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Centuries ago the naivety and vulnerability of our ancestors played a large part in establishing superstitions, yet here we are today in the 21st century and still we read of people who won't leave the house on the 13th of the month for fear of something terrible befalling them. Not everyone is superstitious, but there are always occasions in life when we find ourselves following obscure 'lucky' rituals. The following compilation has been gleaned from authentic sources and explores a variety of superstitions that relate to the world of embroidery. So if you are ready to open your needlework box let us begin ...
As far as the keen needle worker is concerned, a pair of scissors is invaluable; as important as a scalpel to a surgeon. Scissors, like knives, once shared the traditional protective power of steel and generated the same worries and dangers associated with sharp, cutting instruments. There are plenty of superstitions about scissors, possibly more than any other implement used by an embroiderer and consequently they were never left lying around. When finished with they were often hung on a nail, serving a dual purpose - keeping them out of harm's way and ensuring that the house was protected from evil spirits.
In our secular age it is difficult to visualise the extent to which our distant forefathers lived in fear of witches, goblins and gremlins. Sincerely believing that without protection their homes and families would fall victim to malevolent spirits, they would go to extreme lengths to safeguard their kin. In their belief system steel or iron objects had the power to counter evil influence and were commonly used as charms or amulets. Homes with a pair of opened scissors, resembling a cross, on their threshold were a familiar sight; these were placed in the hope that they would deter witches from entering.
The next time you see a pin lying on the floor remember this ancient adage, 'See a pin and let it lie, sure to rue it by and by'. Clearly it is unlucky to pass a pin and not pick it up. But as we stoop to retrieve them, how many of us stop and ask why? Pins were endowed with either dangerous or protective properties according to the situations in which they were used. A common superstition relating to friendships warns 'never to lend a pin to a friend, lest it would prick that friendship'. But pins didn't always signify bad luck; a bent or crooked pin was often thrown into wishing wells for good luck.
It seems everything our ancestors did and every object they touched had special significance. Surrounded by events, objects and materials they could rarely explain scientifically, the world was a very frightening place. Superstitions were a way to regain control when things went wrong and a method of preventing calamity in the first place. Those relating to needles are in many ways similar to the tales about pins. Dropping a needle was a sign of good luck but should it accidentally fall and stick upright in the floor then the owner was forewarned to expect company. The next time you break a needle you will probably think nothing of it but centuries ago this was a great worry and a sign that a friendship was in jeopardy. It is the idea of value that underpins this strange superstition - the concept that needles are precious, as is a good friendship.
There is another ancient ritual to remember the next time you present a packet of needles to a friend. Before handing the needles over, the giver should remove one needle from the packet and prick the recipient; apparently this will protect them from any further ill fortune. It sounds barbaric but at least we now know what to buy irritating acquaintances for Christmas. Just make sure you explain it's an age-old custom before you stab them in the arm!
There is nothing more frustrating than a thread becoming knotted or entangled. The irritation it gives rise to readily explains the British superstition that a knotted thread is a precursor to an argument. In fact the idea is fairly self-explanatory, and yet the opposite applies around the Mediterranean where if the thread on a needle gets tangled while a garment is being mended this will give health and prosperity to the owner. Contradictions like this might strengthen a sceptic's argument that superstitions are just that, old stories handed down throughout the years' and a hangover from unenlightened times. But whether you are a cynic or a firm believer, you must acknowledge the persistence of these ideas. As illogical as they are, perhaps there are times we need the little touch of magic or madness they provide.