We are traveling to Indy this weekend to see The Dead South and Amigo the Devil. I don’t venture out past these parts very often so I thought I’d pull out some travel superstitions.
SIGNS BEFORE YOU LEAVE
If at morn, the sky be red, it bids the traveler stay in bed;
If at night the sky be gray, it bids the traveler on his way.
Evening red, morning gray, speed the traveler on his way;
Evening gray and morning red, brings down rain upon his head.
Evening red and morning gray, sets a traveler on his way.
Evening gray and morning red, put on your hat and wet your head.
ON LUCK
People were very concerned about their luck while out traveling. You were away from home, often without close company, in areas that could be dangerous or community customs and manners were different than your upbringing.
It brings bad luck to come to a place in the road where someone has drawn his foot across the way (made a line in the dirt).
It causes bad luck to run across a bridge.
When crossing a bridge, you must hold your breath for good luck. We would often pick our feet up from the floorboard, too.
A traveler will have luck if he borrows money from a woman.
It brings good luck to meet the same person on the way both to and from any place.
If a man or woman follows you for five blocks and then turns away, you will lose money.
To walk on the opposite side of a post (sign post, light pole, etc) from a companion will bring on a quarrel. To avert the quarrel, you must go back and spit on the post. You may also say, “Bread and butter” or join hands to reverse the jinx.
It causes bad luck to forget something and have to go back for it. To avert the bad luck, count to ten, spit over your left shoulder, or make a cross and spit into it.
For all those who have ever been caught waiting for a train to pass, it brings bad luck to count the cars, and this will surely be a sign of coming death.
Certain rooms in hotels have the name of “bad-luck” rooms. In the United States, many hotels and businesses omit the 13th floor and 13th room.
WILL O’ THE WISPS or JACKS
There is much lore surrounding the Will o’ the Wisps. This is a ghostly light that many travelers have seen at night. They occur in communities all over the world and are called by different names. They are called Jack o’ Lanthorns in Old English countries, Canwyll Corff or “Corpse Candle” in Wales, and Spunkie in Scotland. They are linked by superstition to corpses, cursed human souls, goblin magic, ghosts, imps, drowned fishermen, and unbaptized souls. Some believe they are trickster spirits whose intentions are to lead weary travelers to their death. If you are familiar at all with the Jack stories from southern Appalachia, these stem from an Irish story about Stingy Jack, who tried to trick the Devil and lost. The Devil grants him an ember from the fires of hell to light his way through the twilight world to which lost souls are forever condemned.
If you are walking at night and see a will o’ the wisp, you must instantly turn your coat wrong side out and put it on, or you will die.
Seeing the Will o’ the Wisp is a sign a corpse is close by.
There’s some great info on the history of the Will o’ the Wisp here at D.L. Ashliman’s article.
Art By Hermann Hendrich
Travel Superstitions & the Will o’ the Wisps
