Description

This collection investigates the origins of our most intriguing oldfashioned superstitions many of which we still find ourselves abiding by today Hundreds of the beliefs passed down through the generations have their foundations in our ancestors efforts to ward off evil which they blamed for hardship illness and injustice in times when life was as often as not nasty brutish and short Black Cats and Evil Eyes sets these superstitions in their historical and social context explaining how fear of the Devil demons evil spirits and witchcraft drove people to arm themselves with rituals and talismans to repel dark forces and allow them to live long and healthy lives In examining many of our common superstitions this book illuminates the customs beliefs and practices that link us to an ancient and often darker human past