Taboos of Divination

"The word taboo stems from the Tongan word tabu or tapu, which roughly translates to ‘forbidden’." (Drew 2023) Most of our daily rituals have roots in ancient divinatory beliefs and practices. If you've ever wished upon a falling star, crossed your fingers for luck, thrown spilled salt over your shoulder while cooking, or read your horoscope to see how your day will go you have actively engaged in a divination ritual. Today, the word divination is often shadowed in mystery and even fear. It elicits images of evil or unnatural ritualistic behaviors whose practitioners seek to plague the innocent with ill will. When we take a close enough look at some folklore practices and rituals passed down to us within our own culture, we can usually see their connection to ancient divination.

Modern folklore rituals, superstitions, & symbology rooted in ancient divination:

As with many traditions that predate recorded history, pinning down one particular event or origin related to a modern folklore practice is difficult. Many of these ancient divination symbols, rituals, and traditions spanned more than one culture, and varied according to the practicing people. Below are just a few of the many modern folklore traditions born out of.

Crossing fingers for luck

Chances are you've made this symbol or you've seen someone do it. Today, we cross our fingers for luck or when telling little white lies. However, the origins of this practice is thought to be almost 3,000 years old and comes out of the Kingdom of Israel. Court judges felt only God had the authority to pass a death verdict on one's soul, so judges crossed their fingers as they handed down sentences to enact a small prayer to God while doing so. (Ryan 2017)

Knocking on wood

The superstition of knocking on wood is common in many cultures and is done to keep the fortune of favor on one's side or to ward off bad luck. (Andrews 2023) One of the many origin theories of this folklore ritual is a tie to ancient pagan cultures like the Celts. It was believed knocking on wood would rouse tree spirits and gods who would then offer protection. (Andrews 2023)

Abracadabra

When we hear the mysterious word Abracadabra we prepare to witness a magical stage trick, but the origins of this word are ancient and date back to early 2nd century. Although debated, one theory suggests amulets inscribed with the word in an upside-down triangle shape were worn for protection from fever, illness, and death. Written evidence of the Abracadabra triangle symbol being used to conjure protection can be found up until 17th century London. Today, we associate magical phrases like abracadabra with stage magic and spectacles. (Metcalfe 2024)

The Evil Eye

Many ancient folk societies have a form of evil eye lore where a single ill intended glance can cause injury or death to those who it befalls, especially women, babies and animals. Medieval Europeans believed to have one's possessions praised was to bestow sickness or death upon them. Many cultures today have some form of protection against the evil eye. In India, cross-dressing during marriage ceremonies will ward off the evil eye and in Asia, children may have their faces blackened near the eyes to protect them from the deadly gaze of envious strangers. Today, a popular and recognizable evil eye symbol can be found on jewelry, wall hangings, even tattoos to protect the wearer from harm.

Throwing salt over shoulder

Many cultures have similar lore about the practice of throwing salt over the left shoulder that have been passed down for centuries. Thought to have begun in Ancient Rome where salt was considered a precious commodity, most cultures preform this lighthearted ritual for protection. In Christian folklore, it was thought that the devil lurked behind a person's left shoulder ready to strike with misfortune or harm. By throwing salt over the left shoulder was to blind the devil and thwart his evil plan. (Callaway 2023)

Wishing wells

Throwing coins and objects into a body of water in hopes of a wish being granted has origins going back to 450 BC to Germanic tribes in Europe. Bodies of water like lakes, ponds, and bogs were thought to be a source of divinity- where the gods resided. It became customary for offerings of purposefully made metallic objects to be thrown in exchange for granted wishes and answered prayers.
During the iron age in Switzerland, a population threw over 2,600 objects including expertly crafted swords and chariot fittings into the waters as offerings giving rise to an entire Celtic subculture known as La Tene culture. (Sheldon 2018)