Superstition

“If you break or crack a mirror, you will have seven years of bad luck.”

Emilie was trying to put back her compact mirror when she dropped it.  Upon picking up the mirror, she saw that it was cracked.  She then declared that she would have seven years of bad luck.  Emilie first heard about this bad luck when she was eight and her older sister’s mirror broke.  Her older sister told her that it was bad luck to break a mirror.  Emilie thinks that the reason breaking a mirror is bad luck is because mirrors are a reflection of oneself, so when a mirror is broken, the reflection is a distorted version of oneself.  In a sense, Emilie says “you’re cracking yourself” which is not a good thing.

I believe that since mirrors have often times been portrayed to have the ability to portray one’s future, that by breaking a mirror, one is breaking and jeopardizing one’s future.  I agree with Emilie’s theory that a broken mirror represents a broken self.  Furthermore, it has been a common belief that mirrors reflect one’s soul; therefore, a broken mirror would show a broken soul, a definite misfortune.  I am unsure as to why the number seven is associated with this superstition because in the American and Western culture, the number seven is considered a lucky number.

The superstition of associating bad luck with broken mirrors is one of the older and better known superstitions.  The broken mirror superstition is documented the Omens section of The Origins of Popular Superstitions and Curses by T. Sharper Knowlson.  In earlier times, people believe that the person to whom the broken mirror belonged to “would lose his best friend” (163).  I believe that a best friend can be compared as a reflection of a person, which could explain why the belief that a broken mirror, which would give a broken reflection, would mean the loss of the best friend.  It states that the origin of this superstition is that mirrors have always been used for divination, so to break one is “the destruction of a means of knowing the will of the gods” (164).

Knowlson, T. Sharper. The Origins of Popular Superstitions and Customs. Detroit: Gale Research Company Book, 1968.

Superstition

“Joyce has a specific method regarding her socks and tying her shoes.  Her shin guards have to be the same height of both legs and she is really picky about how her cleats are.  Before a penalty kick, she stretches her right arm first, then her left arm, fixes her right shin guard, fixes her left shin guard, spins the soccer ball with her hands, and then kicks the ball.  She always wears these really old ankle guards that are pretty much broken and serve no physical protection.”

Joyce Chun is a freshman on Brown University’s women soccer team and has been playing soccer since she was seven.  She told me about her personal soccer superstitions through a video chatting session online.  She has had these personal soccer rituals since she started playing soccer, but she does not remember exactly why she chose her specific actions to be a part of her ritual.  However, the first time she did those actions, the outcome was really good, so she continued to use the actions until they evolved into a habit.  Joyce said the really old ankle guards belonged to her brother and serve as mental stabilization.  She is afraid that if she does not follow her ritual, something will go wrong.  Joyce believes that her ritual is not as extreme as other soccer players and athletes she knows.  For example, she knows someone who puts the same penny in his shin guards every game.

From my experience in athletics, it is not unusual for each individual athlete to have his/her own superstitious routine.  Each sporting game is unique and nothing about it is predictable; therefore, it is understandable that athletes develop habitual routines to try to bring a sense of normalcy and predictability to event filled with randomness.  These superstitious habits give the athletes a comforting feeling among all of the unpredictable elements.  These habits develop usually because a positive outcome is associated with them.  The athlete then considers those actions or items as lucky and will consistently use them.  If the good results continue, the actions and items become incorporated a ritual.  The athlete would not want to change anything if he/she is consistently doing well.  The superstitious rituals serve as a psychological security blanket.

Superstition

“Before every soccer match, Brown University’s women soccer team cheers “Geev’um Bruno!”.  Before every home game, they do the cheer and also rub the head of the sterling silver bear statue.”

Joyce Chun, a member of Brown University’s women soccer team told me about her soccer team’s pregame rituals through a video chatting session online.  She says the phrase “Geev’um” was on a ceramic container that a parent of player from Hawaii gave the Head Coach Phil in 1977, his first season.  “Geev’um” means “Go for it.”  Since 1977, “Geev’um” which transformed to “Geev’um Bruno!” has been the cheer before every game.  While traveling to Europe in 2007, the team’s local guides told the team about a tradition that would bring a person good luck, such as rubbing a certain part of a statue.  During the Europe trip, Coach Phil asked the players to find something that could be touched for good luck prior to games at Brown, just like they did in Europe.  The players found a sterling silver bear statue and decided that the head should be rubbed before every game for good luck.  The first time the bear was used as good luck, the team won 1-0, which began a new tradition adding to the “Geev’um Bruno!” cheer.  Joyce said she learned these pregame traditions from the older players before her first game.

The ceramic container with the phrase “Geev’um” must have had some significance to the coach and/or the team at the time.  I believe “Geev’um” makes a good pregame cheer because it has a motivating and inspirational meaning.  It is interesting that Brown University’s women soccer team searched for something to make their tradition.  They deliberately created a tradition.  A bear seems appropriate because the mascot of Brown University is a bear.  If the team did not win their first game, they would most likely abandoned the sterling silver bear statue as a good luck charm and would probably looked for a different tradition.  The rubbing of the bear’s head before a game is an example of Frazer’s contagious magic because in order to get the luck, the team must touch the bear; therefore, the luck is physically transferred from the bear to the each player.  The chanting of “Geev’um Bruno” and rubbing the bear’s head are ways the team creates stability and reassurance before they enter game where everything is unpredictable.