Insect Superstitions

Insect Superstitions Plus Other Creatures Superstitions

By Charles L Harmon

Some people have an insect, fish or other creature that they consider good luck to them for one reason or other. Insect superstitions are common. It could be as simple as having a small winning lottery ticket of $711,711.

 

 

Before they bought their ticket, they saw a goldfish in a store window that appealed to them. Then they saw another one on the same street or in the same mall the same day. Now to them, a goldfish is good luck.

All through history, certain creatures were good luck symbols. The good luck creatures included a bear, a beetle, a bull, and a cricket plus other animals and insects, depending on which country you lived in.

Here are a few of such insects and other creatures that are considered lucky or considered to bring good luck in one way or another. Next time you think about it, look for any of these as pins on a shirt, blouse, or sweater.

Depending on the person wearing it, it could be a good luck charm to them and the meaning to them may be more than a decoration, but something to bring them luck.

Beetle

It is actually an Egyptian scarab and represents luck in the form of solar power. Scarabs took advantage of the sun by wrapping their eggs in mud or dung, and letting the sun bake the little balls. The sun helps to make an incubator to hatch the eggs. Scarabs are a symbol of good luck because of its on ingenuity and symbolic of rebirthing into a new life.

Cricket

The Chinese, along with other cultures, believed the harmony sounds of the cricket were a sign of good luck. The luck comes into play as protection. They are good as guard dogs. When their sound stops, there is someone around.

Cricket amulets are found in the ancient cultures of the Middle East and Europe. They are also a representation of rebirth.

Dragonfly

From Yahoo Answers

Are dragonflies a sign of good luck?

I went out to my car this morning and i caught my eye on the top of my antenna, and a beautiful bright orange dragon fly was just sitting on the top of it. Is this a sign of good luck?

Additional Details

So, that pretty much means im going to get into a car wreck huh. I guess i can take it either a good way or a bad way and really hope its a good way. I just got this car and its really nice and i love it. I hope this doesnt mean something bad.

Best Answer – Chosen by Voters

In the real world seeing a dragonfly is a sign that there is suitable habitat and enough food for them to survive – nothing more. Many species hunt insects from a prominent perch. Your cars antenna just provided a good point from which to look for passing insects.

As far as folklore and superstition goes it all depends where you live.

In Japan dragonflies are seen as lucky and used to be associated with courage, in other parts of Asia they are thought to be spirits of the dead.

In much of Europe and America they are associated with death or the Devil – but in some areas are good omens (eg in Denmark a dragonfly can signify gold is coming, and in Cambridgeshire, England if you see one you can make a wish).

Since most myths and superstitions relating to dragonflies are obviously false (they don’t sting you to death or feed on your blood, you won’t die if one touches you, and they don’t change into salamanders or other animals) I wouldn’t worry about any bad luck coming your way.

In answer to an earlier reply;
There is NO species of dragonfly anywhere in the world that possesses a sting – they also don’t drink blood and don’t bite (if you handle them they may nip your finger in self defense but it doesn’t draw blood).

Source(s):

Myth and superstition from ‘Spinning Jenny and Devils Darning Needle’ by J Lucas (book on folklore and cultural influences of dragonflies).

 

Second Best Answer

I suppose so, If you consider one of the Dragonflies favorite foods is mosquito larvae with the rise of West Nile deaths in America being around a hundred a year, I guess they are good luck.

I live thirty yards from a river on a bluff. I have hundreds of dragonflies but few mosquitoes, so I’m feeling pretty lucky.

Firefly

From Yahoo Answers
Magical meanings for fireflies?

Question – What are all the magical meanings of and/or myths/legends/stories involving fireflies. I would guess that they were probably thought to be fairies at one time, but it’s just a guess.

Best Answer
A few firefly myths or superstitions from various sources:
“In Mayan mythology, fireflies are often associated with the star. The fireflies are also considered to represent the messengers of god Mayan temples”

A Japanese legend: The Firefly
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/japanlove.html…

The Myth on Why Fireflies Have Lights
http://www.philippinesinsider.com/myths-…

The possibility that at least one important deity at Tikal and Dos Pilas, was named after firefly:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/se…

Chapter Fireflies in Insects in the World and in Mythology:
http://www.mythinglinks.org/ct~insects_f…

Examples for superstition:
In firefly season, toads will eat fire.
If a firefly comes into the house, there will be one person more or one fewer the next day, that is, someone will go or someone will come.
http://chestofbooks.com/fairy-tale/Kentu…

Two fireflies coming in a house >
upcoming marriage,
good luck.
http://books.google.de/books?id=m1-xCL47…

Gold Fish

The gold fish is a lucky symbol in the form of wisdom, long life, and tranquility. This symbol is one of eight sacred symbols of the Buddha. The Greeks believed goldfish was a good luck symbol for their good luck in marriage and relationships.

In Ancient Egypt, they were kept in the home as a lucky omen, and helped cheer up domestic situations.

Ladybug

Ladybug – the ladybug is considered lucky in many countries. In some countries this little creature is called ladybird. The little ladybugs, actually lady beetles, come in many colors. They come in a shiny orange with black spots, orange to red with a few markings or none at all, gray to pale yellow with black spots, and a solid black one.

Here are a few superstitions and beliefs about ladybugs:

• A ladybug will bring you good luck if one lands on you.
• If a ladybug will take the illness away if you are ill when one lands on you.
• Let the ladybug go and watch which way she flies and that is the way your answer lays.
• Finding a ladybug is good luck, the redder the better.
• Folklore says if you find a ladybug in your home, count the number of spots on her back and that is how many dollars you will find.

You can find more on ladybugs here http://superstitionlane.com/popular/ladybug-superstitions/

Spider

Spiders are good luck in many cultures. A spider, according to folklore, saved the life of Christ as an infant. Apparently, the Holy Family had to elude King Herod so they hid in a cave and spiders wove a thick web at the entrance to the cave.

This cave looked abandoned and icky and King Herod did not bother to check the cave. Superstition states it is bad luck to kill a spider, and if you want to live another day, let the spider go on their way.

This list is just some of the creatures that are considered good luck. If you ask anyone, they might say they have an animal or some other creature they consider good luck that is not on the list.

The creature may not be a good luck charm to anyone else but this person for some reason or other. For example, the rabbit’s foot, which people have always said, was good luck. Some people have said a ladybug was good luck if you found one in the house so make a wish as she flies away and it will come true.

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