Mirror, mirror on the wall...
One of the most famous magical mirrors in the literature of all time is this one that belongs to the evil Queen in Snow White.
We all do love to look in the mirror at least once a day. We want to see our reflection, to fix ourselves and to check how do we look because we want to look presentable. Most of the time if we bought new clothes we want to see how it fits. The mirror is one of the important items in our home or a woman's bag or purse for its practical use.
For thousands of years, mirrors have been mentioned in folklore and play a big part in many superstitions. Did you know that it's very expensive to make mirrors in ancient times? Thus, it was quite rare and powerful to have one.
Tools of the Devils
According to some of the legends, mirrors are said to be tools of the Devils. It was used to capture souls just as they capture images.
Covering Mirrors when someone Died
The custom of covering mirrors became common in Victorian times, especially to Irish Catholics. It is their well-known tradition for the family of the deceased to cover all their mirrors to prevent the soul from getting trapped into it. They also turn the mirror facing the wall to hide the physical body from its soul.
There's an Irish superstition that says, if you look into the mirror for a long time, you will see a devil looking over your shoulder.
Demonic Pretender
A Chinese myth believed that images in the mirror were actually demonic beings. They pretending to be our reflections to plot our deaths silently. The Ancient Chinese belief says that the reflection they saw in the mirror was not reflections at all but another creature to pretend to be our reflection which is quite frightening.
According to Ancient Chinese folklore, this creature mimics us to learn our ways and when they are ready they will emerge through the mirrors which served as the windows into their world and take our place.
Bad luck
They said that if you break a mirror you will have seven years of bad luck. Why seven? Because the Romans believed that life renewed itself every 7 years so the unrenewed soul will be stuck in the mirror. As they say, if you pick up all the broken pieces and place them in paper or piece of cloth and throw it in a fast-flowing river you can obviate the curse. The river will carry away bad luck. Or the other way is burying the broken mirror into the ground.
Windows to the future
In the Middle Ages, wizards and witches stared into mirrors to divine the future or answer questions and this was called "Scrying".
Scrying is also known as peeping into a suitable medium in the hope of perceiving visions or significant messages. It's more on personal guidance and a form of fortune-telling or divination. I must admit I love to go and see a fortune teller myself.
No Reflection
Vampires and Demons don't have reflections. This must be originated from the ancient belief that mirrors reflected the true nature of the person being reflected. They do not cast a shadow as a manifestation that they lack a soul.
Bloody Mary
Have you ever played Bloody Mary? I'm sure you've heard of this before. In Bloody Mary, you are dared to chant "Bloody Mary" 13 times in front of a dark room. A vengeful ghost or spirit then pops out of the mirror behind you.
I will not dare.
The Emperor's Greatest Possession
Mirrors we're used in China to capture energy primarily of the moons. There's a story of an Emperor of China apparently use a "magic mirror" to become an emperor. The first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty named Qin Shi Huang claimed that his mirror allowed him to see the inner personalities of those who looked into it.
Mirror, mirror
Did you know that the real-life influence of this well-known mirror in the Fairy Tale Snow White called"The Talking Mirror" can be seen at the Spessart Museum in Lohr am Main where the real-life Snow White named Maria Sophia Margaretha Catherina von und zu Erthal was born?
Maria Sophia was believed to be a Bavarian Baroness and when her father remarried, her new stepmother received a mirror as a gift and that is what they referred to as the "Talking Mirror". And as you know how the story goes the evil queen will always ask the mirror, "Who's the who is the fairest in the land?"
The mirrors made in Lohr in Bavaria are made of good quality and believed to speak the truth at all times. And just like I say, the Talking Mirror can still be seen at the Spessart Museum in the Lohr Castle.
Perseus used his shield as a mirror to defeat Medusa
We all know that no one could look directly at Medusa because as the tale says if you look into her eyes you'll turn to a stone. And how genius Perseus is for not looking at her eyes directly but only at her reflection.
Alice Through the Looking-glass
A portal to other worlds...
Alice in a quest to go back in time to rescue Mad Hatters Family with the help of the magical looking glass.
The Arabian Nights
In this tale, a genie gave a mirror to Prince Alasnam. The mirror has the magic to reveal if a lover could be trusted or not.
The Mirror of Erised
The Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is no ordinary mirror. It will show the reflection of one's self. It will show not your face but of your heart's desire. Just as the words carved on the top of the mirror.
Mirror Has Power
A famous British Poet Geoffrey Chaucer created a series of stories called The Canterbury Tales. There's this story, "The Squire's Tale", wherein a mirror is given to a King named Cambinskan from the King of Araby and Ind. And he describes the mirror-like this:
This mirror...
Has power such that men may in it see
Weather will come to any adversity
Unto your realm, or yourself also;
And reveal who is your friend or foe.
And also this: if any lady bright
Has her heart set on any shining knight
If he is false, she shall his treason see.
And his other love, and all his secrecy.
I don't believe in superstitions but I'm always fascinated to know such.
There are wonderful myths and stories about mirrors just like what I shared above. Whatever purpose it may serve from ancient to our present time whether as tools of divination or portals to the other world, it is up to us if we're going to believe it or not. It would be wonderful to have the power to see the future!
But real or not, I'm sure I will not dare to try bloody Mary or look at myself in the mirror at 3:00 Am holding a candle in a dark room trying to summon some creature that doesn't really belong to this human world. I will pee my knickers!
I saw my Tia like this and I believe that some unwanted spirit whispered her to do such.
Do you believe in any of these Mirror Stories and Superstitions? Share your thoughts in the comment below.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!
References:
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The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter
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