Throughout time lucky charms have been a part of civilizations to attract good luck and to thwart off evil. Even those who scoff at superstition will usually stoop to pick up a ‘lucky’ penny. Athletes on the other hand, are an especially superstitious group. Many of the 2010 Olympians have been seen going through rituals prior to competition and wearing an amulet around their necks, but the wearing of lucky charms actually predates the first Olympics. Since the beginning of recorded time civilizations have embraced insects, animals, and symbols, as good luck charms. The Egyptians embraced many gods, thus many charms. Among them was the scarab which they interpreted as a symbol of creation. The Eye of Horus is another Egyptian good luck symbol which was later adopted in the Middle East, and continues to be fashioned into jewelry like the popular ‘eye’ jewelry of the Victorian era. The Asian cultures favor crickets, tortoises, and bamboo, which are all symbols of life. The rubbing of a Buddha’s belly is supposed to bring luck, and the Yin and the Yang symbol represents harmony and good fortune. The tiger is considered lucky in Chinese astrology as it is perceived to protect against the evils of theft and fire, and as luck would have it, this is the Year of the Tiger. The dragon, depending on the culture, is interpreted both ways. The Chinese believe it to be the most powerful and important feng shui symbol, representing protection and success, but in medieval times the dragon was perceived as bad luck.
Many symbols were interpreted both ways, like the cat and the serpent. Cats were revered by the Egyptians but later desecrated in medieval times as they were associated with witches. Although unlucky for Cleopatra, serpents were symbolic of good luck by the Egyptians. The serpent image was made into bracelets which were worn on the wrists and upper arms; the cobra image was often worn as a head ornament. The Irish however, associated snakes with Satan who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, so St. Patrick drove them out of Ireland using the Shamrock because it represented the Holy Trinity, thus it became a good luck charm. To find one with four leaves is so rare, that it is considered lucky to find a 4-leaf shamrock (or clover.) To find a Leprechaun is also lucky as he will have to share his pot of gold, the same reason rainbows are lucky. In Africa just carrying an animal’s foot or other parts, like teeth or horns from a swift creature, was meant to help you flee evil. Thus the lucky rabbit’s foot was introduced into Western culture by enslaved Africans. Carrying the animal parts in a “Mojo” bag around one’s neck was also adopted from the African culture, thus the term ‘messing with the Mojo’ means someone is attempting to alter good luck.
The cross which represents Christianity is naturally perceived as good and worn to ward off temptation and evil which is why it is often depicted in horror films as protection against vampires. Religious medals and crosses are popular in today’s culture, but as with many talismans, they can have a dark connotation. Many have now been adopted as symbols of the occult. For instance, the swastika, an ancient symbol of the sun and the four directions, was adopted by Hitler and came to represent racism. Symbols that are unmistakably lucky are horseshoes, wishbones, and the lucky number “7”, which possibly derived from Buddhism and Hinduism for the seven gods of fortune. Precious and semi-precious stones have also been linked to good fortune… like rubies, jade, pearls, and crystals. Jewelry was quite often embellished with them for that reason. But for whatever reason, bring out your lucky charms on St. Patrick’s Day so that you too, can share in the luck of the Irish.
