Словарь суеверий.Preface superstition flourishes even today, I have paid special attention to curious beliefs
that have sprung up in relatively recent times: there are articles discussing the taboos
and talismans of astronauts, car drivers, photographers and sports players, to name
but a few.
In defining the boundaries of what deserved a place and what did not, I have
made a distinction between true superstition and those beliefs that might be more
accurately described as folklore, mythology or religion. Sometimes these boundaries
are very confused, and when in doubt I have tended to include topics that
extend beyond the straightforward old wives' tale if they have seemed of relevance
and likely to interest the reader. Thus, many superstitions included here evoke the
rituals and ceremonial of the Christian Church, while others are derived apparently
from classical legend or from the rites of witchcraft and black magic, subjects that
deserve volumes of their own.
Sources consulted have included a large number of reference books on the subject
published on both sides of the Atlantic over the past fifty years or so, as well as
personal knowledge. Where the authorities have conflicted on the details of superstitions
discussed I have tried to include all versions, sometimes indicating the more
plausible alternatives and sometimes leaving conclusions on the matter to the
reader's discretion. As it is clearly impossible to list every regional variation of some
of the most widely known superstitions, I have mostly confined myself to the more
universally recognised versions, and my apologies go to those who fail to find a
local favourite of their own.
My thanks go, as always, to members of my family and to my friends for their
patience, suggestions and assistance while this book was in preparation, and also to
the editors and production and design staff"at Cassell for their co-operation.
David Pickering
