The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-13
BY LOIS RoB1NErrE.


Nearly every one is superstitious. To
be sure you and are not, but just
the unenlightened. 1t has been so
deeply rooted in US for generations
back that it is not so easy to get
away from as one might imagine.
We might be able to fight the hoo
doc of the thirteenth but when it
comes on Friday, it makes a bad COM
bination.
Most persons will say they are not
superstitious about Friday the thir-
teenth, yet they would not begin a
new job then or set that day for their
wedding, or start upon a journey or
choose such day to undergo serl-
Gus operation.
1t is claimed that DeVinci's fresco
of the Last Supper spread the super
stition about thirteen at the table.
The painting shows the twelve apos-
ties at supper with the Savior. one
from the number was to be betrayer
and one was to die before Wany
moons. From this picture wave
of thirteen" hysteria swept over the
civilized world, and the force of it is
It Signifies Bad Luck.
From this Ill luck idea of thirteen
at the table, the number in any con-
nection fell into disrepute and sig
nified bad luck. Rooms IN hotels have
to be numbered II, IA, IS, etc, be-
cause SO many guests refused to take
the chances of staying in No. 10. There
are many buildings which nave no
thirteenth floor. There are even street
numbers which run IL, II II, IA and
is.
Friday is supposed to be a very
bad day on which to START anything.
This idea has come down to us from
the Mohammedan tradition that Fri
day is a day set apart by Divine COM
the day Adam was creared; it is the
day he was received into Paradise;
the day he was expelled from the Gar
den. the day he repented and the day
he died.
From this the superstition about
Fridays bad luck is readily seen. II
was believed that anyone who worked
on Friday was doing wrong and
would bring down punishment on him
self.
Friday also represents sorrow and
death, because it is the day Christ
suffered and was crucified- 1t is to
be doubted, however, il most people
know why they are superstitious about
these things. They get ideas if they
do certain fool things it will bring
good luck or be an antidote for some
evil portent.
Take the horseshoe, there is not
one in dozen that will pass horse
shoe by. The shoe is carefully picked
up and toted for miles to the home
OF the finder.
There is an old legend that is sup
posed to be the origin of a horseshoe
beng lucky. 1t is told that st. Dus-
tan, who was known for his skill in
making horseshoes. was one day Wis
tied in his snithy by his arch enemy,
the devil The saint recognized the
devil at once, even tho ne was dis
gufsed He seized the devil and tied !
him to the wall in such manner as
- J n "a
since the devil is supposed to have
steered clear from any place with
horse hoe in it or near it.
The old belief that when we see
wh.te horse we may expect to see a
1ed-headed girl probably is due to the
Interpretation that artists have made
OF Lady Godiva's ride thru the streets
OF Coventry Artists have always por-
trayed this savior of Coventry with
reddish golden tresses and placed on
a white horse.
Another very common superstition
is that about knocking wood" while
making a boast about your good
health or speaking of some good for
tune that has been yours for some
time. This is done with the idea that
YOUR fortune will not be taken from
you.
Spirits Dwell in Trees.
Now trees have been worshipped
since the dawn of history. Trees are
thought to be the especial dwelling
place of spirits. For this reason. trees
are sacred and have great power to-
ward off evil. Sacrifices were made
to the deities of the trees, and it was
the main idea of our primitive fore
fathers to keep these spirits in good
humOr.
To carry a piece of wood. a little
twig, or any part of a tree, insured
a certain amount of success, good for
tune and safety. After awhile the
wearing of the wood was not deemed
necessary. In fact, men forgoH the
spirits, but the satredness of the tree
still remained and it needed only to
be touched to bring good luck.
Black cats may bring either bad
luck or good luck, according to your
own notion. There are some people
who believe that if a black cat crosses