Magic horseshoes. Folk customs and beliefs. Lawrence R.

Superstitions are still firmly rooted in the cultures of the peoples of the world, but why are there so many and how do the myths and beliefs of different countries differ? The book “The Magic of the Horses: folk customs and beliefs” belonging to the pen of the American writer Robert Lawrence (1847-1935) is called upon to find out this issue. The author traced the origin of superstitions around the world, starting with ancient Egypt and ending with the Vikings of Norway and Asian dynasties.

In this book you will learn about why we throw salt over the shoulder, why we are in no hurry to start something new On Friday, who is more lucky - sneezing to the left or right, why when you tipped up the salt shakers, we have an unpleasant feeling, why we are suspicious of black cats, why most of the odd numbers are considered more favorable than even ones, but the number 13 is considered unhappy. And this is just a brief list of questions raised in this book.

Robert Lawrence illuminates all these questions, generously giving examples from the life and quotes of researchers. Such works are much more than just a description of the trivial superstitions. They are a contribution to the understanding of human psychology and often shed unexpected light on serious problems in the history of religions and rituals. The same motives, hopes and fears underlie all beliefs in the invisible, unknown forces that control the fate of a person, therefore it is so useful to study these factors that determine the behavior of people, no matter how insignificant this or that of them or another separately seemed to us separately.