"why are horse shoes considered good luck?"?

Question

from my 10 yr old son Wes

Answer 1

One reputed origin of the tradition of lucky horseshoes is the story of Saint Dunstan and the Devil. Dunstan, who would become the Archbishop of Canterbury in AD 959, was a blacksmith by trade. The story relates that he once nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's hoof when he was asked to reshoe the Devil's horse. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil after the Devil promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is hung over the door.

Another theory concerning the placing of horseshoes above doorways is to ward off Faeries (the Celtic kind); the theory being that Faeries are repelled by iron and as horseshoes were an easily available source of iron, they could be nailed above a door to prevent any unwanted, otherworldly guests. One can see how the custom, as people began to forget the stories concerning the Fair Folk, eventually morphed into a simple good luck charm. It is also possible that the Romans, when arriving in Celtic countries, came across horseshoes nailed above doors and simply borrowed the concept of horseshoes as good luck charms, failing to understand the background of the Celtic custom, and made their use more widespread.

Horseshoes are considered a good luck charm in many cultures. The shape, fabrication, placement, and manner of sourcing are all important. A common tradition is that if a horseshoe is hung on a door with the two ends pointing up then good luck will occur. However, if the two ends point downwards then bad luck will occur. Traditions do differ on this point, though. In some cultures, the horseshoe is hung points down (so the luck pours onto you); in others, it is hung points up (so the luck doesn't fall out); still in others it doesn't matter so long as the horseshoe has been used (not new), was found (not purchased), and can be touched. In all traditions, luck is contained in the shoe and can pour out through the ends.

Horseshoes were also considered lucky because they were made by blacksmiths, which is also considered a very lucky trade. Because they worked with elemental fire and magical iron, they were thought to have special powers. It was believed that a blacksmith could heal the sick and if a couple was married by a blacksmith, their marriage would be a happy one. Their work with horses also brought them much power and prestige, not just because they made the lucky horseshoe but also because they were the keepers of the Horseman's Word (the basis for the movie, The Horse Whisperer.)

Another aspect of the horseshoe that added to it's good luck was the fact that it was commonly held in place by seven iron nails. Since ancient times, the number seven was considered very important. Life was divided into seven ages; a rainbow has seven colors; astrology once held that seven planets made up the universe; there are seven deadly sins; a seventh child was thought to have special powers; there are seven days in a week; the moon changes from one phase to another every seven days; and a long-held belief states that the body goes through a radical change every seven years.

Answer 2

Horse shoes were originally made of iron, a metal that pagan Europeans considered imbued with powers to ward off evil.

People nailed the old, unusable shoes to their doorposts or the lintel as a guard against evil spirits/magic/devil.

Incidentally, a horseshoe should be hung with the ends pointing upward so the "luck" doesn't run out.

Answer 3

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RE:
"why are horse shoes considered good luck?"?
from my 10 yr old son Wes

Answer 4

Because once a horse threw a shoe during a race, it missed the prestigious personages and yet the horse won the race. Or so my mother said when I asked the question as a child.

But it concerned the superstitions of the people concerning iron and the Fae, a way back when, as the posters above already said.

Answer 5

I honestly don't know. That's an old Irish superstition. My superstitious Irish dad kept a horseshoe nailed up over the entrance to the garage. My superstitious Irish grandmother kept one in the house. I think it's supposed to be over a door, and I know it has to point up. The good luck pours out if it's pointed down.

Answer 6

May be because they bear energy of love and creativity- humans care about animals that are serving them and want horses to feel confort when working -so horse shoes are objects made with care and love...

Answer 7

Hundreds of years ago, there were not many things to choose from. Maybe only a few dozen things that everyone would be familiar with.... plough, spade, pot, knife, shoe, etc. Horeshoes just looked like a better choice then these others for something "lucky". No deep meaning.

Everything was made of wood, leather, wool, iron, or bone, so iron carried no special significance.

Answer 8

Why Are Horseshoes Lucky

Answer 9

I'm not sure. I do know that farriers (shoed horses) had them in there forges. You have the points up to keep the luck in. But the farrier can have it pointed down to pour the luck upon the forge.

Answer 10

becuz their iron/cast iron which is a no-no to the fairy folk. they can't pass it...so horseshoes were poisitioned hanging upright ( like a U ) in order to keep the luck from running out of them and keep the fairies from crossing the threshold...or bad luck...