was supposedly mans first seasoning of food and was revered as a precious ingredient, spilling it became a bad luck symbol. As seen in Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, Judas spilled the table salt wich foreshadowed the tragedy to follow-Jesus' betrayal.

Breaking Mirrors:

In the 16th century B.C.E , the Greeks began a mirror practice called cataptromancy, which was a shallow glass or earthenware bowl filled with water that, much like a gypsy's crystal ball, was supposed to reveal the future of the person who cast his or her image on the reflective surface. If the mirror slipped and broke, the interpertation was that either the person holding the bowl had no future (soon to die) or that their future was so horrible, the gods were trying to spare that person some heartache. The Romans adopted this superstition and added our modern day meaning to it- seven years bad luck. The Romans believed that a persons health changed in cycles of seven years. Since the mirror refelected a persons appearence (or health), a broken mirror predicted seven years of bad health and misfortune.

Answer 2

Everyone's answers are tracking true :)
Years ago....salt was a valuable commodity, spilling it was akin to tossing money out a window.
Mirrors were a rarity and very hard to make, thus breaking one was bad luck.
Walking under a ladder was bad luck merely from a safety standpoint :)

Answer 3

Under the ladder I'm not sure, i always thought it had to do with safety, but the salt and mirror came about when salt was gold and mirror was hard to get. so don't spill it and don't brake it!

Answer 4

I'd hazard a guess and say that they much more practical origins -- salt and mirrors used to be much more rare (and therefor, more valuable commodities), and if someone is standing on that ladder, anything they drop is likely to hit you at considerable speed. Kinda like Jewish laws regarding cicrumcision and not eating pork or shellfish comes from simple rules for health and hygiene....

Answer 5

i don't stick to any rituals or superstitions for the time of tests :) All I do is pray for my tests to God and chant some prayers earlier examining and earlier writing the tests. i'm achieved!! :)

Answer 6

I don't know but they say that every superstition and urban legend has a grain of truth.

Answer 7

If you have time you can check this

website.http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=old%20superstitions

It is all about superstitions.