Key Takeaways
- Mirror superstitions originated with ancient Greek and Roman beliefs.
- The concept of seven years' bad luck has roots in Roman life cycles and historical mirror costs.
- Methods for disposing of broken mirrors include both practical safety and superstitious rituals.
- Global superstitions about broken glass and mirrors vary widely, from death omens to celebrations.
Deep Dive
- Ancient Greeks viewed reflections in water as ominous, a belief that evolved with the Roman invention of mirrors.
- Ancients believed gods observed souls through reflective surfaces.
- Damaging a mirror was thought to anger deities or 'break' a soul, potentially leading to misfortune.
- Roman beliefs in seven-year life cycles influenced the duration of bad luck associated with broken mirrors.
- Historically, mirrors were extremely expensive, with one potentially costing up to seven years' wages for a servant.
- The earliest documented English mention of the mirror-breaking superstition dates to 1777, linking it to divination.
- Advice from a 'House Stuff Works' article emphasizes safely wrapping broken glass for disposal.
- A common superstition suggests burying mirror fragments under a full moon to avert bad luck.
- In England, breaking glass can be a death omen, contrasting with Greek and Jewish traditions associating it with celebration or warding off evil spirits.
- Further mirror superstitions include covering them after a death to prevent a soul from becoming trapped or demons from escaping.
- A 20th-century British superstition involved women using a mirror and candlelight to divine the appearance of their future husband.