The Dictionary of omens & superstitions

by Philippa Waring

The definitive guide to more than 500 portents, signs and customsDo you avoid anything connected with the number thirteen, think it lucky when a black cat crosses your path and unlucky to see the new moon through glass? Belief in superstitions links us with a time when everyday events and objects had magical significance. A treasure trove of fascinating information, A Dictionary of Omens and Superstitions reveals the secrets of hundreds of ancient traditions.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Religion, Folklore, Paranormal, History, Anthropology

Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good source of information. However, I find all such books to give limited definitions. There was no cross reference between phrases and where the definition would be located. I was looking for ringing doorbell. There was no listing for doorbell. There was only a listing for bell. However I found that the one listing was geared more towards outdoor bells such as at a church than the common doorbell.

[Rudy Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started interesting but then became monotonous and dull. Will use as a reference guide if I am writing about a particular superstition but the novelty of the books starts to drop off after the G.

[Rob Slaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

For once this book has nothing to do with a GoodReads giveaway. It is merely a random book picked up from the ether. It's worth noting that I started this one with the intent of reading it straight through. This is fairly unusual for a reference book but since I have recently instituted a policy of reading three books at a time it made some amount of sense. One book in the current reading pile, according to the new scheme, should be easily consumable in tiny interruptable bits. This was that book.

As a book to be read straight through this is fairly unacceptable. It's redundant, unentertaining and pretty poorly organized. To this my diligent reader may say, simply, "duh, it's a dictionary" but it goes beyond that. When I was a child I read the dictionary and it's not all that terrible. There is, at least, a sense of variety. Waring's definitions all have an infuriating sameness to them that makes one grit ones teeth and turn the page with increasing hopeful vigor as time goes on.

However, as a reference work it has its shortcomings as well. Since I've read through the first third of the book in its entirety I can tell you that it is, at times, inappropriately self-referential. If one is going to be using a book by randomly hopping into the middle bits looking up superstitions related to the word "badger" then phrases like "as stated earlier" and "as we said before" are rather nonsensical. It seems clear the book was written in some sort of order which doesn't match up well with the order of use. There is also a problem with organization in that some entries are not sufficiently self-referential. Terms which are typically considered synonymous bear strikingly different information and do NOT refer to each other in any way. So the results of any reference depend at least in part on luck and choosing the exact right word. Lastly, the book is terribly dated. Despite its publication date in 1997, most of the entries appear to date from the 70s.

In summary, this book is going on my shelf for later reference but I'll remember the lack of organization and work a bit harder at using it when its use is required. Not the best dictionary ever but better than nothing.

[What Is Chelle Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: Belief in superstitions links us to a time when everyday events and objects had magical significance, and knowledge of these could change your fate.

I found this in my Amazon recommendations and I’m a sucker for magical things. I love my healing crystals, I believe in the chakras and I believe some superstitions; that being said, there seems to be a superstition about bloody everything!! I have only read a certain amount of this book thus far because I quite honestly think I wouldn’t leave the house again if I read the entire thing in one go!! This book covers every day objects such as cutlery all the way to sneezing and honestly, I’m just not sure I’m ready to live my life in fear just yet!

My plan is to keep diving back in and out of this book for reference on things as time progresses as there is a lot of things listed here which can improve your luck and who doesn’t want that?! If you partake in superstitious beliefs then this is definitely a book for you to have on your shelf for guidance!

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the light touches of humor dispersed throughout the book. Not being a superstitious person, I saw this book as purely entertainment. It is very interesting to me what people are superstitious about and, what they see in omens. Good for a lighthearted read. It is set up in a dictionary form so, if there is a particular thing you are curious about (and it is in the book) it is easy to find.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alphabetical book of various omens and superstitions from around the world. The ones included are mostly European and American, and not all the thoughts about a particular entry are complete. It's just too slim a volume to contain everything.
The book was originally published in 1978, so some things are a little dated, but would be a good resource for research in that time period.

[Hunter Camp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool reference book. Using some of these for some stories coming up.

[Xerxes Breako · Rating 2 out of 5]

" لاتفسير طبيعياً يلوح في السماء ، لامهرب من الطبيعة ، لايوم نقاء ،لارياح مشتركة ، لا حدث مألوفاً.. لكن كل هذه سوف تطيح بقضيته الطبيعية .. سمها شهباً ، معجزات ، علامات ، عوائق ، نذراً .. لكن ألسنة السماء بكل وضوح تشجب الانتقام " بدأت هي الكتاب بهذا الاقتباس من شكسبير وتبعتها بتسائل عن العقل والغريزة وايهم ينتصر ؟ ، قالت ، بان هنالك الكثير من البشر يتجادلون بان العقل هو المنتصر دائماً .. واما الغريزة فيمكن السيطرة عليها ، برأيكم ماهو الصحيح بعيداً عن رأيها الشخصي ؟. احدى التعريفات لمفهوم المعتقدات والخرافات كان للمؤرخ نلسون " الاصل الحقيقي للخرافة موجود في محاولة الانسان الاول لتفسير الطبيعة ووجودها رغبة منه في ارضاء القدر وجلب الحظ واملاً في درء الشرور التي لايدرك ماهيتها وفي محاولة منه لامفر منها لاستطلاع المستقبل " ... * اللي اثار اهتمامي جزئية " تفسير الطبيعة وسبب وجودها " واشوفها منطقيه نوعاً ما تبعاً لمستوى التفكير في العصور السابقة . ، نقطة واحدة ماحببتها في البداية بان توجه الكتاب محدد في ثلاث انواع من الخرافات الا وهي : ١- الفكرة التعلقة بحصول حظ سيء لفعل ما . ٢- القيام بطقس من شأنه انه يتمخض عن نتائج مرغوبة . ٣- قراءة الفأل للمستقبل . ، الكتاب مارح يضيف لك شيء الا ثقافة عامه عن الخزعبلات في العالم .. بيفيدك فقط في حالة لو كنت روائي يفكر بااقتباس بعض الخرافات التي اشتهرت في وقت ما او مدينه ما .. بيكون مرجع لطيف وقتها لك .. غير هالشيء لاتفكر انك بتستفيد الا انك تضيع وقتك بشيء لطيف بيضحكك في وقت ويثير استغرابك في وقت ثاني .. وتنتهي بحقيقه ان البشر مخلوقات لاتمل منها ولو آثاروا غضبك واشمئزازك .

[Shahed Ghazo · Rating 2 out of 5]

كتاب يبين لك مدى الجهل الذي كانت تعانيه الامم السابقة؛ومع الاسف بقيت بعض الخرافات إلى يومنا الحالي
كثير من الخرافات تنافي المنطق والاخر ينافي الدين لكون معظمها يتعلق بالشعائر المسيحية .
جميلة فكرة ان يسرد الكتاب هذا الكم من الخرافات ولكن بعد فترة معينة يبدأ القارئ بالشعور بالملل؛ناهيك ان بعض الاشياء نحن لا نعرف ما هي اصلا!

[Jeff Beland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good and fun to read whether you're interested in superstitions or a little bit of trivia. I read straight through it a few years ago and now I pull it off myself along with my other superstition reference books when I'm interested in a superstition or just want something fun to read.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been interested in omens and superstitions. This is a very good book containing a lot of different omens and superstitions.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I flip through this from time to time. It's interesting to read about all the strange things people are superstitious about.

[Laila Audi · Rating 2 out of 5]

i think that this book is an amazing book that the tittle of it show what inside.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book for years it is a fun reference guide . Some of the omens and superstitions i have never heard of until I found this book , great book !!

[Ladyacct · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting reading set up like a dictionary in alphabetical order, and wrote with small bits of humor.