Slippery Slope

I'm becoming a little too obsessed with "Deadliest Catch", and should probably get a grip.

But there is a marathon Memorial Day weekend.

So I won't.

(Get a grip.)

Divination: Scrying/Crystalomancy

From dictionary.com:

scry
intr.v. scried, scry-ing, scries.
To see or predict the future by means of a crystal ball.

We're all familiar with the image of a fortune-teller gazing into their crystal ball, but scrying goes further back than sideshow acts and shady back rooms.

Staring into any clear or reflective surface (including water) in the hopes of inspiring a vision goes back to ancient Egypt, Persia, and Greece. Celtic Druids used crystals, and may have been the first to use them exclusively.

In all these cultures, the seers were not watching for visions to occur in the surface--everyone knew and acknowledged that any prophecies originated in the mind of the seer. The object of their gaze was merely helpful in producing a meditative or trance-like state that encouraged the prophetic visions to form in the gazer's mind.

The Romans were among the first known to prefer gazing upon polished quartz crystals, and the ubiquitous "crystal ball" made its first appearance in Medieval Europe.

Today, the High Lamas of Tibet spend time gazing at their holy lake of Lhamo Latso in order to divine the location of the current incarnation of the Dalai Lama. And of course, less spiritually-minded "seers" can be hired in major western cities for a fee.

Divination

Throughout recorded history, individuals and governments have tried to hedge their bets against the unknown through divination. Every culture has used divination in one form or another.

We know that over 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia, priests were using astrology to predict events. Other forms of divination in that ancient culture included the interpretation of omens and the studying of shapes that formed when oil was poured into water.

The ancient Chinese were also interested in omens, and emperors had scores of scribes keeping track of possible omens such as strange births and weather patterns. Some seers would study cracked eggshells for clues about future events. Reading tea leaves, or tasseomancy, originated in China around the 6th century C.E., and moved on to Europe in the 1750s.

The Romans had official bird watchers to keep track of birds' movements. The thought behind this practice was that birds were the closest (in proximity) living things to the gods, and their behavior could help clue the humans in to the gods' happiness or lack thereof. Romans also studied the livers of sacrificed animals to look for signs about the future.

Whether it was ancient Egyptians looking over human entrails for clues, or Celts watching sacred white horses' movements, humans have had no shortage of ways to "see" the future.

About once a week, I'll be posting more information on some common methods of divination and their histories. You can't wait!

*Other People's Stuff: Tinsel and Balls and Stockings

I don't know if it's even worth going to the trouble of writing anything this week...surely y'all have better things to do than show up here?

I will post Lyrical Pursuit, anyway.

In the meantime, here is a link about the history/origins of tinsel and glass ball ornaments. And here is a link about Christmas stockings.

*Candy Canes: Why?

There are some who believe the candy cane is chock full of religious symbolism. As the legend goes, a candymaker wanted to produce a special Christmas candy. He made a "J" shape for Jesus's first initial...chose the color white to symbolize His purity...and entwined the white with red to symbolize the blood He shed for humanity's salvation.

All of this is pretty much bunk.

The original candy canes were all white and stick-straight. Red coloring is a fairly new addition, and the origin of the bend in the stick is up for debate. One tale says that a priest had them bent into the shape of a shepherd's staff and then handed them out to children in his church.

The more likely explanation is that the hook makes candy canes easy to hang from Christmas tree branches. Marketing probably came up with the change in shape to take advantage of seasonal sale possibilities. But that's not as much fun to tell people, is it?

*Christmas Trees: Why?

Supposedly, Saint Boniface started the tradition of the Christmas tree.

While converting Germanic tribes to Christianity, he chopped down the Oak of Thor in order to prove that the old gods were powerless in the face of the Christian God. The Oak of Thor had a fir tree growing in its roots, and Boniface seized upon this new tree growing in the old tree as a symbol for Christianity.

"This humble tree's wood is used to build your homes: let Christ be at the center of your households. Its leaves remain evergreen in the darkest days: let Christ be your constant light. Its boughs reach out to embrace and its top points to heaven: let Christ be your Comfort and Guide".

*Superstitions: Friday the 13th

Fridays themselves have been considered an unlucky day since medieval times. This is because the Catholic Church promoted Fridays as a day of penance and abstinence in honor of Jesus Christ, who died on a Friday. Friday is associated with other bad events: it is supposedly the day Eve offered an apple to Adam, the customary day for public executions to be held, and the day witches were supposed to prefer to hold their gatherings.

Any connection of the bad luck associated with Fridays to the bad luck associated with the number 13 was not documented until the 1870s. The fear of Friday the 13th did not even become widespread until the 20th Century.

Today, the anxiety about Friday the 13th has eclipsed the idea that all Fridays are unlucky, which is nice, because I like my Fridays a lot. It’d be too bad if they were all unlucky!

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

*Superstitions--Gold Earrings

Ever wonder why the stereotypical buccaneer sports a gold hoop or two?

It's partly because of an old sailors' superstition that gold earrings will prevent one from drowning. The reasons for this are unknown, but probably relate in some way to the value of gold and the fact that having some is a bit lucky in and of itself.

The other part of the equation is the belief that gold can help improve eyesight--even if the gold is located in the ear. Figure that one out. But rubbing gold across the eyelid will supposedly cure a stye, and it can also clear up vision problems of other sorts. Perhaps by paying off the optometrist?

Good vision is not a bad thing to have when one is at sea...and not drowning is pretty good, too. Hence the gold earrings.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Christina Hole's The Encyclopedia of Superstitions.

*Superstitions: Rabbits' Feet

Carrying a hare's or rabbit's foot for medicinal purposes predates carrying one for luck by nearly a thousand years.

The feet were supposed cures for anything from arthritis to colic to cramps. Pliny (Elder) wrote, "Gouty pains are alleviated by a hare’s foot, cut off from the living animal, if the patient carries it about continuously on the person.”

The transition from medical charm to lucky charm apparently occurred in the United States, with Great Britain and other countries borrowing the superstition from Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries.

So why would a rabbit's foot be lucky? It seems that the idea comes from the rabbits' fertility, which translates into prosperity and abundance for the owner of a rabbit's foot.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

*Superstitions: Gesundheit!

(Click to enlarge.)

Saying “God bless you” or “Gesundheit” in response to someone’s sneezing is extremely common throughout Europe and America. “Gesundheit” simply means “health”, and a post-sneeze wish for good health is found even in the writings of Pliny the Elder.

This early mention of the practice disproves the widespread belief that “God bless you” originated during the 17th Century Plague, when sneezing was supposedly a symptom. The earliest reference in England dates to 1483; also well before the Great Plague.

Superstitions around sneezing probably originated with the earliest people, who may have thought this little explosion in the head was some sort of sign from the gods. Some people still believe that sneezing leads to a temporary deprivation of the soul, with “God bless you” returning the soul to the body.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin guide to the superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

*Superstitions: Crossing Your Fingers

Crossing your fingers can give you good luck, ward off bad luck (like, say, when you have to walk under a ladder), and protect you from the consequences of a lie.

This practice is seen in America, Britain, and some parts of Scandinavia. The earliest reference found dates only from 1890, so it is surprisingly new. Before this, it was more common to clench the thumb with the fingers

So why cross your fingers at all? Once again, we can look to Christianity for the origins of this one: some people believe crossing your fingers makes the sign of the crucifix, which of course has the power to ward off evil.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

*Superstitions: Walking Under Ladders

Cross-posted at DDBBG.

Daredevil!

The superstition that walking under ladders is bad luck is fairly widespread. In America and Europe, this belief originated around the late 1700s.

There are a few theories as to the original thought behind this superstition. The first is that a ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle--or trinity--with the ground. Walking through this triangle is disrespectful to God and may show your sympathy to the Devil.

Alternatively, any ladder can represent the ladder used to remove Jesus from the Cross, under which the Devil lurks. You don’t want to go where the Devil hangs out, now do you?

Whatever the origin of the superstition, there is a practical reason not to walk under ladders: you might get hit by something falling from above.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

*Superstitions: Black Cats

Cross-posted at DDBBG.

Americans tend to think of black cats as bad luck, especially if one crosses their path, but the black cat is actually a very popular good-luck symbol in England today. Historically, cats in general have had a mixed bag of luckiness/unluckiness in Europe. In France, cats of any color that were suspected of being witches were caged and set on fire. In Eastern Europe, some cats were marked with crosses to prevent them from turning into witches.

Besides witches, black animals can be associated with other evil spirits. Demons tend to prefer to become black animals--whether cats, dogs, or other creatures. And it is believed that sorcerers often turn themselves into black cats.

The American superstition about black cats is based on the association of black cats with witches, originating in the late 1800s when cartoons and children’s books started pairing the two. Now you can hardly imagine a witch without her black cat keeping her company. Before this, witches in America were usually associated with rabbits and other animals.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

*Jinx! Patriotic-Style

As most of you know, The Star-Spangled Banner didn't become the national anthem until 1931. However, it did make its debut at a baseball game long before that.

When?

In the 1918 World Series.

Some of you may recall that World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox, with the Cubs losing and the Red Sox winning but waiting 86 years to do so again. And the Cubs still waiting...

Hmm.

Reference: The anthemy part comes from Solomon M. Skolnick's American History Pop Quiz.

*Superstitions: Horseshoes

Cross-posted to DDBBG.

In the late 1300s, we see the first British record of a found horseshoe being considered lucky. This belief has been held by pretty much every horseshoe-producing culture, from Scandinavia to Asia. The key was to have a found horseshoe, rather than a new horseshoe, and various degrees of luck were associated with intact nails, number of nail holes, etc.

By the late 1500s, the English were nailing their found horseshoes above their doors to keep the witches at bay. This is probably related to a long-held belief in the power of iron, which protected European people from fairies and other spirits before witches came along.

As we got closer to 1900, horseshoes above the door were less about witches and more for general luckiness. Whether the horseshoe’s ends should face up or down has never been completely resolved. Some people think facing the ends up will keep the luck from falling out of the horseshoe, while others believe facing the ends down will direct all that luckiness to the people walking below it.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in Christina Hole's The Encyclopedia of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

Superstitions: Salt, Garlic, and Silver Bullets

(Cross-posted to DDBBG.)

Salt and garlic have long been used throughout the world for medicinal and preservative purposes, and as a result generally have "lucky" reputations.

For example: if you spill salt, take a pinch and throw it over your left shoulder to avoid bad luck. The earliest record of this practice dates from around 1584; it was seen quite commonly thereafter. Why do people do this? The reasoning is largely unknown. Some people say the Devil whispers in your left ear and the salt will blind him or drive him away. (As for why spilling salt is unlucky in the first place, this is due to salt's historically high value.)

An older salty superstition said that keeping a bag of salt with a baby before baptism guarded the child against witches. This practice arose at least partly because salt was mentioned in the Bible for use in the baptismal ceremony, and was used in pagan ceremonies long before that.

Garlic also has a history of use as a protectant. The protection against vampires sprang from literature. (See: Dracula, 1897.) Before this, however, it was used to protect against witchcraft everywhere from Europe to Asia.

And since we're talking about modern-day monsters, how about silver bullets? Long before they stopped vampires and werewolves, they were believed to be the only thing that could harm a witch who had taken the form of a rabbit or other animal. Silver itself has a long history of being used for luck, because of its value in general. It is supposedly able to withstand enchantment, which is why it can't be deflected by evil beings.

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in David Pickering's Dictionary of Superstitions and Steve Roud's The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

Superstitions: Knock on Wood

(click to enlarge)

This superstition can be traced to the early 1800s, with some people believing it invokes the wood of the crucifix for protection.

The real origin seems to be a children’s game from the early 1800s called “Tig-touch-wood”. Children playing tag were “safe” when they touched wood. Touching wood for luck became knocking on wood for luck in the U.S. and Germany.

(Cross-posted at DDBBG.)

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in Steve Roud's The Penguin guide to the superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

Superstitions: Throwing Rice at the Bride and Groom

Some superstitions may have lost their original meaning, but have become ingrained in cultural behavior. These behaviors are no longer tied to a superstitious belief; throwing rice is one of these behaviors that simply became part of the culture. Of course, now you are more likely to see bubbles, flower petals, or birdseed at a wedding in the United States, but most of us have pelted a bride and groom with rice at one time or another.

The earliest known reference to throwing grains at a wedding occurred when a baker’s wife tossed wheat at Henry VII for good luck in 1486, and it became a widespread practice in England soon thereafter. The switch to rice took place around 1870, probably because rice was cheaper than wheat at the time.

Why throw anything? The Victorians liked to say it was to ensure fertility, but it was generally just to wish the new couple lots of luck, happiness, and prosperity. Using foodstuffs as good luck charms is not confined to weddings. We'll discuss salt and garlic another time.

(Cross-posted at DDBBG.)

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in Steve Roud's The Penguin guide to the superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

Superstitions: The Number 13

The number 13 is thought to be an unlucky number, with some people refusing to live in a house numbered 13 or stay on a hotel floor numbered 13.

Why?

Well, around 1700, the belief that having 13 people at a meal was unlucky was fairly widespread. Therefore, the number 13 must be unlucky because of the Last Supper, right? After all, 13 people participated in that, and one was dead soon thereafter.

But actually, early Christians loved to emulate J.C., and that included organizing themselves into groups of 13. You'd have 12 nuns and their superior, for example, making a group of 13. The number 13 was awesome!

So what happened? A little thing called the Protestant Reformation, actually. During the Reformation, the obsession with groupings of 13 was itself called "superstitious", and the practice was forbidden.

This led to the number 13 immediately having a "bad" connotation that turned into unlucky over the years...becoming its own superstition!

(Cross-posted at The Dangerous and Daring Blog for Boys and Girls.)

Reference: Most of the material from this post was found in Steve Roud's The Penguin guide to the superstitions of Britain and Ireland.

*October 30, 1811

Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility was published on this date anonymously.

Yay, Jane Austen!

*Come Again?

In this little feature on the movie Shopgirl, a line jumped out and smacked me in the face:

"Shopgirl" has some very funny and charming moments. Most of these are provided by Schwartzman, whose part is somewhat of a modern equivalent to Jon Favreau's character in "Swingers"

Modern equivalent? Modern?!

I'm not that freaking old that Swingers is going to show up on Turner Classics, am I? That's a movie from my mid-20s, for Pete's sake.

*Short Music Review

Bon Jovi's Have a Nice Day came out today. Apparently I was not the only one to make a point of buying it, as the cashier said it was a big seller.

I must say this is their most palatable album in years. There are hardly any goofy "Jon songs"...in fact, I don't remember hearing the name of a single glorified criminal. Of course, I'll have to listen again to be absolutely sure. Dr. Phil gets a mention, but it's towards the end, so that's okay.

I recommend it.

*Revenge of the Nerds v.2.0

Apparently, a remake is in the works.

In the immortal words of Dudley Dawson, "I say we blow the f---ers up."

*3

One of the gifts I received for my birthday was the ESPN movie "3". Now, I've seen the movie before, of course, but I haven't watched it on DVD yet. The DVD set comes with Dale Earnhardt interviews and racing highlights, and I've been watching those instead.

Let me tell you...I am one of those people who still misses that black car on race days. And watching the shortened races they have on the DVD has been nice. In each of the races there is a black number 3 car. Just like there oughta be.

I have several old videotaped Daytona races that are collecting dust, but I just might have to pull one or two out for a look-see one of these days.

"The only thing worse than seeing the number 3 in your rearview mirror is not seeing the number 3 at all."

Indeed.

August 3, 1977

Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80.

I seem to remember playing Pong with it, but maybe the Atari and computer were just hooked up to the same monitor.

I played a lot of Pong.

If I had it now, I'd probably be playing it instead of typing this.

August 2

Happy birthday, Kevin Smith.

(How can you not like a guy who protests his own movie?)

July 27, 1940

Happy Birthday, Doc.

July 25, 1999

On this date, Lance Armstrong became the first American team cyclist to win the Tour de France.

July 20, 1869

Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad was published, detailing his journey to Europe and the Holy Land.

July 18, 1870

On this date, the Vatican Council proclaimed papal infallibility in matters of faith and morality.

Later, this would bite them in the butt, as seen in the 1999 documentary "Dogma".

*June 6, 1892

On this date, Benjamin Harrison watched the Washington Senators beat the Cincinnati Reds. He was the first sitting president to attend a major-league baseball game.

*May 28, 1985

In response to the abomination that was New Coke, a group called "Old Coca-Cola Drinkers of America" was formed. The organization would not rest until Coca-Cola brought back "Classic Coke" on July 11.

*May 25, 1977

On this date, Star Wars made its debut. And it happened to be Frank Oz's 33rd birthday.

*Remembering Johnny

From Live From New York, Victoria Jackson talks about an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. She had auditioned for Saturday Night Live, and didn't feel it went well, since Lorne Michaels told her she wasn't strong in character-acting. So Victoria asked the Tonight Show staff if she could do characters on her appearance to continue her SNL audition. She was given their blessing to do so:

So I sat next to Johnny Carson and I told him I was auditioning for a show and I had to do characters and I said, "Let me do them for you, and if you can guess who I'm doing, then I'm doing it good, right?" He goes, okay. So I went, "Oh, oh, Archie! I'm sor-ree!" And he goes, "Edith Bunker." And I go, yeah. And the audience claps. And I go, "I don't know why I'm here. Just go to a commercial. I don't have anything to say. I don't know why I'm here." And Johnny says, "Teri Garr!" And I go, yeah. And then I went, "What's love got to do, got to do with it." And I danced, you know. And he goes, "Tina Turner." And I go, yeah. And so then I was smoking a cigarette. And he goes, "I don't know, Bette Davis?" And I go, no. And he goes, "Who is it?" And I go, "I made her up." And then Johnny laughed so hard. The audience laughed too. And then he goes, "If you made it up, how am I supposed to guess who it is?" And I go, "Oh, I don't know. I'm supposed to make up characters in this show, you know."

A week later, thanks to her appearance with Carson, Victoria Jackson was hired by Lorne Michaels.

*Goodnight, Johnny

Johnny Carson died. Judging from that profile, they've had the story ready to go for awhile. I can't decide if that's morbid or just good planning.

Anyway, I remember sneaking to stay up late to watch The Tonight Show when particularly exciting guests were booked for the weekdays. After Johnny retired, I followed Dave to CBS and only on very rare occasions saw glimpses of The Tonight Show again. (Can't stand Jay Leno.)

Laurence has his take:

I bet that Jay Leno had him killed for sending jokes to David Letterman.

Funny, funny stuff.

*The Windy City

As a former Chicago suburbanite, imagine my relief to find out Chicago's nickname wasn't bestowed by a dreadful New Yorker after all!

*And I Ain't Just Whistlin' Dixie

This last election season, there was some press about various singers and songwriters upset about their songs being used politically. This sort of thing was nothing new, as Daniel Emmett could attest.

Emmett wrote three songs you might recognize: "Jimmy Crack Corn", "Old Dan Tucker", and "Dixie's Land".

Emmett wrote "Dixie" in 1859 in New York City. The song quickly became a hit and spread throughout the country. Two years later, it was played at the inauguration of Jefferson Davis and became a Confederate Army marching song.

Emmett--a Union loyalist--was horrified that the South had appropriated his song: "If I'd known to what use they were going to put my song, I'll be damned if I'd have written it."

After General Lee surrendered, President Lincoln asked a band to play one of his favorite songs. Guess which one.

*Wisconsin

I love Wisconsin. After all, I was born there. I have gazillions of relatives living there. I try to visit at least once a year.

From what I understand (you can't prove I'm watching the cable news channels), Wisconsin is getting a lot of airtime in the news right now.

So in the extended, something my daddy (also a native Wisconsinite) forwarded to me today that Wisconsin types may appreciate. (That's you, Harvey.)

Jeff Foxworthy on Wisconsin

If you consider it a sport to gather your food
by drilling through 18 inches of ice and sitting there all
day hoping that the food will swim by, you might live in
Wisconsin.

If you have ever refused to buy something
because it's "too spendy",you might live in Wisconsin.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through
March, you might live in Wisconsin.

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for five months out of
the year, you might live in Wisconsin.

If someone in a store offers you assistance, and
they don't work there, you might live in Wisconsin.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle
of his forehead, you might live in Wisconsin.

If you may not have actually eaten it, but you
have heard of Lutefisk, you might live in Wisconsin.

If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same
time, you might live in Wisconsin.

If you have either a pet or a child named
"Brett", you might live in Wisconsin.

If your town has an equal number of bars and
churches, you might live in Wisconsin.

If you have had a lengthy telephone conversation
with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in
Wisconsin.

If you know how to say Oconomowoc, Waukesha,
Menomonie & Manitowoc, you might live in Wisconsin.

If you think that ketchup is a little too spicy, you might live in Wisconsin.

If every time you see moonlight on a lake, you think of a dancing
bear,and you sing gently, "From the land of sky-blue
waters, ....you might live in Wisconsin.

Series II. YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE WISCONSINITE WHEN:

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

2. "Vacation" means going up north past Hwy 8 for the weekend.

3. You measure distance in hours.

4. You know several people who have hit deer more than once.

5. You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and
back again.

6. Your whole family wears Packer Green to church on Sunday.

7. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging
blizzard, without flinching.

8. You see people wearing camouflage at social events. (including
weddings)

9. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

10. You think of the major food groups as beer, fish, and venison.

11. You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend
knows how to use them.

12. There are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at Mill's
Fleet Farm at any given time.

13. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled
with snow.

15. You refer to the Packers as "we."

16. You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and
road construction.

17. You can identify a southern or eastern accent.

18. You have no problem pronouncing Lac Du Flambeau.

19. You consider Minneapolis exotic.

20. You know how to polka.

21. Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to
your blue spruce.

22. You were unaware that there is a legal drinking age.

23. Down South to you means Iowa.

24. A brat is something you eat.

25. Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new pole shed.

26. You go out to fish fry every Friday

27. Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

28. You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

29. You find 0 degrees "a little chilly."

30. You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to
all your Wisconsin friends.

*Random Halloween Treats

Halloween is coming up fast, so here are a few assorted Halloweenish tidbits for you.

Since the seventh century, November 1 has been All Saint's Day in Europe. It was originally called All Hallow's Day, and October 31 was All Hallow's Eve. The Druids believed that on Halloween, the Lord of the Dead (Saman), would summon the souls of those who had died in the previous year. These souls would plot mischief against the people who would honor the saints the next day, taking the form of grotesque animals demanding gifts and threatening harm to those who refused. Trick-or-treaters are pretending to be one of Saman's resurrected souls.

The color black symbolizes mourning because our white ancestors believed ghosts would be hanging out at funerals, looking for a living body to invade. They would hide from the ghosts by painting their skin black...later, black clothing replaced the paint.

In very early times, tombstones were laid onto a grave to weigh down the soil and keep the spirit from escaping. In later years they considered the spirit escaping less of a risk, and tombstones were erected upright to alert passersby not to step on the grave and subsequently be defiled by the impure spirit held within.

A story from the 1560s might be the source of the black cat's reputation as unlucky. As it is told, a father and son were walking along a road in Lincolnshire when they were startled by a small, dark animal running across their path. They pelted it with stones and followed it to the home of a suspected witch. There they saw that the animal was a black cat. The next day the old woman had a bandaged arm, bruises, and a limp. The townspeople concluded the cat had been the witch out for a nightly prowl. Afterwards, all bad luck that befell the father and son were attributed to the witch crossing their path as a black cat.

Margaret James of Charlestown, Massachusetts was the first person convicted and executed for witchcraft in America. She was executed June 15, 1648...almost fifty years before the Salem witch trials.

13 is considered an unlucky number by the superstitious. A lot of people think this came from the Last Supper, which had thirteen attendants. This superstition predates Christ, however, and comes from Norse mythology. Balder, the favorite of gods, attended a banquet of 12 gods. An uninvited guest, Loki, arrived and killed Balder.

And now, a bit of a ghost story...
Chicago's Hull House devil baby: It is the stuff of local legend that on a crisp morning in 1913 a crying bundle was discovered on the Hull House stoop -- but the House's ladies recoiled in horror upon unwrapping the infant: the child had every appearance of being Satanically sired. A tail, skin patchy with scales, pointed ears, hands and feet with a cloven appearance -- the baby was a horror to behold. But Jane Addams soon felt her heart melting, and she resolved to care for the child, keeping him away from a world too cruel and too ignorant to tolerate his appearance. To the public, Addams denied the existence of the boy, allegedly keeping him in the attic for his own protection; though the child was never seen outside the walls of Hull-House, there would be many reports of a fearsome face staring down from the window. By all accounts the Devil Baby died young, having never left his attic lair... but passersby still regularly report seeing a terrifying face in the upper windows of Hull-House.

1974 Trivia: Billboard 100

As this is the last day of September, so too will this be the last post of "1974 Trivia" for the year.

I present to you Billboard's Top 100 Singles of 1974:

1 THE WAY WE WERE BARBRA STREISAND
2 SEASONS IN THE SUN TERRY JACKS
3 LOVE'S THEME LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA
4 COME AND GET YOUR LOVE REDBONE
5 DANCING MACHINE JACKSON 5
6 THE LOCO-MOTION GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
7 T.S.O.P. M.F.S.B.
8 THE STREAK RAY STEVENS
9 BENNIE & THE JETS ELTON JOHN
10 ONE HELL OF A WOMAN MAC DAVIS
11 UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME(THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO) ARETHA FRANKLIN
12 JUNGLE BOOGIE KOOL & THE GANG
13 MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS MARIA MULDAUR
14 YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW STYLISTICS
15 SHOW & TELL AL WILSON
16 SPIDERS & SNAKES JIM STAFFORD
17 ROCK ON DAVID ESSEX
18 SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDERS JOHN DENVER
19 SIDESHOW BLUE MAGIC
20 HOOKED ON A FEELING BLUE SWEDE
21 BILLY, DON'T BE A HERO BO DONALDSON & THE HAYWOODS
22 BAND ON THE RUN PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS
23 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL CHARLIE RICH
24 TIME IN A BOTTLE JIM CROCE
25 ANNIE'S SONG JOHN DENVER
26 (YOU'RE) HAVING MY BABY PAUL ANKA
27 LET ME BE THERE OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
28 SUNDOWN GORDON LIGHTFOOT
29 ROCK ME GENTLY ANDY KIM
30 BOOGIE DOWN EDDIE KENDRICKS
31 YOU'RE 16 RINGO STARR
32 IF YOU LOVE ME LET ME KNOW OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
33 DARK LADY CHER
34 THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
35 FEEL LIKE MAKING LOVE ROBERTA FLACK
36 JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LONELY MAIN INGREDIENT
37 NOTHING FROM NOTHING BILLY PRESTON
38 ROCK YOUR BABY GEORGE MCRAE
39 TOP OF THE WORLD CARPENTERS
40 THE JOKER STEVE MILLER BAND
41 I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
42 THE SHOW MUST GO ON THREE DOG NIGHT
43 ROCK THE BOAT HUES CORPORATION
44 SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM BROWNSVILLE STATION
45 LIVING IN THE CITY STEVIE WONDER
46 THEN CAME YOU DIONNE WARWICK & THE SPINNERS
47 THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED PAPER LACE
48 THE ENTERTAINER MARVIN HAMLISCH
49 WATERLOO ABBA
50 THE AIR THAT I BREATHE HOLLIES
51 RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER STEELY DAN
52 MOCKINGBIRD JAMES TAYLOR & CARLY SIMON
53 HELP ME JONI MITCHELL
54 NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP BARRY WHITE
55 YOU WON'T SEE ME ANNE MURRAY
56 TELL ME SOMETHIN' GOOD RUFUS
57 YOU & ME AGAINST THE WORLD HELEN REDDY
58 ROCK & ROLL HEAVEN RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
59 HOLLYWOOD SWINGING KOOL & THE GANG
60 BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU'VE GOT WILLIAM DEVAUGHN
61 HANG ON IN THERE BABY JOHNNY BRISTOL
62 ERES TU(TOUCH THE WIND) MOCEDADAS
63 TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE
64 RADAR LOVE GOLDEN EARRING
65 PLEASE COME TO BOSTON DAVE LOGGINS
66 KEEP ON SMILIN' WET WILLIE
67 LOOKIN' FOR A LOVE BOBBY WOMACK
68 PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER OJ'S
69 ON & ON GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
70 OH VERY YOUNG CAT STEVENS
71 RUBY RED DRESS HELEN REDDY
72 GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD ELTON JOHN
73 I'VE BEEN SEARCHIN' SO LONG CHICAGO
74 OH MY MY RINGO STARR
75 FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY OJ'S
76 I SHOT THE SHERIFF ERIC CLAPTON
77 JET PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS
78 DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME ELTON JOHN
79 TUBULAR BELLS MIKE OLDFIELD
80 THE LOVE SONG ANNE MURRAY
81 I'M LEAVIN' IT ALL UP TO YOU DONNY & MARIE
82 HELLO, IT'S ME TODD RUNDGREN
83 I LOVE TOM T. HALL
84 CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN GUESS WHO
85 THE LORD'S PRAYER SISTER JANET MEADE
86 I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG JIM CROCE
87 TRYIN' TO HOLD ONTO MY WOMAN LAMONT DOZIER
88 DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING STEVIE WONDER
89 VERY SPECIAL LOVE SONG CHARLIE RICH
90 MY GIRL BILL JIM STAFFORD
91 HELEN WHEELS PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS
92 MY MISTAKE(WAS TO LOVE YOU) DIANA ROSS & MARVIN GAYE
93 WILDWOOD WEED JIM STAFFORD
94 BEACH BABY FIRST CLASS
95 ME AND BABY BROTHER WAR
96 ROCK & ROLL BABY STYLISTICS
97 I HONESTLY LOVE YOU OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
98 CALL ON ME CHICAGO
99 WILD THING TROGGS
100 MIGHTY LOVE SPINNERS

*1974 Trivia: TV

Two popular television shows premiered in 1974.

"Happy Days" first aired on January 15.

"Little House on the Prairie" made its debut on September 11.

1974 Trivia: More Books

The Top Ten Nonfiction Books of 1974:

1. How To Be Your Own Best Friend.
2. The Joy of Sex.
3. You Can Profit From a Monetary Crisis.
4. Alistair Cooke's America.
5. Plain Speaking.
6. Times to Remember.
7. In One Era and Out the Other.
8. Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors.
9. All the President's Men.
10. Upstairs at the White House.

1974 Trivia: Nobel Prize

In 1974, a couple of Swedes won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson are fine writers, I'm sure.

But neither of them is my favorite Swedish writer.

1974 Trivia: Baryshnikov

Mikhail Baryshnikov, the Soviet ballet star, defected to Canada.

1974 Trivia: The Oscars

Academy Award Winners:

Best Picture: Godfather 2
Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola, Godfather 2
Best Actor: Art Carney, Harry and Tonto
Best Actress: Ellen Burstyn, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Best Supporting Actor: Robert DeNiro, Godfather 2
Best Supporting Actress: Ingrid Bergman, Murder on the Orient Express

1974 Trivia: In the Nude

Streaking was a strange...er...pasttime.

Ray Stevens even wrote a song about it. "Don't look, Ethel!"

1974 Trivia: Sporting News

Sporting news:

The Miami Dolphins defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl VIII, which was held in Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas.

Muhammed Ali regained the world heavyweight title by knocking George Foreman out in the "Rumble in the Jungle."

The Oakland A's beat the LA Dodgers 4 games to 1 in the World Series.

Frank Robinson of the Cleveland Indians became the MLB's first black manager.

1974 Trivia: Movie Night

The top five movies of 1974:

1. The Towering Inferno, $52,000,000
2. Blazing Saddles, $47,800,000
3. Young Frankenstein, $38,823,000
4. Earthquake, $35,849,994
5. The Trial of Billy Jack, $31,100,000

1974 Trivia: Real Estate

"Condo Fever" was sweeping the nation in 1974. A whopping 40.3% of new housing units being sold in U.S. metropolitan areas were condominiums.

1974 Trivia: Celeb Deaths

Celebrity deaths in 1974:

William "Bud" Abbott (of Abbott and Costello) died on April 24 at age 78.
Jack Benny died on December 27 at age 80.
Edward "Duke" Ellington died on May 24 at age 75.
Cassandra "Mama Cass" Elliot died on July 29 at age 33.
Samuel Goldwyn (of MGM) died on January 31 at age 91.

1974 Trivia: Home Run Kings

Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs fell in 1974 to Hank Aaron.

Aaron hit the record-tying home run on April 4, and on April 8 hit home run 715 to pass the Babe.

1974 Trivia: Bestselling Books

The five bestselling fictional books of 1974:

1. Burr, Gore Vidal.
2. Jaws, Peter Benchley.
3. The Hollow Hills, Mary Stewart.
4. Watership Down, Richard Adams.
5. The Honorary Consul, Graham Greene.

*Hollywood Origins

The weather in California had little to do with it becoming the movie capital of the United States. It was chosen not because of its good weather but because of its proximity to the Mexican border.

In the 1910s the movie industry was based in New York and dominated by the Motion Picture Patents Company. No one could legally make a movie without its permission, and those who tried faced stiff penalties.

The Patents Company's cautious approach to film making spurred some people to leave New York for areas where they could escape prosecution. Some went to Cuba, while others went to Florida and Los Angeles. Cuba had too much disease, Florida was too hot, and before long everyone had moved to Hollywood.

The new movie capital had good weather, cheap labor, and it was close enough to the Mexican border to allow for quick escapes from the law.