Ever wonder why you see horseshoes hung over a door frame?
St. Dunstan (10th century) was a blacksmith before becoming an Archbishop. While working in his shop one day he had a visit from the devil. Now St. Dunstan knew who his customer was and went to work on that cloven hoof. He made the devil promise never again enter a place where a horseshoe hangs.
Of course the horseshoe must always be hung with its points upwards or the devil will enter. As everyone knows, the devil travels in circles and upon entering the shoe his travels will be interrupted, thus causing him to reverse direction.
Horseshoes hung over stable doors are to prevent evil spirits from entering and riding your horses during the night, tiring them and making them useless for work the next day. Gee, I have a 2yr old that needs some work!
In the belief that a horseshoe could help prevent storms and shipwrecks, even Lord Nelson had a horseshoe nailed to the mast of his ship, Victory. Horseshoes should be standard equipment on all car bumpers.
Other interesting beliefs about horseshoes include:
If a man is impotent, he should write a charm on an old horseshoe, then have a blacksmith heat the shoe and dip it into a pail of water. Every morning thereafter for a week, he is to drink this water before breakfast. At the end of the week his virility will return.
To cure whooping cough in a child, have them eat off a wooden plate branded with a horseshoe.
If you are lucky enough to find a horseshoe on the road, pick it up, spit on it while making a wish and throw it over your left shoulder. Just don’t get run over doing it!
To be double lucky, horseshoes should have seven holes, four on one side and three on the other.
--Kathy Gudnason
LOL
Thank you, OESY. I heard some of these many, many years ago but had forgotten them.
Thank you for sharing these with us on Horseshoe Day.