Customer Reviews

A Dictionary of Superstitions (Oxford Paperback Reference)

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According to _A Dictionary of Superstitions_, the answer to that one goes back to 1507. The book is filled with page after page of the interesting stories behind close to any superstition one could imagine. As its title suggests, the superstitions are presented in a dictionary format, something that I found very helpful. The definitions include--to different extents--histories, dates, publications, locations, and sometimes even related poetry or bits of songs. There are fifteen different entries for "Eggs," if this gives you any idea as to the scope of book! More than anything, it's a fun read (and to be taken with a "grain of salt" perhaps). It's entirely possible to sit down and read the letter "C," for example, all of the way through, from "Cabbage Stalk: divination" to "Cutlery falls=visitor." One of the best aspects of the text is the sometimes bizarre anecdotes included by the editors, and the conversational and often entertaining manner in which the entries are written. Wonder why it's bad luck to have a clock facing a fire or to crack a mirror, why it's a good idea to rub a dead mouse on your cheek, or where the first references to the cricket as an omen appeared? There's a lot more (494 pages worth), and I definitely recommend it.

This is an excellent book for both serious folklorists and the mere browser of strange beliefs of old. Under each key word it lists various beliefs stretching back centuries and cites the source there as well. This may not be as lengthy a text as Hyatt's "Folklore From Adam's County Illinois" or the two-volume "Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore" -- but it certainly is one of the more serious efforts of cataloging superstitions that has been produced in the past quarter century. Of all the books I own on the topic (over 25), this one would be in the top five, both as a reference book and a great book for merely dipping into.

Oxford Dictionary Of Superstitions is a no-nonsense, definitive reference to superstitions ranging from spells, cures, and rituals to taboos, charms and omens. Entries are arranged alphabetically by subject; each listing presents a handful of historical citations that offer evidence of the belief. A select bibliography and analytical index round out this exemplary and easy-to-use quick reference.

This book is soooo cool! Lots of good information for anyone wanting to write stories or do research on past eras.