Hello everyone. Welcome back to another round of Highlights of our #SuperstitionSat Sessions – our way of showing gratitude to everyone who contributes with a bit of superstitious lore to our little corner of Twitter. We could not do this without you!

This Saturday, our theme was Saints and Divine Beings, and our first highlight was from Bevan Thomas who shared a tale about Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers. Amulets of this saint may be carried for protection against hardship during journeys, as well as a guarantee of safe passage over waters. Saint Christopher is often depicted carrying Jesus and some icons may even show him as having the head of a dog. The custom of depicting saints or other beings with dog-heads is called cynocephaly – from the Greek kyno- (meaning dog) and kephale (head). If you’re curious about the intersection of folklore with popular culture, a medal of Saint Christopher is featured on the Netflix time-travelling mystery drama Dark.

The second highlight was shared by Folklore of Birds, who told us the legend of Saint Kevin, an Irish saint who was out praying when a blackbird decided to turn one of his palms into a nest and lay her eggs there. It is said that the patient saint remained thus, with arms outstretched until the fledglings had safely hatched and left the nest. Nobel Prize winner and Irish poet Seamus Heaney once described this legend of kindness as “a sense of doing the right thing for the reward of doing the right thing”. Maybe you would like to listen to his poem Saint Kevin and the Blackbird here.

Our third highlight goes to Sarah Nour, who recounted the belief that a statue of Saint Joseph may be concealed upside down outside your door. Being the patron saint of working people, fathers, families and carpenters, it is said that this tradition may encourage the successful sale of your house and a speedier moving out process. As I am still looking for my forever home, I really enjoyed reading about this custom – and perhaps, I shall try it out soon.

Once again, thank you. Whether you’re old, new or just passing through, your presence is very much appreciated and I am glad to see you stop by. I hope we will meet again next week (19/03) with superstitions about

SPRING AND THE EQUINOX

… to celebrate the arrival of this beautiful season to the Northern Hemisphere on the 20th of March. And if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you are also welcome to share some autumnal lore! Until then, I hope you have a great week ahead.

Warmly,
– Superstition Sam 🐾