Domestic folk-loreThiselton-Dyer, T. F. (Thomas Firminger)
History
Domestic folk-lore
Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. (Thomas Firminger)
Folklore; Superstition
The folk-lore, however, of the looking-glass does not end here;
for many consider it the height of ill-luck to see the new moon
reflected in a looking-glass or through a window-pane; and some
mothers studiously prevent their youngest child looking in one until
a year old. It is also associated with marriage and death. Thus, in
the South of England it is regarded as a bad omen for a bride on
her wedding morning to take a last peep in the glass when she is
completely dressed in her bridal attire, before starting for the
church. Hence very great care is generally taken to put on a glove
or some slight article of adornment after the final lingering and
reluctant look has been taken in the mirror. The idea is that any
young lady who is too fond of the looking-glass will be unfortunate
when married. This is by no means the only occasion on which
superstitious fancy interferes with the grown-up maiden's peeps into
the looking-glass. Thus, Swedish young ladies are afraid of looking
in the glass after dark, or by candle-light, lest by so doing they
should forfeit the goodwill of the other sex.
The practice of covering the looking-glass, or removing it from
the chamber of death, still prevails in some parts of England--the
notion being that "all vanity, all care for earthly beauty, are
over with the deceased." It has also been suggested that, as the
invisible world trenches closely upon the visible one in the chamber
of death, a superstitious dread is felt of some spiritual being
imaging himself forth in the blank surface of the mirror. Mr. Baring
Gould considers that the true reason for shrouding the looking-glass
before a funeral was that given him in Warwickshire, where there is a
popular notion that if a person looks into a mirror in the chamber of
death he will see the corpse looking over his shoulder. Again, Brand
informs us that looking-glasses were generally used by magicians "in
their superstitious and diabolical operations." He quotes an old
authority, who says:--"Some magicians, being curious to find out by
the help of a looking-glass, or a glass full of water, a thing that
lies hidden, make choice of young maids to discern therein those
images or sights which a person defiled cannot see." Sometimes, too,
our ancestors dipped a looking-glass into the water when they were
anxious to ascertain what would become of a sick person. Accordingly
as he looked well or ill in the glass, when covered with the drops
of water, so they foretold whether he would recover or not. Mirrors
were also regarded by our forefathers as the most effective agencies
in divining secrets and bringing to light hidden mysteries. Thus,
there is a tradition that the Gunpowder Plot was discovered by Dr.
John Dee with his magic mirror. We find in a prayer-book, printed by
Baskett in 1737, an engraving which depicts the following scene:--In
the centre is a circular looking-glass, in which is the reflection
of the Houses of Parliament by night, and a person entering carrying
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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