Superstitions

[teh bunneh]

Even in a world where magic is an everyday occurance and monsters really do lurk in the dark, people will have superstitions -- things they believe that (probably) aren't really true, and only make sense in the context of the culture/history. What superstitions do people have in your fantasy games?

 

I've got about a jillion of them in my fantasy world. Many of them, my players came up with and I decided to adopt.

 

For example: An Elf will never sleep on the ground, for to do so is to invite death. Likewise, they will never wear white unless in mourning for a loved one, because that's the color of death. People from the Empire of Kidbod will never board a ship after nightfall, because it's bad luck. People from Demoria believe that to see three crows sitting together means good fortune is coming. People from Nekia always carry a pierced coin on their person; this brings monetary luck.

 

There's a lot more I'll post later. What are some of yours?

 

Bill.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Superstitions

 

If a horse steps on the hem of your garment, thus preventing you from moving away, it means you are about to do something harmful to yourself. The horse is trying to prevent you from doing it.

 

Different cultures have different interpretations of this one:

Those who live allong the Rossiobyn River say that it could be any beast of burden or riding animal, not just a horse.

The people of Neron believe that the same applies if your hat falls off your head and a horse steps on it (your hat that is, not your head).

The people of Jasser and those along Amlimok's River say that the horse specifically knows you're in danger and is willfully and consciously trying to save you. Most other people say that the horse is simply acting as a tool of fate and knows nothing of the situation.

The folk of the Virbenlandic coast believe all of the above.

 

Always bow politely whenever you are about to enter a forest, even on a road. It lets the elves know that you are not their enemy.

 

Dress especially warm for one month after getting married. It prevents bad luck. Some say it specifically lessens the jealous feelings rivals may have, decreasing the likelihood that they'll do something bad to you. Some say it also increases the likelihood that both spouses will remain faithful.

 

These are fun to make up!

[AlHazred]

Re: Superstitions

 

Dragon magazine issue #276 (October 2000) had an article about Superstitions and how to incorporate them in your game. So, for instance, if a PC breaks a mirror in-game, what are the consequences in-game? It was well-written and covered a number of little-known superstitions.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Superstitions

 

Some believe that magic is cast from the heart. Therefore, magic cast when sad tends not to be as powerful, magic cast when angry burns hotter, and happy magic tends to be uplifting. Mixed emotions are extremely bad since this is where magical mistakes come from.

 

You should salt the lands where evil magic was created, for it seeps into the lands and twists the very vegetation that feeds upon it.

 

Once a magician learns magic, he will never love again for the magic consumes his desires completely.

[teh bunneh]

Re: Superstitions

 

Those are some great ones, Phil and Blue Jogger. I might have to adopt those, with your permission. Thanks for the tip, Alhazred -- I'll see if I can find that one in the back issues at my FLGS.

 

Here's some more of mine:

 

The first of the month (the full moon) is an auspicious time to begin new undertakings, but the 15th of the month (the new moon) is a bad time to start anything new. Weddings seldom take place on the 15th, and few people are willing to open new business ventures or start a journey on this day.

 

Women who follow the druidic faith know that if they want to become pregnant, they should sleep on the bare earth in a hollow. Dwarves believe that to go three days without seeing the sun is a sign that good fortune is on its way. In Demoria, people leave offerings of food at crossroads in order to placate the unquiet dead and to ensure safe journeys. They also believe that mirrors frighten ghosts away, and so to break one is to bring bad luck. People from the Empire of Kidbod think that the sound of thunder in the distance is a harbinger of bad luck and ill fortune.

 

Bill.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: Superstitions

 

Sure. Although I always feel that I must have read it somewhere since the things that I really think of, don't make sense to anybody.

 

The emotionally-charged magic idea really came about thinking about why some mages are always seemly so calm, collected and aloof while the fire mages were always upset about something while the fae are almost always seen laughing, giggling and playful.

 

The salting of the lands is just a wonderfully they-really-dont-like-you image. "Ok, they attack, the burn the entire village to the ground." "Well, we can always rebuild." "And then they salted the earth, nothing will grow on these lands and the water supply is now undrinkable."

 

And the last one was from Ars Magica. Magic is always the mages' one true passion.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Superstitions

 

A mirror reflects not just the person but the soul. If a person becomes sick, all mirrors in their home should be removed or covered, lest the soul become sick as well.

[Fireg0lem]

Re: Superstitions

 

Something like 60% of the information I gave my players (all of whom are from a remote village on an island far away from the rest of the world) at the start of the game is actually superstition, misconception, or prejudice. For example, most people believe that the fairies in my world are mysterious, magical beings. Actually, they're just small tribal barbarians with a talent for poison use, and who are afraid of larger races.

 

It's worked pretty well - my players have learned to neither dismiss "common knowledge" out of hand, nor to be too confident in it.

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: Superstitions

 

A mirror reflects not just the person but the soul. If a person becomes sick' date=' all mirrors in their home should be removed or covered, lest the soul become sick as well.[/quote']

 

 

I'm stealing this one.

 

And the horse one... about stopping you from doing something injurious to yourself.

 

 

Here are some of the superstitions believed in the Young Kingdoms:

 

 

Magpies are seen as mystical birds, capable of bestowing luck or misfortune when seen. The following rhyme tells what effect supposedly occurs when a person sees magpies. The rhyme has an unsavory reputation, and children are often beaten if their parents hear them recite it.

 

1 for spirit

2 for life

3 for mothers

and 4 for strife

5 for luck and its glad tale

6 for flesh that soon fails

 

To argue at a crossroads is to invite misfortune into your life.

 

The soul of a person who breaks a mirror will wander the world in the afterlife.

 

If a bird (not just a magpie, but any bird) flies into your house, someone living there will die soon.

 

Dried basil hung over windows keeps the spirits of the dead at bay.

 

Cows lie down in the fields right before it rains.

 

If the sun rises red, the weather that day is likely to be violent. If it sets red, look for a dry night.

 

Burning oak logs in the hearth strengths the home against natural disasters, pine and cedar logs bring it prosperity, birch wood brings happiness and elm protects it from curses and other evil intents. Tossing basil or rosemary into the fire also protects and brings happiness.

 

Animals whose coats are pure black are unlucky.

 

 

Just for sharing, here are some of the expressions and proverbs used in the Young Kingdoms:

 

 

"A calm sea does not make a skilled sailor.": Nothing worth gaining is gained without difficulty. Mostly used along the southern coast, especially among the Lemenari. A variation on this is found in the heartlands is "A bad harvest teaches more than a good one".

 

"Anywhere a rat can go, you will find two Ostralis waiting.": A human expression meant to indicate the fact that Ostralis (halflings) live everywhere that men do. The Ostralis find it insulting.

 

"A wrinkled apple tastes sweeter.": A saying among the peasants and farm-folk of the heartlands, indicating the benefits of experience.

 

"Anyone can fancy his bed as a palace.": Meaning "believe what you want, because I know the truth." Used mainly by the Jaris, this expression is usually said in response to someone else making an outrageous statement of fact that flies in the face of common wisdom or direct evidence.

 

"Better to be clever than to be thought clever.": A person's reputation is useless if he can't back it up.

 

"Constant rain wears away stone.": A dwarven expression indicating the value of persistence.

 

"Cut the coat according to the cloth.": A common expression meaning "don't try to make something into something its not".

 

"Dragons beget dragons, and lions beget lions, and the offspring of mice will know how to chew holes.": A Jaris proverb meaning "accept that which is fated to be" or "you can't change the way the world works".

 

"Even a black lamb's wool is warm.": A Choyen proverb meaning "every cloud has a silver lining." As noted above, black animals are generally held to be unlucky.

 

"Gold in the ground is yet rock.": A dwarven proverb used in the same manner as "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". The Lemenari use the phrase "A trout in the pot is better than a salmon in the sea."

 

"His beard is longer than his years.": A dwarven phrase used to indicate that a person is wiser than their age would indicate.

 

"If I knew where I was going to fall, I'd spread straw.": A common expression used to indicate a foolish wish for prescience. Its used in the same manner that some people today use the phrase "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride".

 

"Lightning, then thunder.": All things happen in their own good time.

 

"The time to collect rainwater is while its raining.": Take advantage of opportunities when they come. This one is used almost everywhere.

 

"The lion roars. The snake hisses. The stranger smiles.": A Rostok proverb taken to mean "take warning" or "be on your guard".

 

"Never injure your pride by substituting your axe for a smith's hammer.": A dwarven proverb meaning "the right tool for the right job."

 

"Never use up your arrows before the battle.": Always keep your priorities straight. This saying is used mostly in the Frontier Cities.

 

"No road is ever old.": A saying among the trading caravans meant to express the opinion that the only life is the traveling life. A variant is "All roads lead to somewhere."

 

"Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet.": A Lemenari proverb indicating the value of thinking before acting.

 

"People die for wealth and birds die for food.": A Kuzko proverb that speaks to what is truly of value.

 

"Sorrow runs while joy sleeps.": This is an expression among the Chayk, indicating that a bad reputation will travel farther and faster than a good one.

 

"Talk gathers no firewood.": A farm-folk proverb on the virtues of doing rather than talking about doing.

 

"Empty armor clatters loudest.": This phrase is usually used in response to braggadocio on the part of another. Its use is similar to the real-world "Put up or shut up" or "Don't let your alligator mouth get your mockingbird ass in trouble". A variant used in the Heartlands is "A tree is known by the fruit, and not by the leaves.", while the Ostrali (halflings) say "Barking dogs seldom bite."

 

"The Gods look after fools, children, and drunkards... humans usually count for two out of three.": A Khazak (dwarven) saying that expresses their general opinion of the human race.

 

"There is no mud without rain.": Nothing goes wrong without a cause.

 

"The value of the water is only seen when the well runs dry.": You don't know what you have until its gone. A Jaris proverb.

 

"Trust in the Gods, but row away from the rocks.": A Lemenari proverb that shows the wisdom of self-sufficiency.

 

"When the avalanche begins, it is too late for the pebbles to vote.": A saying (blatantly stolen from Babylon 5, but the folk of the Young Kingdoms don't know that) among the people of several kingdoms speaking to the fact that in the grand scheme of things the common folk have little influence when compared to the nobles.

 

"When the fight is lost, all that is left is to die gloriously.": A saying used by many warriors across Taranche. It used in a similar manner to "it is better to die on your feet that live on your knees."

 

"Where the wolf howls, the goblin prowls.": Troubles almost never come alone. This one is most often found in the northern reaches of the Young Kingdoms.

 

"A wolf whose belly is full will still hunt.": Don't assume that you know what another man's motives are.

 

"You cannot blame a mirror for a crooked face.": This expression, common among the Taors, is a warning against blaming others for your own mistakes.

 

"You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.": You can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

"You don’t know what is in the pot until you lift the lid.": An Aateni proverb meaning "the best way to learn is to act".

[Basil]

Re: Superstitions

 

Never set two mirrors directly opposite each other (this applies to the refective side only, BTW). Similarly, do not ever get between two mirrors or other highly reflective surfaces, nor see a reflection of a reflection of yourself. To do so practically invites some"thing" to come and possess you.

 

Do not throw scissors. If you do, you will soon be snubbed, insulted, or otherwise "cut"--in a social/emotional sense.

 

If you kill a cat, it will wander to the Underworld, and tell your name to the first demon it meets, and command it to harrass you. Then the cat will come back as a ghost, and delight in watching your misfortune. BTW, there are dozens of explanations for why any demon would do a cat's bidding. But all agree that they will.

 

If you wear purple shoes, you will become an alcoholic, unless you carry (but never drink) some wine with you. It's OK if you drink alcohol that someone gives you, but not any that you buy.

 

Do not whistle in the presence of a corpse. The ghost will haunt you.

 

If you meet with a dog with orange "eyebrows," cross the index and middle fingers, and the ring and least fingers, of your left hand, and show this sign to the dog. Otherwise, it is likely to bite you.

 

Treat an old woman with a remarkably small nose with the greatest kindness and respect. This is the favorite disguise of the goddess of abundance, when she wanders among humankind.

 

If you put a pitchfork tines down into the ground, and are going to go farther from it than your arms' reach, tell it "Goodbye". When you come to pull it out again, say "Hello" before touching it. Failing to do so will mean it (and perhaps some of your other tools) will break when you most need it to work.

 

If you ever accidentally tap a knife against a horseshoe (except if it's on a horse), tap it twice more. There are some kinds of imps that are attracted by the sound of one such tapping, but three close together drives them away.

 

 

 

Hey, these are fun to invent!

[Curufea]

Re: Superstitions

 

Ooh - now that horshoe thing has given me ideas, especially in a campaign where cold iron affects magic. Actually any supposedly anti-magic charms would have lots of superstitions around them (in exess of getting them to work)

 

Iron nails should never be stood upright. Horseshoes should never be turned upside down. Swords should never be stored upright. Mail should never be rolled or folded. Spears should never be pointed towards the ground.

[Houston GM]

Superstitions About Illnesses

 

Diseases

 

Illnesses are caused by evil spirits inhabiting a person's body. Different types of evil spirits manifest as different illnesses.

 

Magic cures diseases by driving out the evil spirits. That's why priestly magics are more effective than secular magics at curing illnesses.

 

Potions cure diseases because the evil spririts cannot stand the foul taste. Not all spirits find the same tastes repulsive. You must find the potion that repulses the specific spirit that caused your disease. Some foul smelling salves and poultices work for similar reasons.

 

Evil spirits can enter the body through open wounds. Wounds should be bound in rags soaked in wine (or other alcoholic beverages). The spirit will get drunk on the wine and forget to enter the wound. The stronger the drink, the more effective it will be at getting the spirit drunk.

 

Evil spirits congregate together. They live by swamps, dead bodies, sewers, and other people infected by evil spirits.

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Superstitions

 

It seems that a good source of ideas is to base them on objects that might have some symbolic meaning. Mirrors, for example have been discussed. Here's a few more:

 

doors/gates

windows

bells

almost any tool

almost any fruit

candles

wells

 

Never ring a bell exactly twice or exactly four times. The people of southern Telnanshire believe there is a strong connection between bells and the number three. If you ring a bell once, or five or more times, that's OK, but 2 or 4 times makes the bell feel uncomfortable because it's just slightly off it's favorite number. People and animals nearby will start to feel uneasy and tense. Their health may be impaired or become contrary and disobedient.

 

If a rotten fruit falls off a tree and hits you, you will receive good fortune soon, but it will come in a form that will appear unfortunate at first. For example, a beast of burden might step in a hole and injure itself, but something of greater value will be found in the hole.

 

It is very bad luck to burn candles that are significantly fancier than your neighbor's. You are sybolically burning your wealth. Nor should you buy candles that are more expensive than your wealth would normally indicate. All the people of a neighborhood should have roughly the same quality of candles that the poorest among them has.

 

Let a young scholar draw water from the well before you, even if you got there first. Some of the wisdom he seeks will pass to you as well. If he fails to show gratitude for your deference to him, that isn't your problem, but his studies will be for naught for the rest of that day.

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: Superstitions

 

Acorns from grandfather oaks are lucky. Carrying three, five, seven, or nine in your pocket at all times will insure good fortune and long life. Never carry more than nine, though, or Lady Luck will think you greedy and punish you for it.

 

You must get out of bed on the same side that you get in or you will have bad luck.

 

A loaf of bread should never be turned upside down after a slice has been cut from it. Doing so insults the goddess of the hearth.

 

Three butterflies together mean good luck.

 

No ship with a cat on board ever sinks, for the Lord of All Cats wouldn't allow it.

 

If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you. If your left ear itches, someone is speaking ill of you.

 

The spouse who goes to sleep first on the wedding day will be the first to die.

 

Mirrors in a house with a corpse should be covered or the person who sees himself will die next.

 

If a mirror in the house falls and breaks by itself, someone in the house will die soon.

 

It's bad luck to let milk boil over.

 

A swan's feather, sewed into the husband's pillow, will ensure fidelity.

 

If you bite your tongue while eating, it is because you have recently told a lie.

[Basil]

Re: Superstitions

 

Never lie books flat on a shelf, or you will forget all the knowledge you gain from reading them. Always store them on edge.

 

If you lay a fork flat on the table with the tines up, do not rest a knife on edge using the tines to support it. If you do, you and whoever you're eating with (or whoever you next eat with if you're alone) will quarrel.

 

If the handle of a door comes loose in your hand when you're trying to open it, appologize to the door (or the god of doorways, according to some); else you will be blocked from "entering" some project you are just starting (or about to start).

 

If a lit lamp suddenlly starts to smoke, and there's nothing wrong with the wick nor is the fuel low, it means someone you care for will soon be in danger from fire.

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: Superstitions

 

Crossing your knife and spoon on your plate after you have eaten is an indicator that the food tasted horrible and that you wish bad luck on the cook.

 

(No Forks in the Young Kingdoms)

[Just A Guy Name]

Re: Superstitions

 

Crossing your knife and spoon on your plate after you have eaten is an indicator that the food tasted horrible and that you wish bad luck on the cook.

This could be useful.. is it common knowledge in the culinary profession?

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: Superstitions

 

This could be useful.. is it common knowledge in the culinary profession?

 

Cooks in my gameworld are aware of it, yes.

[Basil]

Re: Superstitions

 

Never store a map face down.

If you must draw on a map (one that is finished), put a drop on ink on the back of your hand first, and don't draw on the map until that drop dries.

Don't drum your fingers on a map.

[Rapier]

Re: Superstitions

 

I am spending quite a bit of time right now working on belief systems (including superstitions). A number of them revolve around funerary rights. Which, for me, comes down to common sense.

 

Dwarves, who live in mountains/underground, demand a burial in stone...that way the soul becomes part of the mountain and enriches the mining.

 

The plainsmen (human horsey folk), demand burial in earth so that the souls can be carried into the afterlife by the wild horse herds.

 

Most of the races will accept a funeral pyre as a second choice (its too practical to exclude).

 

All of my superstitions are along similar veins, practicality disguised as superstition. Dwarves are REALLY superstitious about astonomical phenomena, etc.

[Guest Worldmaker]

Re: Superstitions

 

The plainsmen (human horsey folk)' date=' demand burial in earth so that the souls can be carried into the afterlife by the wild horse herds.[/quote']

 

 

Would an "air burial" be appropriate for them? Some sort of exposure platform, like the Sioux used?

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: Superstitions

 

Burial customs and gravesites are an especially good place for superstitions to arise.

 

The Neronians' and Virbenlanders' cultures are very similar in most respects, but one area in which they are diametrically opposed is in how they pay respect to the dead at gravesites. The Virbenlanders place an emphasis on the living moving on with their lives and not letting onesself be "haunted" by the dead, therefore after a funeral or visiting a grave, you turn around and walk away. The Neronians place greater emphasis on remembering and honoring the dead, and would consider this rude and arrogant - it invites hostile spirits to sneak up and attack you from behind. They say that when leaving a grave side, you should back up several steps, depending on the "rank" or honor that you wish to give the dead, before turning. In some cases, a Neronian might back up all the way to the edge or gate of the cemetary. The Virbenlanders consider this foolish. To back away from a grave is to imply that you're afraid of the dead, and you invite evil or mischievous spirits to pursue you and continue to huant you and torment you with further fear.

[Rapier]

Re: Superstitions

 

Would an "air burial" be appropriate for them? Some sort of exposure platform' date=' like the Sioux used?[/quote']

I actually use...well I call it Exposure...but I use it for the Northern Tribal Barbarians. All that ice...it's not like you can dig in the ground or find fuel for a fire!

 

But thanks for the ideas. I know I'm missing a bunch of stuff (I've got sticky notes all over the place of ideas I want to work in).

[Rapier]

Re: Superstitions

 

Burial customs and gravesites are an especially good place for superstitions to arise.

 

The Neronians' and Virbenlanders' cultures are very similar in most respects, but one area in which they are diametrically opposed is in how they pay respect to the dead at gravesites. The Neronians place an emphasis on the living moving on with their lives and not letting onesself be "haunted" by the dead, therefore after a funeral or visiting a grave, you turn around and walk away. The Neronians place greater emphasis on remembering and honoring the dead, and would consider this rude and arrogant - it invites hostile spirits to sneak up and attack you from behind. They say that when leaving a grave side, you should back up several steps, depending on the "rank" or honor that you wish to give the dead, before turning. In some cases, a Neronian might back up all the way to the edge or gate of the cemetary. The Virbenlanders consider this foolish. To back away from a grave is to imply that you're afraid of the dead, and you invite evil or mischievous spirits to pursue you and continue to huant you and torment you with further fear.

Ohhh. I like that. More sticky notes.

[teh bunneh]

Re: Superstitions

 

Funereal rituals:

 

Elves bury their dead in the earth, near the deceased's home. They have an elaborate ritual of mourning in which the one nearest the deceased stands vigil over the grave for a period of time that can range from days to years. Death is considered a very private matter, and only the family and (sometimes) closest friends are allowed to participate in the mourning rituals; the rest of the community ignores the proceedings, and will never again mention the name of the deceased.

 

Dwarves hold elaborate wakes in honor of the dead -- drinking, singing songs, and telling tales of the deceased and his ancestors. The goal of a Dwarvish wake is to make enough noise so the gods take notice when a Dwarf enters heaven.

 

Bill.