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Rabbit's Foot
In some cultures, a rabbit's foot is carried as an amulet believed to bring good luck. This belief is held by people in a great number of places around the world, including Europe, Africa, Australia and North and South America. In variations of this superstition, the rabbit it came from must possess certain attributes, such as having been killed in a particular place, using a particular method, or by a person possessing particular attributes (e.g., by a cross-eyed man). It has been suggested by Benjamin Radford that the rabbit's foot could be connected to a European good luck charm called the Hand of Glory, a hand cut from a hanged man and then pickled. In North American culture The belief in North American folklore may originate in the system of folk magic known as " hoodoo". A number of strictures attached to the charm are now observed mostly in the breach, namely that it must be the left hind foot of a rabbit which was shot or otherwise captured in a cemetery. Some sources ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rabbitsfoot
The rabbitsfoot (''Theliderma cylindrica'') is a species of freshwater mussel. It is an aquatic bivalve mollusk, in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. This species is native to the United States, where it is widespread in the drainages of the Ohio River and the Great Lakes. It has disappeared from over half its historic range. Subspecies Two subspecies have been described. It is unclear whether they represent distinct evolutionary lineages, or are merely ecophenotypic variation which would not warrant any taxonomic status. A 2007 genetic study has cast doubt upon the validity of the existence of two subspecies. * ''Theliderma cylindrica cylindrica'' (Say, 1817) — * ''Theliderma cylindrica strigillata'' (Wright, 1898) — Rough rabbitsfoot, found only in the headwaters of the Tennessee River. Conservation ''Quadrula cylindrica cylindrica'' has been listed as an Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Augury
Augury was a Greco- Roman religious practice of observing the behavior of birds, to receive omens. When the individual, known as the augur, read these signs, it was referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" () means "looking at birds". ''Auspex'', another word for augur, can be translated to "one who looks at birds". Depending upon the birds, the auspices from the gods could be favorable or unfavorable (''auspicious'' or ''inauspicious''). Sometimes politically motivated augurs would fabricate unfavorable auspices in order to delay certain state functions, such as elections. Pliny the Elder attributes the invention of auspicy to Tiresias the seer of Thebes. Over the development of the Roman empire, the definition of augury broadened to include other forms of divination. Haruspicy —the examination of animal entrails—was learned from the Etruscans. The Etruscan practice of observing thunder and lightning was also adapted. In Cicero’s time, the augurs had mostly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Relic
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, shamanism, and many other religions. ''Relic'' derives from the Latin ''reliquiae'', meaning "remains", and a form of the Latin verb ''relinquere'', to "leave behind, or abandon". A reliquary is a shrine that houses one or more religious relics. In classical antiquity In ancient Greece, a polis, city or Greek temple, sanctuary might claim to possess, without necessarily displaying, the remains of a venerated hero as a part of a Greek hero cult, hero cult. Other venerable objects associated with the hero were more likely to be on display in sanctuaries, such as spears, shields, or other weaponry; chariots, ships or Figurehead (object), figureheads; furniture such a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goodness And Value Theory
Value theory, also called ''axiology'', studies the nature, sources, and types of values. It is a branch of philosophy and an interdisciplinary field closely associated with social sciences such as economics, sociology, anthropology, and psychology. Value is the worth of something, usually understood as covering both positive and negative degrees corresponding to the terms ''good'' and ''bad''. Values influence many human endeavors related to emotion, decision-making, and action. Value theorists distinguish various types of values, like the contrast between intrinsic and instrumental value. An entity has intrinsic value if it is good in itself, independent of external factors. An entity has instrumental value if it is useful as a means leading to other good things. Other classifications focus on the type of benefit, including economic, moral, political, aesthetic, and religious values. Further categorizations distinguish absolute values from values that are relative to somethi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Witchcraft
Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meaning. According to ''Encyclopedia Britannica'', "Witchcraft thus defined exists more in the imagination", but it "has constituted for many cultures a viable explanation of evil in the world". The belief in witches has been found throughout history in a great number of societies worldwide. Most of these societies have used Apotropaic magic, protective magic or counter-magic against witchcraft, and have shunned, banished, imprisoned, physically punished or killed alleged witches. Anthropologists use the term "witchcraft" for similar beliefs about harmful occult practices in different cultures, and these societies often use the term when speaking in English. Belief in witchcraft as malevolent magic is attested from #Ancient Mesopotamian religion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Cat
A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Black cats are the subject of mythology, legend, and superstition. They are often associated with Witchcraft, witches and good or bad luck in European folklore. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay cat, Bombay breed is exclusively black. Coat Any cat whose fur is a single color, including black, is known as a "solid" or "self". A "solid black" cat may be coal black, grayish black, or brownish black. Most solid-colored cats result from a recessive gene that suppresses the Tabby cat, tabby pattern. Sometimes the tabby pattern is not completely suppressed; faint markings may appear in certain lights, even on a solid black cat. A cat having black fur with white roots i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John The Conqueror
John the Conqueror, also known as High John the Conqueror, John, Jack, and many other folk variants, is a deity from the African-American spiritual system called hoodoo. Due to there being little early written information on the John the Conqueror root, many of the earliest mentions are from oral traditions and in tales from escaped slaves like Frederick Douglass in his autobiography " Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," published in 1845. He is associated with the roots of '' Ipomoea purga'', the John the Conqueror root or John the Conqueroo, a plant native to the South-eastern United States. Tales of magical powers are ascribed in African-American folklore to the plant, especially among practitioners of Hoodoo. Muddy Waters mentions him as Johnny Cocheroo in the songs " Mannish Boy" and " I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man". In "Mannish Boy", the line is "I think I'll go down/To old Kansas too/I'm gonna bring back my second cousin/That little Johnny ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mojo (African American Culture)
A mojo (), in the African-American spiritual practice called Hoodoo (folk magic), Hoodoo, is an amulet consisting of a flannel bag containing one or more magical items. It is a "apotropaic magic, prayer in a bag", or a spell that can be carried with or on the host's body. Alternative American names for the mojo bag include gris-gris bag,Bradley, Jude; Coen, Cheré Dastugue (2010). ''Magic's in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris and Sachets''. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn. hand, mojo hand, toby, nation sack, conjure hand, lucky hand, conjure bag, juju, juju bag, trick bag, tricken bag, root bag, package, and jomo. The word mojo also refers to conjure, Hoodoo, and charms. Mojo containers are bags, gourds, bottles, shells, and other containers. The making of mojo bags is a system of African-American occult magic. The creation of mojo bags is an esoteric system that involves sometimes housing spirits inside of bags for either protection, healing, or harm and to consult with sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Cat Bone
A black cat bone is a type of lucky charm used in the magical tradition of hoodoo. It is thought to ensure a variety of positive effects, such as invisibility, good luck, protection from malevolent magic, rebirth after death, and romantic success. The bone, anointed with Van Van oil, may be carried as a component of a mojo bag; alternatively, without the coating of oil, it is held in the charm-user's mouth. Origins The black cat has been a symbol of both good and ill luck in near-worldwide folklore accounts. Magical traditions involving black cat ''bones'', specifically, have been found in German-Canadian practice as well as in hoodoo; these German-Canadian magic-makers were not previously in contact with hoodooists, suggesting a European origin to the charm. The use of the black cat bone to ensure invisibility, specifically as an aid to people, is comparable to the European Hand of Glory. Differences in method After a black cat is caught, it is almost universally bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hoochie Coochie Man
"Hoochie Coochie Man" (originally titled "I'm Your Hoochie Cooche Man") is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954. The song makes reference to hoodoo folk magic elements and makes novel use of a stop-time musical arrangement. It became one of Waters' most popular and identifiable songs and helped secure Dixon's role as Chess Records' chief songwriter. The song is a classic of Chicago blues and one of Waters' first recordings with a full backing band. Dixon's lyrics build on Waters' earlier use of ''braggadocio'' and themes of fortune and sex appeal. The stop-time riff was "soon absorbed into the ''lingua franca'' of blues, R&B, jazz, and rock and roll", according to musicologist Robert Palmer, and is used in several popular songs. When Bo Diddley adapted it for " I'm a Man", it became one of the most recognizable musical phrases in blues. After the song's initial success in 1954, Waters recorded several live and new studio vers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Willie Dixon
William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he is perhaps best known as one of the most prolific songwriters of his time. Next to Muddy Waters, Dixon is recognized as the most influential person in shaping the post–World War II sound of the Chicago blues. Dixon's songs have been recorded by countless musicians in many genres as well as by various ensembles in which he participated. A short list of his most famous compositions includes "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "Little Red Rooster", "My Babe", "Spoonful", and "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover". These songs were written during the peak years of Chess Records, from 1950 to 1965, and were performed by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Bo Diddley; they influenced a generation of musicians wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rabbit Foot Blues
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock, and a pet, having a widespread effect on ecologies and cultures. The most widespread rabbit genera are ''Oryctolagus'' and ''Sylvilagus''. The former, ''Oryctolagus'', includes the European rabbit, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'', which is the ancestor of the hundreds of breeds of domestic rabbit and has been introduced on every continent except Antarctica. The latter, ''Sylvilagus'', includes over 13 wild rabbit species, among them the cottontails and tapetis. Wild rabbits not included in ''Oryctolagus'' and ''Sylvilagus'' include several species of limited distribution, including the pygmy rabbit, volcano rabbit, and Sumatran striped rabbit. Rabbits are a paraphyletic grouping, and do not constitute a clade, as hares (belonging ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
