19th Century Fears and Misbeliefs

Everyone likes to think they’re above caving in to superstition, but just try sneezing in a room and see if someone doesn’t say, “Bless you.” It’s almost a guarantee. We are as steeped in superstition as our forefathers, but what exactly were some of the misbeliefs they held?

Here’s an odd one… Planting a leek somewhere in the house prevents the house from catching fire. 

And here’s kind of a creepy one… If you smell roses when there aren’t any around, there will be a death.

Ever hear of this? The dead were carried out of the home feet first so that the dead could not look back and call any remaining relatives to follow them into death.

Speaking of death… Many Victorians believed that it was necessary to cover all the household mirrors with heavy black cloth to prevent the spirit of the deceased from becoming trapped in a mirror.

We don’t really follow any of those superstitions anymore but here’s one that some people still do: spilling salt. Historically, it was believed that spilling salt was bad luck but tossing some over your left shoulder reverses that curse. The action was thought to blind the devil, who was waiting there to tempt you into acts of bad behavior. In my newest release, Lost in Darkness, heroine Amelia Balfour is a superstitious person, so when salt is spilled at the dinner table, she immediately throws a pinch over her left shoulder.

And guess what? Today is the big launch day for Lost in Darkness! Join me for fun and prizes tonight at the Lost in Darkness Launch Party. The festivities run from 7-8 pm central time. Hope you can make it!

But if you can’t, you can still try winning a prize here on the Rafflecopter Contest.