Superstition

Smithereens

Has anyone heard of the superstition, that you're not supposed to take items from ruins (you know, all the abandoned houses in Ireland) because the souls of the people who used to live there still dwell there?

Talliesin

There are places of power throughout the world, and places with genii loci, and taking stuff from them is a bad idea, not to mention disrespectful. Not what I'd call a superstition.

Smithereens

Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on taking anything, I had just never heard of this superstition before...

we used to play in the old ruins as children and used the old pots and pans to play with, but we always left them there.

Talliesin

Well, that would depend on the ruin anyway. If the ruin has no power, resident spirits and isn't of interest to the sidhe then it won't matter. (And it's not a superstition if it's consistent with your worldview).

Nevyn

Many superstitions are things you don't do for certain reasons.
Somewhere along the line the reasons get forgotten lost or confused or
seen as less valid or real.

This I have never heard of as a superstition but just as a common sense thing
to do like dont run with siccors.

stevenmu

Some people believe that a persons energy can be imprinted on their possesions, and that if they do remain around as a ghost they will be drawn back to that energy signature. I'm not sure if I explained that correctly but you know what I mean. That could be one explanation.

Another could be that it was simply a way for parents to keep kids away from ruins, I've no idea whether they were afraid of the spirits that may remain there or just afraid of collapsing walls, stairways etc or more likely a mix of both.

I've have heard of the idea, but my own parents would have explained to me as just not being very nice, how would I like it if someone took my stuff after I died etc. Unfortunatly I never got anywhere near the really interesting ruins with collapsing walls etc

LostinBlanch

Ná Déan Nós nó ná bris nós. Don't break a custom (superstition) or don't make a custom.

Good advice methinks

Capt'n Midnight

Sounds like something put about to stop graverobbing or taking stuff before the family arrived. Or maybe just guilt. Anyway it's unlucky to be superstitious.

In China in the past (I read it in a novel so it must be true) pesants used to leave seeds in sealed up houses when they went off to scavage during famines and woe betide anyone who broke in to get the food there.

judi

well i am very superstitous to say the least! but this i have never heard. i would imagine that as mentiond before in one of the posts if there are energies from spirits linked to the items it would be a bad idea to have them in your possesion as the spirt will return to its link....

stevenmu

Actually a pretty well known example of this would be the various curses put on the tombs of the pharaohs in Egypt. Possibly the most well known is The Curse of Tutankhamun . Of course most people dismiss these curses as an attempt to keep away grave robbers, but lot's of people involved with the digs have died prematurely and in strange circumstances. :eek:

Smithereens

Sorry for not answering prevoiusly. I am a very superstiotious person (without being a true believer of the paranormal - which is probably quite contradictory...) but I hadn't heard that one before.

I would see it as common sense /good manners but as to it being a superstition, that's something I had never heard before, so I was just wondering if it was commonly know as one.

Talliesin

Smithereens wrote:

I am a very superstiotious person (without being a true believer of the paranormal - which is probably quite contradictory...)

That's not contradictory at all, a superstition is a belief you act upon, even though it goes beyond or contrary to the beliefs you hold or claim to hold.

E.g. It's not superstitious for me to leave out milk and whiskey for the fairies, because I believe in them. It is superstitious to do so if you don't (though, you might also do so simply because it's traditional).