BritishSuperstition综述.ppt

British Superstitions Superstition 【 Stevie Wonder】 Very superstitious, writings on the wall, Very superstitious, ladders bout to fall, Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin glass, Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past , When you believe in things that you dont understand, Then you suffer, Superstition aint the way Superstitions The belief that particular events happen in a way that cannot be explained by reason or science. The belief that particular events bring good or bad luck. Animal superstitions Sparrow 麻雀 If a Sparrow enters a house it is an omen of death to one of the people who live there. In some areas it is believed that to avoid bad luck, any Sparrow caught must be immediately killed, otherwise the person who caught it will die. Magpie 喜鹊 One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for wedding, Four for birth, Five for silver, six for gold. whether it is lucky or not, it depends on the number of magpies. In Britain, black cat means good luck. If a black cat crosses your path, you will have good luck all day. A cat can predict weather as well-- if a cat sneezes then the rain is on the way. But if a cat is sitting with its back against the fire, a storm is on its way. Bats people are often afraid of bats. It is said to be bad luck if you see bats flying and hear their cries. If one flies past you—beware! That means someone tries to let you down. In the Middle Ages it was believed that witches were closely associated with bats. bear If a child ride on the back of the bear will get the protection of the gods, would not get down with whooping cough（百日咳 . Spider No matter how scary and ugly they are, however, having one in your home was considered good luck, as the spider would protect the house and family from any misfortune. Ravens 大乌鸦，渡鸦 Hardey Thor Odin Gwyllum Cedric Hugin Munin There is a popular saying in Britain: when ravens leave the tower, the UK will collapse. To respect the old legend , the British governmen