Medieval Superstitions

Surely Elizabethan England during the Middle Ages was the heyday, the ultimate in supersitious beliefs! Centuries after we continue to be fascinated by the ideas of the time and the barbaric treatment of people who were deemed to be witches.

• Sneezing without covering your mouth meant that the devil could enter your body - that's why people say Bless You when you crank out a sneeze

• You always had to stir a pot clockwise, even a teapot if you wanted to avoid bad luck
• Witches were very frightening. If a woman was accused of being a witch then she was bound and weighted and thrown into a river or lake. If the woman rose to the surface then it was proven she was infact a witch. If the woman sank, then the woman was innocent - too bad she was also dead!
• Letting a cat cross your path on your journey was bad luck - extra bad if the cat was black
• Leaving a door open was bad luck as it allowed bad spirits to come into the house