Myths, Legends and Superstitions

By: Noëllie Inard Entertainment Editor

Everyone knows that Halloween is full of superstitions. Between ghosts, witches, black cats, vampires (the scary one, not Edward Cullen and his glitter) and Bloody Mary, it is hard to know exactly where many myths and superstitions came from. However, we can always speculate about their roots.

Let’s start with a legend we often see in movies. You know, the scenes where a group plays truth or dare, and the dumb one bullies the shy one into going in the bathroom to look in the mirror and call Bloody Mary. Maybe we all haven’t watched the same movie, but most people know of Bloody Mary either way. According to www.grudge.com, the Bloody Mary legend came from Mary I, the surviving child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aaron. She hated Protestants, as they were the ones responsible for her cousin being on the throne before her. So, during Mary I’s ruling from 1553 to 1558, she executed 300 protestants in just five years and earned the nickname “Bloody Mary.”

The next one on the list is the Black Cat. This myth is not only a Halloween superstition but also a sign of bad luck in many cultures. However, in some cultures, a black cat is also a sign of good luck. It seems that black cats have a lot on their shoulder. Finally, even if it is not a legend but more a symbol, let’s discuss why ravens are associated with death. For our Vampire Diaries viewers, we all know how ravens dramatically appear in the first season every time the bad vampire appears. The myth again originated in England when at the time, there was no refrigeration and no efficient way to get rid of rotten meat. Because of this, people were giving it to ravens. According to www.cricketmedia.com, it was even illegal to kill ravens because of how useful they were.

However, the number of ravens increased when diseases were spreading and killing people. So, as we saw earlier, people were extremely good at drawing conclusions and thought ravens were bringing death upon them. Some European cultures saw ravens as the ghosts of the lost soul that weren’t buried properly. In Ancient Greece, they were seen as the messenger for the God Apollo.

Whether you believe in myths, legends, superstitions or original stories, it is always interesting to hear about ancient populations and how they interpreted things. The most interesting part is that what happened hundreds of years ago still impacts us in our culture today.

Though it is uncertain why cultures fear or praise black cats, here is a potential story for why some believe black cats bring bad luck. According to www.cricketmedia.com, the superstition comes from England, where black cats were associated with witches. Based on the legend, in the mid16th century, a father and his son were walking on the road when they saw a black cat and threw rocks at it.

The injured cat ran to the home of a lady who was subject to rumors saying she was a witch. The next day, the father and the son saw the lady/witch walking with a limp, so it made sense that the witch could transform herself into a cat. Today, black cats are still associated with witches, and according to www.cricketmedia.com, were even banned from some colonies in Massachusetts.