Lynwood Montell and his “luck” data cards
On this Friday the 13th, here are some of the thousands of superstitions collected by (now retired) WKU folk studies professor Lynwood Montell and housed in the Folklife Archives of WKU’s Department of Library Special Collections.
According to Dr. Montell’s research, it’s bad luck to:
Enter and leave a house by different doors.
Give away a small chicken.
Trim your fingernails on a Sunday.
Sing before breakfast (you’ll cry before supper).
Step over a baby (it will stunt its growth).
Carry money in more than one pocket.
On the other hand, it’s good luck to:
Turn your chair’s back to a gaming table and sit astride it.
Find a needle, especially one pointed toward you.
Kiss a girl over a cow’s back.
Eat black-eyed peas and cabbage on New Year’s Day.
Sneeze three times in a row.
Find a rock with a hole in it.
The Folklife Archives contain many other collections, created mostly by students, of superstitions and folk beliefs that have developed over generations to address every facet of life. For example, quilters should know that it’s bad luck to start a quilt on a Friday. Food-lovers should know that it’s bad luck to sing at the table, or to take the last thing on a plate. And everyone should remember that it’s bad luck to leave a funeral before it’s over. . . because you’ll be the next one buried.
Click on the links to access finding aids for these collections. For more, search TopSCHOLAR and KenCat.