Ooh Err! International Superstitions! Quiz

Answer: Nelson

David Shepherd had a successful career from 1965-1979 as a hard-hitting batsman for Gloucestershire. He was always on the chunky side, and resisted attempts at fitness training - the county once booked him into a health farm for a week where he contrived to lose one ounce. As an umpire, he had a long and distinguished career at the highest level - officiating at 92 test matches. He caused considerable mirth by his habit of always raising a leg off the ground and hopping about when the score was 111 or multiples of that number.

The score of 111 is the subject of great superstition in cricket circles. Statisticians have pooh-poohed it, but supposedly it is a score on which wickets are likely to fall.

Why is it called "Nelson"? The origins of the name are unknown - perhaps a reference to the famous English admiral's loss of body parts, or perhaps to the New Zealand cricket team by that name which had scores of 111 in both its first and last first class matches.

Why should 111 be unlucky? Perhaps because it looks like the three stumps of a cricket wicket with no bails, showing that a batsman had been bowled?

A strange event happened in a test match between South Africa and Australia in 2011, where "peak Nelson" was reached. With South Africa needing 111 runs to win at exactly 11:11 on the 11th day of the 11th month in 2011, and the scoreboard reading 11:11 11/11/11, the crowd and umpires stood on one leg as a tribute to the great Shep.

Shepherd's superstitious nature went beyond Nelson. On Friday 13th he would tie a matchstick to his finger so that he was touching wood all day.

(Question by Upstart3)

Answer: Manglik

Mangliks are discouraged from marrying non-Mangliks, but the negative effects are believed to cancel out if they marry other Mangliks. India has a culture of astrological compatibility, and even today, mostly in rural areas, people can be ostracized or disowned if they marry someone who is not astrologically compatible with them.

(Question by lordingtar)

Answer: a bed

This superstition isn't universally held, and the reason for it isn't clear. Possibly some old ancestral practice for Jamaicans and others with their roots in Africa. Acting is a superstitious profession - they too have this prohibition. Rodeo riders say the practice can lead to injury, or worse. When boxer Max Schmeling lost a world title fight, his corner blamed it on a hat-on-bed incident.

(Question by Elaine37)

Answer: First of the month

Rabbits are considered lucky in many cultures - some people carry a rabbit's foot.

This "first of the month" rabbit-related exclamation seems to be a British and North American superstition. There are many variations on the rabbit theme. It's supposed to give you good luck for the month in question.

My mother always shouted "White Rabbit" on the first of the month and got very upset if she forgot to do it. Apparently Franklin Roosevelt habitually called out "Rabbits".

(Question by Upstart3)

Answer: The Americas

The Black Witch moth is native to the Americas from the southern USA to South America. It is the largest moth in the Americas. Probably because of its size, and appearance - it resembles a bat - it seems ominous when it appears.

In Mexico, they call it Mariposa de la Muerte (Butterfly of Death), and have a superstition that if it flies into a house where someone is sick, the person will die. In parts of Texas there is a variation in that the moth must visit the four corners of the house to cause death. In Jamaica they call it the duppy bat, and say it is the lost soul of someone who has recently died.

Other cultures associate the moth with good luck - a sign that money is coming your way, or a deceased relative's soul making a final farewell.

(Question by Elaine37)

Answer: Ra

The superstition is that if you open an umbrella inside, troubles rain down on you.
Maybe it is linked to old fashioned umbrellas of the 18th century being cumbersome and dangerous to be nearby, especially in an enclosed space.

An alternative was that perhaps the assumed offence in ancient Egypt to Ra for protecting yourself from the sun when inside or in the shade was very great. A further alternative explanation from Egypt was that an umbrella was designed as a tribute to the goddess Nut who designed the sky in that shape.

(Question by Upstart3)

Answer: False

There is no such superstition about Macheath, the villain from Gay's "The Beggar's Opera".

There is one about "Macbeth", by William Shakespeare. Uttering the name "Macbeth" in a theatre is to be avoided. Referring to "Macbeth" as "The Scottish Play" is common practice. If a slip is made, and the word "Macbeth" is uttered, the remedy is to leave the theatre, make three spins, and curse. Although it is well entrenched, the reason for this superstition is unknown. Some say that the actor playing Lady Macbeth in the first production of Shakespeare's play in around 1606 died. Some expand on that by saying the author had to step in to play the role. Others say the spells uttered by the witches in the play are real, and caused the play to be cursed. Some point to multiple mishaps that have affected productions. Another explanation is that the play was a sure-fire hit, so if actors were rehearsing "Macbeth" while another play was on it was a sign that that play was about to be cancelled. A more prosaic explanation is that "Macbeth" has a lot of action, swordplay and darkness, and things are more likely to go wrong than in other plays.


(Question by pieear)

Answer: coffee beans

The coffee beans added to a sambuca are also functional - they enhance the flavour of the drink. A single coffee bean is sometimes added - known as "con la mosca" or "with the fly". Alternatively, seven beans represent the seven hills of Rome.

Sambuca is an anise-flavoured liqueur which includes other ingredients, such as sugar, and elderberry - the Latin word for which, sambucus, gave the drink its name. As well as being served flaming, sambuca can be served in coffee or with water. Like other anise-based drinks it displays the "ouzo effect", when water is added - it goes cloudy because it contains a chemical called anethole, which is completely soluble in alcohol but only partly soluble in water.

The three coins superstition is associated with Rome. Throw three coins into Rome's Trevi Fountain and you will return to Rome, find romance and get married, they say.

(Question by Upstart3)

Answer: evil eye

The evil eye is a curse said to be transmitted by a malevolent glance or even by excessive praise. Belief in the evil eye is a superstition that is widespread over the world, including western Asia, Africa, southern Europe, and the Americas.

This superstition is long-established, and is mentioned in ancient Greek, Jewish and Islamic texts.

The anti-evil eye talisman known as a nazar is most commonly seen in Turkey - made from glass, often blue and white with concentric circles. Its use was spread by the Ottoman Empire to countries such as Pakistan and Egypt.

A hamsa is an amulet in the shape of a hand, with an eye in the centre of the palm. It is also known to Muslims as the Hand of Fatima, after the daughter of the prophet Muhammad. A name used for it by the Jews is the Hand of Miriam. There is some speculation that the hamsa may have originated in ancient Carthage, or perhaps Egypt.

The cornicello is a small metal amulet in the shape of a twisted horn, that is one of many types of protective charm that originated in Italy. Italians also adopted the hand gesture known as the sign of horns, which is now commonly used by Heavy Metal musicians, to ward off the evil eye.

(Question by Upstart3)

Answer: Norse

The story was that Loki was the thirteenth to arrive a banquet of the Norse gods. He got Baldr killed using mistletoe and set into train the cataclysmic battle of the gods called Ragnarök.
The superstition about thirteen is widespread - it is said that about 80% of US high-rises are built "without" a thirteenth floor. In 2013, Ireland made a change to its vehicle licence plates to avoid beginning them with "13", which was predicted to adversely affect vehicle sales.
The superstition is mainly a Western one. The Chinese have a similar superstition about number four. Ancient Egyptians considered thirteen to be lucky.

(Question by Upstart3)