A fascinating 1899 work tracing the origins of common superstitions through time and civilizations, tracking how they evolved Superstitions still have a firm hold in cultures all across the world, but where did so many of them come from, and how do myths and beliefs differ from country to country? This 1899 gem sets out to determine just that, tracing superstitious origins across the world from ancient Egypt to Viking Norway to the Asian dynasties. Find out why people throw salt over their shoulder, why you should never open a theater on Friday in France, whether it is luckier to sneeze toward the left or the right, and why the number 13 is considered so unlucky. Readers of this book will finally be able to answer such important questions as whether a horseshoe on the door can protect from plague and why people say "bless you" after a sneeze.