Rituals Within My Own Culture: Understanding the Native American Life.

Majority of the Native American religion and history has been constructed on both myths and legends. The Native American beliefs are often seen as mere myth or story much like the way superstitions within society are looked upon today.

"Like people the world over, most Indians are highly superstitious. Many aspects of their life is linked to some superstitious belief and some of these are even mentioned in religious literature." (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

"Most of these superstitions are linked to the respective planets presiding over each day (see Hindu Calendar). The kitchen is virtually the temple of a Hindu home and the highest levels of hygiene are expected to be maintained. Most Hindus do not enter a kitchen with their shoes on, as it is said to induce the wrath of the gods. This belief originated when kitchens were traditional, with mud stoves in a corner. Families sat on the floor and ate off plates or leaves placed on the ground. This required the kitchen to be absolutely clean. Another belief linked to this was that before eating their food, people sprinkled water around their plates supposedly in remembrance of their ancestors. Actually, the water around the plate acted as a barrier against the ants and insects that crept about the kitchen floor." (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

As well as Hindu’s there are many cultural superstitions within the Indian community.

No matter which part of the world you tour, you will find the natives nurturing certain beliefs and superstitions and India is no exception in this case. Though the Indian society is fast progressing, there are many people who are still superstitious and have a strong faith in the local beliefs.

The standard viewpoint is that most of the Indian beliefs and values have sprung with an objective to protect from evil spirits, but some were based on scientific reasoning. With the passage of time, the reasoning part behind the origin of these cultural beliefs and superstitions got eroded.

Superstitions are deemed as pertinent in India because these, generally, hint at future occurrences and can be either good or bad. Many of the traditional superstitions in India are connected with. (iloveindia:Unknown)

'Nazar'

The jealous eye-The belief that those that look at you in either a jealous, envious or simply admiration will give you Nazar.

When I used to get ill my Nan would say it was Nazar. To then take this away she would do a ritual which consisted of getting peppers -hot chillies , a handful and putting these around the head 8 times then going across the body then following it down to your toes. The whole time she would say a ritualistic pray. These would then be burnt on the stove to take the evil away.

To banish the evil eye other forms can be used like a black thread 'Kallah Tharga' which is woven from hand to foot and then twisted together. I wore mine for seven years. Until a
PE Teacher cut it off at 13 years of age.

Other black objects can be used-these are Black as it seen as an unattractive colour and therefore will make you look less attractive. My mum would put black eyeliner behind my ear. I would then have a mark as to be tainted and therefore not as attractive.

This is strange as in the Hindu culture many songs are written suggesting a woman to look more beautiful with eye liner on, and this will bring about the evil eye?

Before I went on school trips my mum would make me eat sugar and yogurt together!
To protect me.

Funerals.
When coming from a funeral one must put water on their hips, feet and hands seven times. This is done to make sure the spirit has not come with you.

There are also many superstitions related to death. The most important among them is that food is not cooked in a house where death has occurred. At this time, all the members of the family are considered to be unclean and do not enter the kitchen. Neighbours are expected to cook and send food for them. This belief probably results from the fact that when a death occurs in a family, the relatives of the deceased are , and have neither the desire nor the time to cook. This practice also reinforces the sense of community at times of trouble.
(Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

Looking in the mirror at night

Night times are seen as generally more prone to producing bad luck and looking in the mirror makes you a bad person, as bad people look in the mirror to much.

Sweeping the floor at night time is also seen as bad luck. This is seen as brushing all your wealth known as ’Lakshmi’ away.

A persistent belief is that one must not sweep the floor after the sunsets, otherwise Lakshmi would also be swept away. This too is a pre-electricity precaution against inadvertently losing fallen valuables. (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

However mornings are also seen as dependant on a person’s luck.

People are also very superstitious about their mornings. It is believed that the whole day is affected by the morning. Seeing a bride, the statue of a deity, or a Brahmin is considered auspicious, while sighting widows, barren women and unlucky people is considered inauspicious. To avoid the risk of seeing anything unpleasant in the morning, many people look at the palms of their hands as soon as they awaken and recite this invocation: "In the tips of the fingers resides Lakshmi; in the middle, Sarasvati; in the palm of the hand resides Parvati; looking at my hands, I begin my day." (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

Calling somebody as they leave the house. This is seen as a bad luck as whatever you are about to do will not happen correctly.

Sneezing before one leaves the house. Or asking 'Where are going' were always deemed bad when I was young, and I was told this is very unlucky to whom ever is going out.

"Leaving on a journey is a very important occasion and precautions have to be taken depending on the importance of the journey. The astrologer is consulted to select an auspicious time to begin. There are several beliefs linked with starting on a journey. A sneeze or terms of dissuasion like "Stay, don't go", or "Where are you going?" used accidentally by someone at this crucial time are ill omens and a person must start again if this happens. It is considered auspicious to see cow dung, cereals, paddy, cotton, hay or a newly wed before starting on a journey." (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

Stepping on books is seen as stepping on your education, which will prevent you getting further in life. This is also frowned upon as study is the up most important part of life and you should respect that.

Certain days are seen as unluckier than others and less fortunate- Tuesday. I have also been told never to cut my hair on a Tuesday as I have a brother and this may ring about bad fortune.

Daily life is governed by do's and don'ts for each day of the week. Thus Monday is not an auspicious day for shaving or Tuesday for washing one's hair or Saturday for buying oil.
Shoes placed on top of objects. (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

Lightning struck one should say "Baba freed" To prevent getting electrically shocked as this man put electricity in a glass and captured it. The electricity said it wouldn't strike on the person who said this.

When the right hand itches it means good luck and the reverse applies to the left hand. This relates simply to the clean (right) and unclean (left) sides of the body. Paradoxically, twitching of the right eye is considered inauspicious and of e left eye, auspicious. (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

There is also a strong belief in the power of dreams, as divine warnings. Dreaming of gods, demons, auspicious animals or any other auspicious thing is good. Whereas, dreaming of gold or iron, falling stars or earthquakes is bad. There are many people who claim to be able to decipher dreams and their talents are employed by believers.


There are other common beliefs devised for protection. One should neither clip one's nails at night nor use scissors for fear of angering evil spirits. This diktat prevailed in the days before electricity as a deterrent to injuring one's fingers in the dark, but many mothers still enforce this rule at home, the reasoning being lost in time.

I was always told as a young girl never to play with scissors or use scissors at night. I assumed it would bring bad-luck.

Some other popular superstitions are if a person hiccups, it is believed that someone is talking about him or remembering him. One theory holds that this is a way of keeping alive the memory of family members who are traveling or live far away.

I often have heard my mother say when her ear itches someone is thinking of her, when she bites her tongue somebody is thinking of her.

The falling of utensils on the floor foretells the coming of guests. Breaking a mirror is extremely inauspicious. This belief is meant to urge caution while handling something as fragile and potentially injurious as glass, as most people were barefoot inside the house.

This superstition is known in the European culture too, however many also believe it brings about seven years bad luck.

There is a superstitious belief in some parts of the country that when a child is born, its father must not see its face till it is six months old as it might lead to ill-luck. Therefore some time before the child is born, the mother is sent to her parents' home. This serves two practical purposes: the mother is pampered by her own mother, and so is the baby, as all the mother's attention is cantered on her child, with no distractions of looking after her husband or doing other chores.

My mother left Germany to be with her mother, as it is tradition for the daughter to do so.

In the post-partum period and while menstruating, a woman is debarred from attending any ceremony. She is also not allowed to enter the kitchen or mingle with others, as she is believed to be impure and unclean at this time. The underlying idea is that a woman at this time requires complete rest and a religious edict protects her from unnecessary exertion. Personal appearance, gait, manner and speech are all said to indicate the future. The location, size and number of moles on the body brand someone as auspicious or inauspicious. It is believed that the presence of a sign resembling a wheel on any part of the body is extremely lucky. The right side of the body is considered to be more auspicious than the left. This is so because the left hand is used for all 'unclean' actions. Therefore a man ensures that he first puts his right foot into a house. All ceremonies are conducted with the right hand. Gifts are also given and accepted only with the right hand. (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

Muslims also believe right or left have an effect on prosperity and life. It is told in the Muslim holy book ‘Karan’ one must leave on the left foot and enter on the right.

Marriage, one of the most important events in life, has many superstitions associated with it. It is believed that a new bride brings luck and prosperity with her and that her fortune is mingled with that of the groom's family. For the first one year of marriage, all happenings in the family are monitored and accordingly the bride is termed auspicious or inauspicious. Any good or bad occurrence in the family during this time is said to result from the presence of the bride. A new bride is however, generally considered to be auspicious.

On the other hand, widows were considered especially inauspicious. This belief probably stemmed from her traditional financial powerlessness. Widows were debarred from attending any auspicious ceremony, as it was believed that their presence might negatively affect its success. A new bride was protected from the glance of a widow for the same reason. Therefore widows had separate areas to live in where they cooked their own food. They were not allowed to eat meat, onions, garlic or spices for these were considered excitatory, and a widow was supposed to suppress, not inflame her passions. Most of these rules have fallen into disuse now.

A barren woman is still considered inauspicious by many, given the patriarchal social system and its emphasis on children especially sons. Such a woman, though not debarred, is avoided during all auspicious occasions by those with a rigidly traditional outlook. During the nuptial bath and other ceremonies related to marriage, which require the presence of suhagans, it is generally women with sons, pregnant women or the newly married, who participate. A barren woman is not brought near a bride or child for whom a ceremony is being performed for fear that her ill fate will rub off onto them. (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)

European Superstitions.

I have come aware of many superstitions growing up within Britain. It is always interesting for me to view the differences and similarities between the two different cultures I belong to.

Sneezing seems to be a superstition in every case which brings auspicious luck. Here the Europeans Bless the other person in a way of preventing them with bad luck.
The reasons for these customs today however are not known and most do this out of politeness.

Sneezing "God Bess you"

Sneezing as you leave to go somewhere is also seen as unlucky. As whatever the deed you are going to do will not be fulfilled.

Walking under a ladder is seen as incredibly unlucky to many.


Animals are referred to in the European culture through birds (Magpies) and cats, horses and rabbits.


To see 1, 3 , 5 , 7 Magpies unlucky, however if you see 2, 4 ,6 this is lucky.

Spitting after you see a magpie will cause the bad luck to leave you.

Black cat crossing one's path are also seen as un lucky. This I am told by my father originates from India.

Horse shoes are deemed as bringing about prosperity.

A Rabbits ear is also seen as very lucky.

Many Native superstitions are surrounded by animals as well. These can be seen through the Buffalo and White Deer as well as Eagle and several others.

India to believe some animals to bring either good or bad fortune.

Many omens relate to animals, birds and reptiles within the Indian culture too.

The most auspicious omen is to see an elephant when one is on a journey, for it represents Ganesha, the god of good luck and the remover of obstacles.

The cawing of a crow in one's house foretells the coming of guests. A peacock seen while on a journey is said to be good but hearing its shrill call indicates robbery by highway men. A dog howling near a sick man's chamber predicts his death. Seeing a cat or a cow's face early in the morning brings ill luck. A sparrow is encouraged to build a nest in a new house for good fortune. A yellow or white substance dropped on the threshold by a cow indicates the gain of gold or silver. To protect cats, which were useful in destroying rats and other pests, the Brahmins imposed a ban on its killing, to be redeemed expensively with an offering of a golden cat to a Brahmin.

The wall lizard boasts the most superstitions. Every movement of this reptile holds some significance, indeed, a science called the Gowli Shastra enumerates these. The colour, spots, stripes, chirping or twittering of the lizard and where it falls on a person's body are said to indicate future happenings. (Ahluwalia, S.P.M:2001)


To protect foolhardy wanderers from snakes and other lurking dangers, it is held that evil spirits infest trees and empty houses, resulting in a lively fear of going to these places at night.

Lemuel K. Washburn--
Where are the sons of gods that loved the daughters of men? Where are the nymphs, the goddesses of the winds and waters? Where are the gnomes that lived inside the earth? Where are the goblins that used to play tricks on mortals? Where are the fairies that could blight or bless the human heart? Where are the ghosts that haunted this globe? Where are the witches that flew in and out of the homes of men? Where is the devil that once roamed over the earth? Where are they? Gone with the ignorance that believed in them.

Superstitions and beliefs are however opposed by the Sikh religion. As the only belief should be in God, and no other spirits, devils or angels ie: Bad luck, good luck.

1. Ahluwalia, S.M.P (2001) Popular Indian Superstitions [online] availale from: http://www.sikhmatrimonials.com/sikhnet/discussion.nsf [accessed: 23.03.2009]