ENGLISH LITERATURE

CHAPTER : SUPERSTITIONS
SHORT QUESTIONS

Q1. What are superstitions?

Ans : Superstitions are beliefs that particular events happen

in a way that cannot be explained by reason or science.

Q2. What has cast a doubt on superstitious beliefs?

Ans : Rational thoughts and advance of science have cast

doubt on superstitious beliefs.

Q3. What does mascot mean? Why do people carry mascots?

Ans : The word 'mascot' comes from the French word 'masco'
which means 'sorcerer'.

People carry mascots because they have magical powers.

They bring good luck and keep evil spirits away.
Q4. From which word is 'Talisman' derived and what does it
mean?

Ans: 'Talisman' is derived from the Greek word 'telesma'

meaning 'mystery'.

Q5. Why are amulets worn by people? Why are amulets

strange and unpleasant to look at?

Ans : Amulets are worn to protect the wearer from the evil
eye.

Strange and unpleasant objects were chosen as amulets so

that the evil eye would look away in disgust.

Q6. How are cats treated differently in ancient Egypt and

medieval Europe?

Ans : In ancient Egypt, cats were often carved on to amulets

because they were regarded as auspicious and sacred. On
the other hand , in medieval Europe, cats were associated
with witches and were thought to be harbingers of bad luck.
Q7. How are horseshoes associated with the ancient
Greeks?

Ans: The ancient Greeks considered the horseshoe as a good

luck charm and the tradition of nailing them to the doors
was started by them.

Q8. What tradition did the Roman women follow and why?

Ans : Tha ancient Roman's believed that madness was caused

by the full moon, so Roman women wore crescent symbols
on their shoes to protect themselves.

Q9. What happened when William of Normandy set foot in

England? What effect did this have on his army?

Ans : When William of Normandy set foot on English soil, he

stumbled and fell.

His army saw this as a bad omen indicating that they would
lose the battle.
Q10. How did William of Normandy turn this incident (of
falling) into something positive ? What aspect of his nature
does this show?

Ans : When William of Normandy first set foot on English soil

, he stumbled and fell. His army saw this as a bad omen
indicating that they would lose the battle. But William had
great presence of mind. He said " Thus I seize the land with
both my hands," turning this incident into a sign of good
fortune. He did this to boost the morale of his soldiers who
had lost all hopes of winning the battle.

This tells us that William of Normandy was a man who had

great self control during stressful conditions. He had the
ability to act constructively in the time of crisis. He was a man
with positive attitude because he boosted the morale of his
soldiers when they had no faith in themselves.

Q11. Why is a black cat crossing ones path considered a

confusing omen?

Ans : A black cat crossing one's path was considered a

confusing omen because most people consider it as being
unlucky whereas a select few consider it to be a sign of
favourable luck.
Q12. What were the superstitious beliefs if one sighted a
goat or a flock of sheep?

Ans: Sighting a goat is said to bring wealth, and good luck is

said to follow if one sees a flock of sheep when staring out on
a journey.

Q13. What was one supposed to do if he was caught

whistling in the dressing room of a theatre?

Ans : In the theatrical arena, whistling in the dressing room

was considered bad luck. To counter the ill effects of this bad
omen, the person must go out of the room, turn around
three times and then knock on the door for permission to
come back inside.

Q14. How do theatre personalities wish each other good

luck?

Ans: The traditional good luck saying was 'Break a leg'.

Q15. What is the rational explanation that some non-

believers have given about not walking under a ladder?
Ans : Non believers think that walking under a ladder involves
the danger of a pot of paint or bucket of water falling on
one's head.

Q16. In which country was thirteen considered to be an

unlucky number? Why was thirteen considered to be an
unlucky number?

Ans : The number thirteen was considered unlucky in ancient

Scandinavia.

The number thirteen was believed to be unlucky due to the

mythological legend of the twelve demigods being joined by
an evil thirteenth demigod who brought misfortune upon
man.

Q17. What is the practice in the Savoy hotel in London?

Ans : In the Savoy hotel in London, a stuffed black cat is

placed on the table to act as the fourteenth person if there
are only thirteen guests.

Q18. Which day is particularly said to be an unfortunate

day?
Ans : If the thirteenth day of the month happens to be a
Friday, it is regarded by many to be an unfortunate day.

Q19. How did the practice of blessing a person when he

sneezed come about?

Ans : During the Great Plague of Europe in 1665, the Pope

passed a law requiring people to bless the person who
sneezed because it was a sign that they would die soon. From
then onwards it became customary to bless a person when
they sneeze.

Q20. Why did people knock on wood thrice? What was the
superstition behind this practice?

Ans : People knocked on wood thrice for good luck .

It was believed that good spirits lived in trees and that by

knocking on anything made of wood, one could call upon
these spirits for protection against misfortune.

Q21. Why do people still blindly believe in superstitions

despite the fact that they are not scientifically proven ?
Ans : People still believe in superstitions though they have
not been scientifically proven because they are attracted to
the mystery behind it and also because it enables them to
take part in the a world of make - believe.

Q22. Why is keeping one's fingers crossed the most widely

used superstition?

Ans : It is used as a safeguard to prevent evil spirits from

destroying one's chances of good fortune.