It is Friday 13th, or Black Friday, this week and superstition will mean that some people avoid travelling, moving house or buying lottery tickets on the day.
Our homes often display talismans and protective objects such as religious icons – the cross of Christianity, statues of the Buddha, spirit houses and altars – while others might have an innocent-looking Jade bush at the front door to protect and bring wealth to the household.
In fact, if you look closely at 18th and 19th century Australian architecture you might find more there than meets the eye. Apart from the finials on the rooftops, renovations of colonial buildings have turned up evidence that early settlers brought with them a strong belief in folk magic and witchcraft.
Several years ago, a child’s shoe was found in the attic of a terrace house built in The Rocks in Sydney around 1830 – seemingly an ordinary occurrence, but one which historian and Old Houses expert Ian Evans claims is typical of the ritual objects used to protect homes in that period of Australia’s history.
‘Ritual objects’ of this type are typically found in the weak points of the building, the points where witches and evil spirits could gain access – the most likely being the chimney. In fact, a boot was found in the chimney of a house in Mudgee, while three turned up in the chimney of a house in Hobart, built around 1850.
These precautions seem fairly extreme, and it’s hard to imagine doing it these days. So, what other measures do 21st Century homeowners take to cleanse and protect their households from evil spirits, or to bring good luck and prosperity?
Some hang horseshoes over their doors to guard against misfortune and unwelcome visitors (if you want to try this one, folklore warns it should be hung pointed upwards to keep the luck from running out).
For thousands of years, bells have been symbolic with warding off evil influences and the announcement of good will. Their ringing functioned as a protective means of driving away evil forces, even if it was only to warn of impending attackers.
Bells were hung in doorways to protect the household from the evil spirits which loitered around the door waiting for an opportunity to slip inside. When visitors rang the bell, the spirits would be driven away so it was safe to pass inside – which has been touted as the likely origin of the modern doorbell.
Tassels or fringes have long been used in most cultures as protective devices, because they confuse and distract evil or negative entities. This may be why curtains were traditionally held back with tasselled cords, since the window is a point of vulnerability in the house.
Nowadays, we’re just as likely to install security cameras and lights, but it’s still just a form of protection against the unknown.
Either way, it is a practice that has been with mankind for a long time, and looks likely to continue, regardless of how sophisticated and technologically advanced our society becomes.
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