Early Christians saw Satan everywhere, and monks worked tirelessly at replacing ancient Pagan beliefs with Satanic fancies.
For example, we read in Archaic England:
“To the early Christian preachers the ‘gentry’ and the ‘good people’ [nature spirits and faeries] were the troops of Satan continually to be combatted and exorcised, but it was a hard task to dispel the exquisite images of the Fairy-paradise, substituting in lieu of it the monkish purgatory.”
As monks and members of the clergy molded ancient Pagan beliefs into their mythology, they also preserved hints of the old beliefs.
For example, in Dragons and Dragon Lore we find that Satan was sometimes described as a dragon:
“There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out and his angels were cast with him.”
“Set,” remarks Dr. G. E. Smith, “the enemy of Osiris, who is the real prototype of the evil dragon, was the antithesis of the god of Justice; he was the father of falsehood and the symbol of chaos. He was the prototype of Satan, as Osiris was the first definite representative of the Deity of which any record has been preserved. . .
“The history of the evil dragon is not merely the evolution of the Devil, but it also affords the explanation of his traditional peculiarities, his bird-like features, his horns, his red color, his wings and cloven hoofs, and his tail.”
With all this in mind, let’s explore the superstitions and folklore involving the summoning of Satan.
1. Finger Snap
A favorite superstition regarding summoning the devil tells us that if we start snapping our fingers while either sitting down or walking dow the street, we are inviting the devil to join us.
2. Whistling
Some say that those who whistle are touched by Satan. This may be due to the belief that Satan takes possession of a person through the mouth. Read further…
3. Yawning
Covering one’s mouth when yawning is less about good manners and more about preventing the devil from taking possession of one’s body. Apparently, Satan jumps at the opportunity to leap into an open mouth.
4. The Closet Door
A belief from Bulgaria tells us not to sleep with the closet door open. Keeping the door open while asleep is an invite to Satan to stop on by and pay one a visit.
5. The Lord’s Prayer Backwards
A very common English superstition tells us that we can summon Satan to sight by saying The Lord’s Prayer backwards:
“Evil from us deliver but temptation into not us lead and us against trespass who those forgive we as trespasses our us forgive and bread daily our day this us give heaven in is it as earth on done be will thy come kingdom thy name thy be hallowed heaven in art who father our.”
Sources:
1. Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World. Cora Linn Daniels. 1903.
2. Archaic England. Harold Bayley. 1919.
3. Dragons and Dragon Lore. Ernest Ingersoll. 1928.
I started to read the Lord’s Prayer backward aloud, then thought the better of it, continued reading it to myself, and then stopped a few sentences before finishing it. I’m not superstitious, but just sayin’…..
I read it out forwards and backwards yesterday evening to make sure I typed it in right. Nothing happened. Satan’s probably too busy taking calls from world leaders. 🙂