|
|
Magpies And Superstition

Magpies And Superstition

Magpie

Do you salute magpies or feel a twinge of unease when one crosses your path, fearing it might bring bad luck? If so, you’re not alone. Even the most rational sceptics can sometimes feel their beliefs waver at the sight of a magpie. 

In Britain, no other wild bird is so steeped in superstition as the magpie. For centuries, folklore surrounding magpies has flourished across the UK and Europe. During the Victorian era, such fear of the bird grew that it was nearly hunted to extinction. 

However, before the spread of Christianity, magpies were seen very differently, often as symbols of good fortune and intelligence. The Romans admired the magpie for its cleverness and reasoning skills, while in Ancient Greece, magpies were sacred to Bacchus, the god of wine. 

Farther afield, some Native American tribes viewed magpies as symbols of fearlessness, wearing their feathers as signs of bravery. Others believed the magpie to be a sacred messenger from the creator or a guardian with shamanic powers. 

The church and magpie superstitions 

The Christian Church, however, cast the magpie in a far darker light. According to Church teachings, the magpie was the only bird that failed to weep or mourn during Jesus’ crucifixion, supposedly because of its black-and-white plumage. This led to many superstitions linking magpies to bad luck or evil. 

Your next read

Do Magpies Steal Shiny Things?
The Magpie Nursery Rhyme
13 Bird Superstitions
What Does It Mean If A Bird Flies Into Your House?
Magpie ID Guide

In the 19th century, a vicar recorded one of his servants claiming that the magpie refused to enter Noah’s Ark, choosing instead to sit outside in the rain, chattering and swearing. Another story from the same period describes the magpie as a hybrid of the raven and the dove, making it the only bird not to have been baptised. 

The Church also popularised the rumour that magpies carry a drop of the devil’s blood in their tongues. Supposedly, if their tongues were cut to release the blood, magpies would gain the ability to speak like humans. 

Why do magpies have such a bad reputation? 

But how did magpies, once revered in some cultures, come to be seen as harbingers of bad luck?

Much of this stems from the way our ancestors tried to make sense of the world around them. Without modern science to explain natural events, people often attributed mysterious occurrences to supernatural causes. The appearance of an animal, a change in the weather, an other natural phenomena were frequently linked to significant events that followed, especially those that couldn’t otherwise be explained. 

Death was particularly challenging to predict or understand, and it naturally inspired fear of the unknown. This fear gave rise to many superstitions and old wives’ tales surrounding the subject. Magpies, with their behaviour and habits, naturally found themselves entwined in such beliefs. 

Death and thievery 

Like other corvids, magpies have long been associated with death. During medieval times, they were often seen scavenging near battlefields, gallows, and field hospitals, where they fed on carrion. Their predatory behaviour during breeding season, such as raiding nests for eggs and chicks, also made them unpopular with gamekeepers and rural communities, particularly as they preyed on pheasants and other birds of value. 

Magpies’ inquisitive and mischievous nature earned them another unwanted label: thieves. Known for their attraction to shiny objects, they were often blamed for missing jewellery or other valuables. If a treasured ring went missing, it was easy to shift the blame to a magpie. 

This reputation for theft became so entrenched that it inspired cultural works like Rossini’s tragicomic opera La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie). In the story, a French girl is falsely accused of theft, convicted, and executed, only for the true culprit, a magpie, to be discovered later. The remorseful townspeople then hold an annual Mass of the Magpies to pray for the girl’s soul. 

Magpies and bad luck 

Over time, magpies’ reputation as “bad birds” evolved into the belief that they bring bad luck. However, as the famous nursery rhyme suggests, this superstition largely revolves around seeing a single magpie. 

Two Magpies

Magpies are known to mate for life, so encountering a lone magpie might suggest it has lost its mate, which could symbolise sorrow or misfortune. On the other hand, spotting a group of magpies is believed to bring good luck, joy, or even wealth, as the well known rhyme illustrates: 

One for sorrow, 

Two for joy, 

Three for a girl, 

Four for a boy, 

Five for silver, 

Six for gold, 

Seven for a secret never to be tol

The rhyme encapsulates the dual nature of magpie superstitions: while a single bird may bring sorrow, more magpies suggest prosperity or happiness. These beliefs likely endure because they offer a way to interpret and find meaning in chance encounters, even if modern science tells us there’s no basis for such fears.

How to prevent bad luck 

If you spot a lone magpie and fear it might bring bad luck, there are several things you can do to ward off misfortune: 

Salute the magpie. 

Say, “Good morning, General” or “Good morning, Captain.” 

Greet it with, “Good morning, Mr Magpie, how is your lady wife today?” 

Say, “Good morning, Mr Magpie, how are Mrs Magpie and all the little magpies?” 

Address it as “Jack”, saying, “Hello Jack, how’s your brother?” 

Doff your hat as a sign of respect. 

Spit three times over your shoulder. 

Blink rapidly to convince yourself you’ve seen two magpies instead of one. 

Flap your arms like wings and mimic a magpie’s call to symbolically provide it with a mate. 

 

Regional variations 

The belief that a solitary magpie brings bad luck is widespread in the UK and Ireland, but some regions have their own specific superstitions.

Scotland: A single magpie near a house window signals an impending death. 

Wales: Seeing a magpie crossing your path from right to left before a journey predicts danger on the road. 

Ireland: Magpies are thought to represent the souls of gossiping or malicious women.

Yorkshire: Magpies are linked to witchcraft, and making the sign of the cross is said to ward off their evil influence.

Somerset: Carrying an onion offers protection from a magpie’s bad luck. 

Northampton: A group of three magpies together predicts a fire. 

Devon: A fisherman who sees a magpie in the morning will catch no fish that day. 

Sussex: Unlike elsewhere, a magpie on the roof is considered a good omen, ensuring the house is safe from harm. 

Global perspectives 

Outside the UK, magpies are often seen in a more positive light.

China: A singing magpie symbolises happiness, good fortune, and luck. 

Korea: Magpies bring good news and attract good people into your life. 

Mongolia: Magpies are believed to control the weather and are seen as highly intelligent. 

France: Evil nuns are thought to be reincarnated as magpies. 

Scandinavia: In Norse mythology, magpies are associated with Skadi, the goddess of winter. In Norway, they are considered cunning and are linked to the huldra, the mysterious underground people. 

A modern perspective 

Science has confirmed that the Romans were right, and magpies are incredibly intelligent, with a brain-to-body ratio comparable to great apes. These remarkable birds can use tools, solve problems, work in teams, play games, and even mimic human speech. 

So, the next time you see a magpie, offer it your best salute, not out of fear of bad luck, but out of respect for one of nature’s smartest creatures.

What do you do when you see a magpie? Let us know in the comments below.

 

 

Share your thoughts

105 responses

  1. I am completely over whelmed by magpies .I could write a book on how many signs I have had by magpies. They actually rule my life I watch in the morning for them I know when I’m going to have a good day or a bad day. They are there when I’m looking for answers. if I see a lot together it is usually not going to be good day. I saw 7 the other day I thought that’s a lot that day my daughter told me she was pregnant and said don’t tell anyone just yet. 7 for a secret never to be told.

  2. For the last few weeks, I’ve been calling the local Magpies and rewarding them with food if they come to me.
    Although most of them are still wary and wait until I’m back indoors before feeding, one is far braver.
    As soon as he hears me calling, he flies to his spot on the tree by my home, and providing there are no other people around, will swoop down to the food while I’m only a few feet away!
    I’m hoping he’ll trust me completely in time.

    Also, I read somewhere that ‘a fisherman won’t catch anything if they see a lone Magpie’, is down to nesting habits and the weather, because if the weather is bad, only one Magpie will hunt for food while the other guards the nest and chicks.
    And bad weather is not good for catching fish.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *