A Dictionary of Superstitions

by Iona Opie (Editor), Moira Tatem (Editor)

Is it good or bad luck to mention a pig to a fisherman? What does it portend when you break a double-yolked egg? How many frogs do you need to cure whooping cough?
Ranging from the familiar to the bizarre, and including everything from spells and omens to rituals and taboos, this delightfully informative dictionary covers a wide array of popular superstitions, touching on virtually every aspect of human culture. They embrace family life and the lore of
farmers, sailors, miners, and actors; offer advice on the signs to observe when contemplating a journey or a marriage; reveal the significance of animals, plants, stones, colors, food and drink, the elements, and heavenly bodies; and outline the precautions to be taken after a death in the house or
during a thunderstorm. Each entry is arranged alphabetically according to its central idea or object, and illustrated with a selection of chronologically ordered quotations that indicate the history and development of each belief.
Superstitions have never before been treated in such depth or on such a scale. An entertaining volume for anyone curious about the beliefs of the past, A Dictionary of Superstitions also makes a valuable contribution to the study of folklore, providing the first systematic account of beliefs
that form an integral part of our social life.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Folklore, Mythology, Occult, Dictionaries, Paranormal

510 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Iona Margaret Balfour Archibald was born in Colchester, Essex, England. She was a researcher and writer on folklore and children's street culture. She is considered an authority on children's rhymes, street and playground games and the Mother Goose tradition. She was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 1998 and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999.

The couple met during World War II and married on 2 September 1943. The couple worked together closely, from their home near Farnham, Surrey, conducting primary fieldwork, library research, and interviews of thousands of children. In pursuing the folklore of contemporary childhood they directly recorded rhymes and games in real time as they were being sung, chanted, or played. Working from their home in Alton, Hampshire they collaborated on several celebrated books and produced over 30 works. The couple were jointly awarded the Coote Lake Medal in 1960. The medal is awarded by The Folklore Society "for outstanding research and scholarship".

Speaking in 2010, Iona speaks of working with her husband as being "like two of us in a very small boat and each had an oar and we were trying to row across the Atlantic." and that "[W]e would never discuss ideas verbally except very late at night."

Iona Opie died in 2017.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive and thorough information - authoritative and carefully researched, as one would expect from Oxford University Press. It's a reference book that will settle any argument about the derivation and use of superstitions.

[Genean]

This book reads like few others. Long held superstitions based on various subjects are sourced back to their further most quotes and reflected upon. Some of the explanations are eye opening yet many help when unravelling such things as 'nonsense poems'. This is not to be mistaken for a symbols dictionary. For all the wives tales told in the past there are some that resonate with our current sense of expression. This book is for those interested in that derivation.

[Jeff Beland · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite reference books for superstitions.

[Dannye Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

My parents gave me this book when I was young and I have used it so many times for writing stories and more recently, blog posts.

[Sammich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot about where most if not all superstitions stem from. I also learned about how crazy the world is. Did you know that if you have a latern on your dinner table then you're dooming your cattle to die?

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