Bad luck charm (gift)

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In the case of supposedly bad luck gifts, the "symbolic purchase" often applies - the exchange for a low-value coin, such as a coin. As a penny  - as a defense of superstition .

An unlucky gift is understood to be an object given to which certain people attribute unlucky powers. This kind of superstition is found in many cultures. As with the general bad luck charms rooted in popular belief , an appropriate antidote is often presented for the allegedly "dangerous" gifts affected .

Some of the gifts that are considered bad luck include knives , an empty wallet , pearl necklaces or shoes . They are not to be confused with a so-called Danaer gift , which actually turns out to be disastrous or harmful for the recipient.

background

Giving is one of the more friendly aspects of our life, says cultural sociologist Gerhard Schmied in his standard work, Schenken, first published in 1996 . About some form of social action . With reference to Georg Simmel , the founder of cultural sociology , Schmied classifies the “gift” as an “external form of interaction that is directly linked to the question of ownership ” and describes “ altruism ” as a motif corresponding to this form . Meanwhile, Schmied also deals with the "dark side of giving" and describes, among other things, "dangerous [...] gifts" in which superstition plays a role. Superstition knows a lot about giving, according to Schmied, and gifts can then bring " luck " - but superstition knows even more about "the dangers that lurk in the gift".

Superstition - the “ belief in the effectiveness of supernatural forces in certain people and things, which is viewed as erroneous ” - can be found in the lives and actions of people in all cultures and times. There are such ideas, among other things, in culturally generally recognized collective thought patterns and rites, for example here specifically in the belief in unfortunate gifts.

With such gifts, the "symbolic purchase" - the exchange for a low-value coin, such as a cent , penny or black horse  - is often seen as a defense against superstition.

Examples

Knives or other cutting tools

A typical Swiss Army Knife  - The sales packaging of such diameter of Victorinox and Wenger previously contained a one-centime coin .

An old and widespread superstition is that if you give away a knife or scissors or some other cutting tool , the “bond of friendship ” is cut . If the person receiving the gift is superstitious, he or she can save the friendship by giving the giver a piece of money. With a coin, no matter how small its value, the symbolic purchase is, so to speak, "sealed". The rule is that the donor should not refuse the coin.

This superstition has spread from Asia to Russia and Europe to the USA and can also be found in other countries around the world. As a variant, a knife gift not only cuts friendships, but also business relationships end unsuccessfully after a knife as a guest gift or love is cut in wedding couples. According to another myth , the recipient will cut himself with the knife, which also applies to scissors that are given away. With pocket knives it is said that whoever opened it has to close it again. Otherwise the friendship will also be cut if another person folds the open pocket knife.

The origin of the centuries-old superstition is unknown. Meanwhile, knives as one of the first tools and at the same time weapon were and are surrounded by their own myth (“Knives have always ensured survival”) and film characters like “ Rambo ” or “ Crocodile Dundee ” became film heroes, not least because of their knives. Jacob Grimm noted in his German Mythology , Volume 3, first published in 1835 , as an “excerpt from recent collections”, the following superstition from the Chemnitz rock philosophy: “The groom should not give his loved one a knife or scissors, otherwise love will be cut up”. In various more recent publications on etiquette in the sense of " etiquette " there is usually also a reference to the superstition that a knife gift threatens to cut the friendship.

Fortunately, there is a defense against any superstition, which is also similar to the gift of a knife in the form of a “symbolic purchase” all over the world: According to Anglo-American tradition, a penny is glued directly onto the blade; elsewhere a coin such as for example, a cent is added or enclosed in the packaging. Some time ago, for example, the Swiss knife manufacturers Victorinox and Wenger added a cent to the knife packaging of their Swiss army knives, which are popular as gifts . The Parker River Knife Company in Newbury, Massachusetts / USA continues to sell its knives (as of 2020) with a penny coin attached. The recipient can "buy" the knife immediately.

The superstitious custom , according to which the impending misfortune when giving away a knife can be averted preventively by a consideration in the form of a small amount of money, concerns not only knife manufacturers, but can also be found recurring in media reports , blogs and internet forums on the subject of "gifts" and "knives." ".

Despite the superstitions, it is considered a great honor in Finland  to receive a puukko - a traditional Finnish belt knife - as a gift, and in the US many parents give their children a knife as a gift at the beginning of adulthood.

Empty wallet

According to a widespread superstition, anyone who is given an empty wallet or wallet remains poor. The giver should therefore always put a lucky cent in the wallet so that the money increases.

Pearl necklaces

As a popular superstition goes, one should not give pearls, as tears flow for every pearl given to the recipient. However, there are many variants of this superstition: In some versions, pearl necklaces are not allowed, while earrings, for example, would be allowed. Or this superstition only occurs in connection with weddings - a wedding dress that has been embroidered with pearls should represent a tearful marriage. In this superstition, no distinction is made between real and fake pearls.

Shoes

According to a superstition, when a woman receives shoes as a present from her boyfriend or partner, it means “she is running away”. The "symbolic purchase" is also used as a defense: If the woman gives the giver a cent in exchange for the shoes, they are considered to be "bought". The woman will therefore not leave her boyfriend.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

Note: Individual references given at the end of paragraphs refer to the entire paragraph before.

  1. ↑ Gerhard Schmied : Giving. About some form of social action . Leske and Budrich, Opladen 1996, ISBN 3-8100-1569-5 , p. 74-80, 102-108 .
  2. ^ Duden editors: Superstition - spelling, meaning, definition, origin. In: duden.de. Retrieved April 6, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Superstition. In: Wissen.de. Konradin Medien GmbH, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, accessed on April 6, 2020 .
  4. ↑ a b c d Horst Hanisch: Superstition Knigge 2100. About black cats, the left hand of the devil and the lucky charms . 2nd Edition. BoD, Norderstedt 2020, ISBN 978-3-7504-2781-5 .
  5. ↑ a b c d Scary tour Leipzig: Scary facts : Give bad luck - it's that easy! In: gruseltour-leipzig.de. Mysterium Tremendum GbR, Leipzig, October 1, 2017, accessed on April 6, 2020 .
  6. ↑ a b c d Survival knife guide: Does giving knives really bring bad luck? In: schenkdichgluecklich.com. May 19, 2017, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  7. ^ Jacob Grimm : Supplements and Appendix . In: Elard Hugo Meyer (Ed.): Deutsche Mythologie . 4th edition. tape 3 . Ferdinand Dümmler's publishing bookstore, Berlin 1878, p. 437 ( full text in Google Book Search [accessed April 6, 2020]).
  8. ↑ See e.g. E.g. Luise Loos: Etiquette currently . Bassermann, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-8094-1253-8 , p. 132 .
  9. ↑ A penny? In: parkerriverknife.com. Parker River Knife Company, Newbury, Massachusetts, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  10. ↑ See e.g. E.g .: Duygu Özkan: Customs and superstitions. In: diepresse.com. Die Presse , Austria, January 21, 2019, accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  11. ↑ See e.g. E.g. Messer from Solingen: "Like the Oktoberfest for Munich". In: solinger-tageblatt.de. Solinger Tageblatt , April 29, 2019, accessed on April 8, 2020 .