Learn about the real-life origins of scary stories, from the Annabelle doll to a possible presidential haunting: ruclips.net/video/kWO4U2dSk_c/видео.html
Old comment but yeah I tend to believe that there are practical explanations for many of these. Like I alway assumed that it was just a good idea not to walk under a ladder in case something should fall on you, or you knock it over. Then to justify it as bad luck people just made up something religious. Same with breaking mirrors. Mirrors were super expensive, to break one would have been a big waste until fairly recently. Then something about souls was just filled in.
I was told by my german teacher that breaking a mirror came from old times when mirrors were expensive and reserved for royalty. If a servant broke a mirror, it would cost him seven years worth of pay to replace it.
I always thought walking under a ladder was bad (Not luck) because what if I were to hit the ladder while somebody is on it, thus knocking them off said ladder?!? XD
Jim Fortune, I never truly believed in Luck. Maybe because I was a Star Wars kid. Anyhow, you make a good point, yes that would increase the odds the favor (eww, never meant a Hunger Games reference!) or dis favor of the person standing on said ladder. Umm, did I understand you properly? Either way I agree with your comment! DFTBA!
JJ Greywolf Yes, I think you got what I was saying. I asked my step son (a Pole) about a Polish superstition that if you find a Grosz (smallest coin, about 1/3 cent) and throw it away it gives you good luck. His response was "Maybe they figure if you can afford to throw money away, you've already had good luck."
Me too! I watch Scishow and Crash Course (all of them) on a regular basis and I was like WHO IS THIS BITCH PUSHING IT'S WAY INTO MY RECOMMENDED VIDEOS. Then I clicked it (the first one I watched was the 50 cool things about the 50 states of america, btw, Maine, only has one syllable. boring.) and I was like MOREMOREMORE/
I'm surprised he didn't mention the superstition of bridesmaids/men! The origin comes from the belief that evil spirits will come during a wedding to corrupt or steal the bride and groom, therefor you have a bunch of people all dress LIKE the bride in order to confuse the spirits so no one gets hurt. (all though really you could argue the everything about weddings is "superstition" but let's not spoil a nice thing)
Glad I've never heard the "hold your breath when passing a cemetery" one, as I live rather close to one and holding my breath constantly would result in my becoming a tenant. Also there's about a dozen cemeteries in my town so there wouldn't be a whole lot of living people if we listened to that. I also happen to live near a dog kennel, which comes with its own set of amusing stories.
Hoshimaru57 I used to live with a cemetery right over the back fence of a hovel when I was a late teen. Good thing I didn’t know about this holding your breath thing. At least, good thing for me.
@Mental Floss I think your wrong about the ladder one. The step ladder (two ladders hinged together at one end) was invented in 1862 by John Basely. And, this is very old superstition. One of the oldest forms of execution is by hanging (long conisdered most humane for the condemned; while at the same time most satisfying for those who wanted to see them dye the most). Ladders have always been very useful in this practice. Not only were ladders useful for rigging rope, and taking down bodies. They were often a hanging device of convenience, as well. Leaned against a building or a tree, a person could easily be hung from the top rung. Laid across a gap (rafters, standing beams, wall openings, between roof tops) several people could be hung at once. Often rope would not be found far from a ladder. Given that people used them to sled or pole bear loads, and as make shift cranes (a few men, a ladder and a rope can lift and move unbelievably heavy things on the fly). I would think, the superstition of passing under a ladder (especially since the kind needed to make this holy trinity idea work wasn't invented until long after this superstition was established) more likely comes from the idea that being under a ladder puts you in the same place as a person condemned to death.
A simpler and more stupid origin would be what my dad (jokingly) used to tell me, if you walk under a ladder the person who is using it could accidentally drop a hammer, so you better go around it to avoid the bad luck of dying by a blunt object to your head.
Reminds me of how my grandfather on my dad's side died (or as it's been told by my grandmother). He was walking down the street and and brick fell off of a building and hit his head.
I always thought it was because of the possibility of things being dropped or bumping the ladder. Someone deciding to walk under a ladder I'm on would certainly make me uncomfortable; especially given how clumsy some people can be. I'm not familiar with how often ladders were used as the crossbeam for makeshift gallows, but it does sound pretty plausible to me. Certainly more so than having anything to do with the trinity.
Children have fairy tales. Adults have superstitions. In either case they are warnings against small potential dangers put in a way that we are likely to be more interested in simply because they are more colorful. A person might be more careful about not breaking a mirror under the threat of continued misfortune. Then they would be, because broken glass can be really sharp, difficult to ever fully clean up etc.
I guess you're unaware that for, like, ever, people have had straight ladders and put them up against walls and stuff and this you could still be walking under a ladder.
Because I am a Greek Mythology know-it-all, I do have to correct you on one point. Artemis/Diana IS associated with the moon, but that was because of the very late-almost conquered by Rome anyway Greeks, and the Romans, who combined Artemis and Selene, the Titaness of the moon. Selene would drive her chariot across the sky at night, while her brother Helios drove the sun (Helios suffered the same fate as Selene and generally his role is merged with that of Apollo, who is the god of Light, which makes sense). Both Selene and Helios have their own myths that distinctly give their role. I still absolutely love this channel.
5:47 I heard that when good mirrors first appeared, it was very expensive due to the silver backing, and the process it took to get it smooth. A full length mirror cost about 7 years worth of wages, for commoners. So, if you broke one, that was 7 years to get a new one.
I always figured that walking under a ladder was simply a relatively dangerous thing to do, and that's the reason for the stigma. Same goes for opening umbrellas indoors.
Starwarman1 Granted. However, like my previous comment said said the "k" sound was in regard to ethnicity. As someone who speaks from an ethnic perspective, the correct pronunciation is celtic (kel-tic).
Years ago, my grandfather said that putting a hat on a bed was considered bad because of head lice, which were apparently quite common until the last century.
that started back in they day when we original generation American continent kids kept seeing sometimes that catch rates for Pokemon went up a little if we did something while the ball was moving, then reported that progress to others around us making that a good luck charm for others.
NO! Artemis was not the "Goddess of the moon." She was related to the moon, and connected to it, but the moon goddess was Selene. Artemis was goddess of the hunt. Sorry, had to get that out. John Green is still fantastic.
I was always taught not walk under a ladder because ptherwise a bucket of paint or something might fall on my head, and I always thought that break a leg was so you didn't jinx the show. But anyways, cool episode! I learned a lot of cool stuff.
my great-grandmother decided to "skip" her 13th year by telling everyone she was 12 until she turned 14. Also, some have said "break a leg" comes from the bend in the knee when you bow thus, "breaking" the leg.
For some reason I thought that a Friday the 13th in January is particularly unlucky, I can't remember where I heard it, it occurs to me now it may be something I made up because that's when my brother was born.
i think it has something to do with set you up for a bad year if you do something dangerous or stupid(by religious standards). it would set you up for a bad year ex: failed crops, still borns, illness, and what not.
I don't know if this is true, but I always thought the Friday the 13th thing was usually associated with King Louis the VIII of France officially declaring the Knight's Templar as treasonous to the crown and sentencing them do death, just so that he didn't have to pay his debt to the order.
I've heard that too, but it could all be speculation plus you probably watched the same documentary that I did, all in all I believe the Templar therory to be more accurate
Yes, according to history the Knights Templars' were raided on Friday, October 13, 1307 and charged with all sorts of crimes because the king of France ran out of money and decided to take theirs. Also, the Templars are credited for starting the Swiss Banking system. I found at least three things between two videos that were incorrect.
In Hebrew lore, the number 7 represents perfection and 6 (one less than 7) represents imperfection. Also, ancient Hebrew showed comparatives and superlatives by repeating the adjective once or twice; so 666 means "the most imperfect." I always heard that walking under a ladder was presented as bad luck for practical reasons, like not tipping the ladder over by bumping into it, or having someone up top drop something on you. The black cat thing probably started because at night, when most darker colored cats are out hunting, all you can really see are their eyes. So creepy. I always thought the umbrella superstition was another practical one. Opening an umbrella in confined quarters is a good way to accidentally poke someone in the eye. I was taught that the mirror superstition was practical as well, since for most of human history, mirrors were extremely expensive. Also, I don't know if it has anything to do with Friday the 13th; but the battle of Hastings was fought on Saturday the 14th. (This battle was also the supposed origin of the middle finger as an insult.)
No, no. The legs of "break a leg" refer to the vertical curtains at the edge of the stage. If an actor made it past the legs, breaking onto stage, then they were successful at doing their job. It is correct that it was the 1920s, though, and it is still considered unlucky to wish a performer "good luck"! Another option, especially will ballet companies, is saying "merde" which, of course is French for sh*t. I've heard this comes from wishing the dancers luck in not stepping on the poo left onstage by live animals in the show (from long ago, obviously). Another theatre superstition is that whistling in the theatre is horrible luck - this is because before headsets connected the stage managers to the crew, a whistle was one of the signals to do something or change a scene, so an actor's unwitting whistle would mess everything up. Sorry to word vomit, I just love theatre trivia!
I heard that a stage show would prepare many acts. You'd only get paid if they choose to perform an act you were in, so if you break a leg, you get paid.
I have a question about how we've named baby animals. Like a baby fox is a kit, a baby goat is a kid, baby sharks and baby dogs are pups, baby whales or cows are called calf, baby kangaroos are joeys, baby frogs are tadpoles, and a lion has cubs while a house cat has kittens. How are these classified? Who classifies them - and how is it decided what we call babies in the animal kingdom? What's the difference between a pup, a calf and a kitten? Why don't we just call them all cubs?
+Nume Moon I don't have an answer, but to expound on your question, what's up with groups of animals? Murder of crows, crash of rhinos, a shrewdness of apes, and my personal favorite, an ostentation of peacocks. How did those come about?
+Brandon Buchner See? Who thinks this stuff up? Who was in charge of deciding that a group of peacocks is so ostentatious? ...Or that a litter of dog babies are puppies?
I do not know if its true, but I have always thought that Fridays were unlucky because in old maritime culture (in medieval times) it was unlucky to sail away from port on a Friday because you would never be back on time to visit the church on Sunday. That combined with that there were 13 people at the last supper made Friday the 13th double unlucky.
Some of these I've never even heard of! Putting a hat on a bed? Holding your breath going past a graveyard? What!?? Oh but I am using "Give birth to a Bastard" that is just genius!!! Where does the superstition 'it's bad luck to put new shoes on a table' come from? Or 'killing a spider'? I've never killed one because it's bad luck but holy crap do I want to!!!
I always heard that spilling salt called the demon of waste and throwing it over your shoulder was to blind him, not the devil. Horseshoes also are a bit more complicated than presented here. The iron they were made of was said to ward off fae and by hanging them properly above the front door they are supposed to catch good luck.
12 is the most useful low composite number. A group of 12 can be split into 2's or 3's or 4's or 6's. So it has a sense of being a complete or whole number. The mathematical properties of 12 come first and the significance and religious meaning comes after.
+mathieu st-louis If by dissolution you mean the murder of most of the Knights Templar and the capture, torture, and death of the others, you are right. The move against them occurred on the 13th October 1307 which was a Friday.
+mathieu st-louis There are a few experts who assert that is the case, but that origin story wasn't put forth until the mid 1900s (in fact, Friday the 13th being a particularly inauspicious day isn't referenced in any known written works until the early 1900s). There are other origin stories as well that are just as likely (as John said, two unlucky things - 13 and Fridays - being brought together), but it's nearly impossible to say conclusively.
A horse bit the tip of my nose off when i was 8. Im still kinda terrified of them. I was only comfortable with my aunts two horses (i grew up riding them) after that. They have since passed. Thinking of facing my fear in the next year and getting back on one. Wish me luck!
Friday the 13th is also linked to the Templar's Massacre in 1307, where King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V had many Knights Templar tortured and killed on October 13, 1307, which was a Friday.
leg = the curtain at the front of the first wing of a theatre. Break= to enter Back in the old days they used to hire far more people than needed for any given production as it was more likely for actors to get sick, injured or not show up, but you only got paid if you made it onto the stage, break a leg means I hope you make it on stage so you can be paid.
No, it's related to similar superstitions like how you 'wish' someone who's about to go fishing "shit(ty) fishing", rather than "good luck". By the way, you don't want to say "break a leg" to a dancer, because unlike an actor, who just needs to take a break from acting, a broken leg might mean the end of their career for a dancer.
I have always heard the "bless you" origin was because when you sneeze all your organs stop of a second and if you carry on living after that you were blessed
I've been told (from an extremely accurate source) that number 6 is because when in England we used to hang people and when you walked under the ladder, you were messing with the hangers equipment and that was a hang able offence and the superstition continued.
Mr John Green If Totemism is the idea the animals were the ancestors of humans Technically humans are animals And descended from other animals, an ancestor which was also an animal.
i thought "break a leg" meant "receive a standing ovation so great that one of the mechanisms that hold the curtains up breaks from the pressure" idk man just science and history and shit
Artemis is often considered as the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology, because the twin of Artemis was Apollo the god of the sun, but actually she wasn't. The Greek goddess of the moon was Selene.
to be fair, she was right: the first to rise (dumbledore) was the first to die. one christmas, i noticed there were 13 of us, and i made sure to observe who got up from the dining table first.
You are exactly right. 12 apostles+1 Jesus=13 people. Thirteen people at the Last Supper, shortly after which, one of the people sitting at that table died a horrible death. Which of course he would have no matter how many people had been sitting at the table, but back then people didn't usually believe that there was any such thing as coincidences.
***** Not true. Blacksmiths and other craftsman made their objects in lots of a dozen. Having 13 people at your table meant that one guest had to be singled out as the extra set that the food, tableware and silverware was taken from might be inferior and therefore and insult to the guest. Even today, most of your food, silverware and other things are often bought in a dozen or half dozen. This is also why a bakers' dozen is 13.
Bethany Francia You are exactly right, that's what I would do... plus do you really want a Jesus around sharing his blood and body at the dinner table?!?! I would lose my appetite...
the reason the phrase 'break a leg' is used for performers is because curtains on stages used to be fixed and be raised and lowered from above, the bar at the bottom of the curtains was called a 'leg'. the term comes from wishing a cast lots of encores so the leg goes up and down so much it breaks
Read a book? I don't know how many words I have mispronounced for years because I saw the word in a book without ever having heard it uttered by human lips. 'Tis the curse of the well-read.
Tomato, tama(h)to. It's preference really. And you're telling John to read a book??? He's a fucking author, he writes books. I think he's probably read more books in a decade than you'll ever read. Know your shit before speaking, it can save your humility.
Ray Drouillard and TwiStedTentom you two have a serious lack of humor. the joke is that i said "it's pronounced celtic not 'celtic'" which of course means nothing since i'm typing the word... you two need a serious lesson in the internet.
trojan88tm Actually, the quotation marks made me think you were trying to pronounce it differently while still spelling it the same. Sorry I mistook your comment but next time try to elaborate a little better
From what I've heard about, "Break a leg," from a drama teacher of mine, the phrase is meant for someone to have a swift, glorious entrance onto the stage. The wings of the stage are also called the legs, so breaking a leg is going onto stage.
At 7:11 you use a pic of downtown Edmonton taken from a spot in my neighbourhood of Strathearn. Very cool! You can get really excellent sunrise pics from there.
You do realize that you are blaming Christians for a lot of the Catholic superstitions? I'm sure it may seem irrelevant to you, but it is not. FYI Christians, at least the ones that understand Christianity, don't believe Jesus was born on Christmas or that Easter is at all relevant, thanks pagans.
If you understood history, you'd understand why him making that simple mistake, makes him lose much creditable... Or at least whoever wrote the script and did the research
He often prefaces Christian with the word early, which really means Catholicism as other denominations did not really occur for well over a thousand years after the founding of Catholicism. Additionally most Catholic's are aware of Christmases true origins, Finally most of your comment is irrelevant to the video.
Everyone knows Christmas is just a celebration of his birth not his actual birth date. The word Christmas itself is derived from Christs mass. A mass to celebrate the life of Jesus Christ. No one truly believes he was born on Christmas but since that is the day dedicated to his birth they say happy birthday etc.
Logan Willhite So first you incorrectly categorize numerology as a pseudoscience (it never purported to be a science in the first place) then dismiss it out of hand. You ignore the fact that it permeated every advanced culture in ancient history and gave birth to modern number theory, but yea, hur dur, it's "pseudoscience", nothing to see here folks. Be gone child.
***** First off, numerology is absolutely a pseudoscience. "It" never purported to be a science because "it" is merely a concept and doesn't have the ability to talk. Many followers, however, absolutely believe it to be a form of science, as it is their way of understanding how things work. However, it lacks a scientific methodology which, by definition, makes it a pseudoscience. P.S. You shouldn't try to talk shit when: 1) You don't know what you're talking about 2) You are responding as a fictional character in the hopes of getting attention/likes, especially if you're the 53,543,523,463,425th person to try it. You automatically lose when you do.
I believe break a leg didnt originate in the us as John says, but in germany. Its just a simplifyed translation of "Hals- und Beinbruch" (lit."neck and leg-break") Wich originated (as quite a few german idioms) from the yiddish "hatslokhe u brokhe" (lit."Luck and Blessing")
Learn about the real-life origins of scary stories, from the Annabelle doll to a possible presidential haunting: ruclips.net/video/kWO4U2dSk_c/видео.html
Does it bother anyone else that John mentioned the three little pigs without putting a quarter into the pork chop party fund? :/
Yes.
I love the picture of Wishbone. That was one of my favorite TV shows as a child!
Now I have to say this was fantastic. My grandmother had many superstitions and you answered them all for me. Thank you.
I though it was bad luck to walk under a ladder because the people standing on it might drop, I don't know, a can of paint on you or something.
Or you could knock the ladder causing it and whoever is on it over and presumably on to you.
Old comment but yeah I tend to believe that there are practical explanations for many of these. Like I alway assumed that it was just a good idea not to walk under a ladder in case something should fall on you, or you knock it over. Then to justify it as bad luck people just made up something religious. Same with breaking mirrors. Mirrors were super expensive, to break one would have been a big waste until fairly recently. Then something about souls was just filled in.
Red paint, symbolizing Nguyen menstruation, this according to one of my college professors
Where'd that extra word come from, I didn't write that
I was told it was the person to be hungs only path to the gallows
I was told by my german teacher that breaking a mirror came from old times when mirrors were expensive and reserved for royalty. If a servant broke a mirror, it would cost him seven years worth of pay to replace it.
How about, "It's unlucky to walk under a ladder because shit falls off the ladder onto your head."
That's what I always figured the origin of that superstition was too.
I always thought walking under a ladder was bad (Not luck) because what if I were to hit the ladder while somebody is on it, thus knocking them off said ladder?!? XD
JJ Greywolf Well, you can call it making bad luck if you lower the odds of a good outcome, can't you?
Jim Fortune, I never truly believed in Luck. Maybe because I was a Star Wars kid. Anyhow, you make a good point, yes that would increase the odds the favor (eww, never meant a Hunger Games reference!) or dis favor of the person standing on said ladder. Umm, did I understand you properly? Either way I agree with your comment! DFTBA!
JJ Greywolf Yes, I think you got what I was saying.
I asked my step son (a Pole) about a Polish superstition that if you find a Grosz (smallest coin, about 1/3 cent) and throw it away it gives you good luck.
His response was "Maybe they figure if you can afford to throw money away, you've already had good luck."
I've never seen Mental Floss before, so I was skeptical. Then John Green turned around and I automatically hit subscribe
Me too! I watch Scishow and Crash Course (all of them) on a regular basis and I was like WHO IS THIS BITCH PUSHING IT'S WAY INTO MY RECOMMENDED VIDEOS. Then I clicked it (the first one I watched was the 50 cool things about the 50 states of america, btw, Maine, only has one syllable. boring.) and I was like MOREMOREMORE/
Friday, October 13th, 1307 is when the purge of the Knights Templar began.
Just an FYI to the "Friday the 13th" superstition.
You got it
That's exactly right! 50 knights were burned at the stake on that day. Friday October 13th
John Ginter wtf? Is this guy for real or is this channel really a joke>
Yeah! Didn't any else read or see The Da Vinci Code?
I learnt that from a discovery channel on the templar's
I'm surprised he didn't mention the superstition of bridesmaids/men! The origin comes from the belief that evil spirits will come during a wedding to corrupt or steal the bride and groom, therefor you have a bunch of people all dress LIKE the bride in order to confuse the spirits so no one gets hurt. (all though really you could argue the everything about weddings is "superstition" but let's not spoil a nice thing)
I could have sworn I heard that before! Good comment!
Old, new, borrowed and blue? Where's a TaRDiS when you need one?
You win.
I need a more than like for this comment! You can never have a bad time with the Tardis
"Apparently even our ancestors thought that jokes about f*cking like rabbits were funny"
Well put, John.
Always appreciate John Green's humor , even it's eight years old.
3:03 that's Ulysses S Grant, not Franklin Pierce.
I like John . One of the best on RUclips. Both educational and entertaining. 😊😏
I love how John Green is such a huge HP fan
Glad I've never heard the "hold your breath when passing a cemetery" one, as I live rather close to one and holding my breath constantly would result in my becoming a tenant. Also there's about a dozen cemeteries in my town so there wouldn't be a whole lot of living people if we listened to that.
I also happen to live near a dog kennel, which comes with its own set of amusing stories.
Lol 😂
Hoshimaru57 I used to live with a cemetery right over the back fence of a hovel when I was a late teen. Good thing I didn’t know about this holding your breath thing. At least, good thing for me.
Did anybody else get the dog picture reference when he said "Wishbone"?? :D
'nothing relating to Pennies will ever be worthwhile' rude. :(
F
John Green and Mental Floss-what a great combo! How long have I been missing this?! Anthropocene Reviewed is seriously the BEST podcast out there.
I sneezed and immediately after John said 'bless you.' xD
Its Celtic with a "K" sound. If you want to pronounce it with a "S" sound, please only refer to the Boston team.
Its my pet peeve, times a hundred thousand; thank a love of history and OCD
Or the football team
@@karlseider6237 why do you love OCD so much
Or the Glaswegian football team, I think that be a little older.
The pope slaughtered the templars on Friday the thirteenth. Its considered an unlucky day for French free masons.
And France based Templars...
@Mental Floss
I think your wrong about the ladder one. The step ladder (two ladders hinged together at one end) was invented in 1862 by John Basely.
And, this is very old superstition. One of the oldest forms of execution is by hanging (long conisdered most humane for the condemned; while at the same time most satisfying for those who wanted to see them dye the most).
Ladders have always been very useful in this practice. Not only were ladders useful for rigging rope, and taking down bodies. They were often a hanging device of convenience, as well. Leaned against a building or a tree, a person could easily be hung from the top rung. Laid across a gap (rafters, standing beams, wall openings, between roof tops) several people could be hung at once.
Often rope would not be found far from a ladder. Given that people used them to sled or pole bear loads, and as make shift cranes (a few men, a ladder and a rope can lift and move unbelievably heavy things on the fly).
I would think, the superstition of passing under a ladder (especially since the kind needed to make this holy trinity idea work wasn't invented until long after this superstition was established) more likely comes from the idea that being under a ladder puts you in the same place as a person condemned to death.
A simpler and more stupid origin would be what my dad (jokingly) used to tell me, if you walk under a ladder the person who is using it could accidentally drop a hammer, so you better go around it to avoid the bad luck of dying by a blunt object to your head.
Reminds me of how my grandfather on my dad's side died (or as it's been told by my grandmother). He was walking down the street and and brick fell off of a building and hit his head.
I always thought it was because of the possibility of things being dropped or bumping the ladder. Someone deciding to walk under a ladder I'm on would certainly make me uncomfortable; especially given how clumsy some people can be.
I'm not familiar with how often ladders were used as the crossbeam for makeshift gallows, but it does sound pretty plausible to me. Certainly more so than having anything to do with the trinity.
Children have fairy tales. Adults have superstitions. In either case they are warnings against small potential dangers put in a way that we are likely to be more interested in simply because they are more colorful.
A person might be more careful about not breaking a mirror under the threat of continued misfortune. Then they would be, because broken glass can be really sharp, difficult to ever fully clean up etc.
I guess you're unaware that for, like, ever, people have had straight ladders and put them up against walls and stuff and this you could still be walking under a ladder.
Because I am a Greek Mythology know-it-all, I do have to correct you on one point. Artemis/Diana IS associated with the moon, but that was because of the very late-almost conquered by Rome anyway Greeks, and the Romans, who combined Artemis and Selene, the Titaness of the moon. Selene would drive her chariot across the sky at night, while her brother Helios drove the sun (Helios suffered the same fate as Selene and generally his role is merged with that of Apollo, who is the god of Light, which makes sense). Both Selene and Helios have their own myths that distinctly give their role.
I still absolutely love this channel.
5:47 I heard that when good mirrors first appeared, it was very expensive due to the silver backing, and the process it took to get it smooth. A full length mirror cost about 7 years worth of wages, for commoners.
So, if you broke one, that was 7 years to get a new one.
I always figured that walking under a ladder was simply a relatively dangerous thing to do, and that's the reason for the stigma. Same goes for opening umbrellas indoors.
Cetlic (in regards to ethnicity) is pronounced when a "K" sound as in k-eltic. I've been binging on these videos so I figured I'd give something back.
Yes but when England adopted the word in the language it was pronounced with a c like the basket ball team of celtic so either way is correct
Starwarman1 Granted. However, like my previous comment said said the "k" sound was in regard to ethnicity. As someone who speaks from an ethnic perspective, the correct pronunciation is celtic (kel-tic).
Years ago, my grandfather said that putting a hat on a bed was considered bad because of head lice, which were apparently quite common until the last century.
Please do a show about old medical treatments we used to use. Also old medical treatments that are actually useful
your flat dry humor is so funny. i love it. subscribed!!
You forgot to explain how holding the B button when I'm trying to catch a Pokemon started
that started back in they day when we original generation American continent kids kept seeing sometimes that catch rates for Pokemon went up a little if we did something while the ball was moving, then reported that progress to others around us making that a good luck charm for others.
Yep. Red and Blue. Didn't even need the internet. Same as MissingNo.
NO! Artemis was not the "Goddess of the moon." She was related to the moon, and connected to it, but the moon goddess was Selene. Artemis was goddess of the hunt. Sorry, had to get that out. John Green is still fantastic.
Good to know. Thanks.
Benefits of being a ginger you can't sneeze your soul out
Ah, so are you saying gingers are soulless individuals?
I’m so happy to have found your show again!!!🏆🌹
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" The TARDIS?!
Pie Pierrot there’s a little known ending in the phrase consisting of having money in your shoe for luck financially after the wedding as well.
I was always taught not walk under a ladder because ptherwise a bucket of paint or something might fall on my head, and I always thought that break a leg was so you didn't jinx the show. But anyways, cool episode! I learned a lot of cool stuff.
Oops I meant otherwise.
Wait... Is he John green? Like the author of looking for Alaska and the fault in our stars John green. I love that dude!
You're new here, aren't you? ;D
So all those times I cut under a ladder I was just like 'fuck you Holy Spirit'?
LOL Iloved that Wishbone the dog showed up.
my great-grandmother decided to "skip" her 13th year by telling everyone she was 12 until she turned 14. Also, some have said "break a leg" comes from the bend in the knee when you bow thus, "breaking" the leg.
For some reason I thought that a Friday the 13th in January is particularly unlucky, I can't remember where I heard it, it occurs to me now it may be something I made up because that's when my brother was born.
i think it has something to do with set you up for a bad year if you do something dangerous or stupid(by religious standards). it would set you up for a bad year ex: failed crops, still borns, illness, and what not.
I heard this too as a little girl! I always thought it was because January is sort of the 13th month -- since it's the month after December.
I don't know if this is true, but I always thought the Friday the 13th thing was usually associated with King Louis the VIII of France officially declaring the Knight's Templar as treasonous to the crown and sentencing them do death, just so that he didn't have to pay his debt to the order.
Just because he sounds confident in believing what he is saying is fact, doesn't mean it always is. People who sound smart, can still be wrong.
I've heard that too, but it could all be speculation plus you probably watched the same documentary that I did, all in all I believe the Templar therory to be more accurate
This is a common misconception. He did have them killed on Friday the 13th but the superstition originates before that.
13 got unlucky because of Jacques de Molay, isn't it ?
Yes, according to history the Knights Templars' were raided on Friday, October 13, 1307 and charged with all sorts of crimes because the king of France ran out of money and decided to take theirs. Also, the Templars are credited for starting the Swiss Banking system. I found at least three things between two videos that were incorrect.
The Diamond Realm the French king owed money to the templars, he decided to kill the banker
This is has got to be my favorite one of your episodes.
In Hebrew lore, the number 7 represents perfection and 6 (one less than 7) represents imperfection. Also, ancient Hebrew showed comparatives and superlatives by repeating the adjective once or twice; so 666 means "the most imperfect."
I always heard that walking under a ladder was presented as bad luck for practical reasons, like not tipping the ladder over by bumping into it, or having someone up top drop something on you.
The black cat thing probably started because at night, when most darker colored cats are out hunting, all you can really see are their eyes. So creepy.
I always thought the umbrella superstition was another practical one. Opening an umbrella in confined quarters is a good way to accidentally poke someone in the eye. I was taught that the mirror superstition was practical as well, since for most of human history, mirrors were extremely expensive.
Also, I don't know if it has anything to do with Friday the 13th; but the battle of Hastings was fought on Saturday the 14th. (This battle was also the supposed origin of the middle finger as an insult.)
No, no. The legs of "break a leg" refer to the vertical curtains at the edge of the stage. If an actor made it past the legs, breaking onto stage, then they were successful at doing their job. It is correct that it was the 1920s, though, and it is still considered unlucky to wish a performer "good luck"! Another option, especially will ballet companies, is saying "merde" which, of course is French for sh*t. I've heard this comes from wishing the dancers luck in not stepping on the poo left onstage by live animals in the show (from long ago, obviously). Another theatre superstition is that whistling in the theatre is horrible luck - this is because before headsets connected the stage managers to the crew, a whistle was one of the signals to do something or change a scene, so an actor's unwitting whistle would mess everything up. Sorry to word vomit, I just love theatre trivia!
I heard that a stage show would prepare many acts. You'd only get paid if they choose to perform an act you were in, so if you break a leg, you get paid.
I thought it was from the Yiddish Hatsloche un Broche (success and blessing) crossing over with the German Hals- und Beinbruch (break neck and legs)..
I have a question about how we've named baby animals. Like a baby fox is a kit, a baby goat is a kid, baby sharks and baby dogs are pups, baby whales or cows are called calf, baby kangaroos are joeys, baby frogs are tadpoles, and a lion has cubs while a house cat has kittens. How are these classified? Who classifies them - and how is it decided what we call babies in the animal kingdom? What's the difference between a pup, a calf and a kitten? Why don't we just call them all cubs?
+Nume Moon because english.
Victor Bian I have a hunch it's more complex than that.
Nume Moon lol
+Nume Moon I don't have an answer, but to expound on your question, what's up with groups of animals? Murder of crows, crash of rhinos, a shrewdness of apes, and my personal favorite, an ostentation of peacocks. How did those come about?
+Brandon Buchner See? Who thinks this stuff up? Who was in charge of deciding that a group of peacocks is so ostentatious? ...Or that a litter of dog babies are puppies?
You said 3 little pigs. What about the pork chop party fund?
I do not know if its true, but I have always thought that Fridays were unlucky because in old maritime culture (in medieval times) it was unlucky to sail away from port on a Friday because you would never be back on time to visit the church on Sunday. That combined with that there were 13 people at the last supper made Friday the 13th double unlucky.
Great video, loved the comments and the information!
When you wished us well, did you wish on a shooting star or a dandelion?
Something old, something new, something borrowed from Doctor Who
Some of these I've never even heard of! Putting a hat on a bed? Holding your breath going past a graveyard? What!??
Oh but I am using "Give birth to a Bastard" that is just genius!!!
Where does the superstition 'it's bad luck to put new shoes on a table' come from? Or 'killing a spider'? I've never killed one because it's bad luck but holy crap do I want to!!!
FDR is pretty much Professor Trelawney.
I always heard that spilling salt called the demon of waste and throwing it over your shoulder was to blind him, not the devil. Horseshoes also are a bit more complicated than presented here. The iron they were made of was said to ward off fae and by hanging them properly above the front door they are supposed to catch good luck.
😂 I love learning with you, your sense of humor is the best!
The day the Templar order was accused of heresy was october the 13th
Was just about to point that out. And it was a Friday. That was where I heard the start of the Friday the 13th stuff came from.
He mentioned the three little pigs without putting a quarter in teh staff Pork Chop Party Fund. When did that superstition begin?
Whenever you say "Mental Floss", I think you're saying "Menopause" LOL
12 is the most useful low composite number. A group of 12 can be split into 2's or 3's or 4's or 6's. So it has a sense of being a complete or whole number. The mathematical properties of 12 come first and the significance and religious meaning comes after.
"When a black cat crosses you path, it means its going somewhere."
Groucho Marx
I thought that Friday the 13th came from the dissolution of the knights templar
+mathieu st-louis If by dissolution you mean the murder of most of the Knights Templar and the capture, torture, and death of the others, you are right. The move against them occurred on the 13th October 1307 which was a Friday.
+mathieu st-louis There are a few experts who assert that is the case, but that origin story wasn't put forth until the mid 1900s (in fact, Friday the 13th being a particularly inauspicious day isn't referenced in any known written works until the early 1900s).
There are other origin stories as well that are just as likely (as John said, two unlucky things - 13 and Fridays - being brought together), but it's nearly impossible to say conclusively.
8:47 Thanks for watching menopause on RUclips!
ME TOO
A horse bit the tip of my nose off when i was 8. Im still kinda terrified of them. I was only comfortable with my aunts two horses (i grew up riding them) after that. They have since passed. Thinking of facing my fear in the next year and getting back on one. Wish me luck!
That is the best collection of random stuff I've ever seen.
In relation to the ladder another one of the reasons it was bad luck because you were more likely to get hit on the head with a brick, tool, etc.
Friday the 13th is also linked to the Templar's Massacre in 1307, where King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V had many Knights Templar tortured and killed on October 13, 1307, which was a Friday.
Hipsygirl Thank You !!!! I could not believe that he did not mention that!!!
leg = the curtain at the front of the first wing of a theatre.
Break= to enter
Back in the old days they used to hire far more people than needed for any given production as it was more likely for actors to get sick, injured or not show up, but you only got paid if you made it onto the stage, break a leg means I hope you make it on stage so you can be paid.
I always heard people belived that if you suffered an inconvinance (i.e. a broken leg), then you would have good luck (i.e. a good preformance).
No, it's related to similar superstitions like how you 'wish' someone who's about to go fishing "shit(ty) fishing", rather than "good luck". By the way, you don't want to say "break a leg" to a dancer, because unlike an actor, who just needs to take a break from acting, a broken leg might mean the end of their career for a dancer.
Posted 6 years ago but showed up on my recommend vids to watch today
When u said "wait for it" I thought u were ginna reference the Mongols and I got excited
When someone sneezes in Sweden, we say "prosit", which is latin for "may it be of use". :)
I have a cold coming up, so you may use my sneezes.
Gesundheit is German for "health."
667: the neighbor of the beast.
That's gold
More like 668 or 664 because evens and odds :|
667, across the street from the beast.
Peepo 😂
@@DaddyMunro1 665 is the other guy across the street from the beast.
That wasn't Franklin Pierce. Thanks mark. Ahh Canadians.
I have always heard the "bless you" origin was because when you sneeze all your organs stop of a second and if you carry on living after that you were blessed
I've been told (from an extremely accurate source) that number 6 is because when in England we used to hang people and when you walked under the ladder, you were messing with the hangers equipment and that was a hang able offence and the superstition continued.
Mr John Green
If Totemism is the idea the animals were the ancestors of humans
Technically humans are animals
And descended from other animals, an ancestor which was also an animal.
❤👍💯
i thought "break a leg" meant "receive a standing ovation so great that one of the mechanisms that hold the curtains up breaks from the pressure" idk man just science and history and shit
Am I the only person who thinks this guy speaks exactly like Hank from Sci Show?
They're brothers!
Wooooosh, @EricaB
Artemis is often considered as the goddess of the moon in Greek mythology, because the twin of Artemis was Apollo the god of the sun, but actually she wasn't. The Greek goddess of the moon was Selene.
Useless information for dummies. Love it.
Another person not willing to dine with 13: Trelawny.
to be fair, she was right: the first to rise (dumbledore) was the first to die. one christmas, i noticed there were 13 of us, and i made sure to observe who got up from the dining table first.
Unlucky 13? Thirteen at the Last Supper, one betrayed Jesus.
Hurricane Katrina I thought he had 12
He did. So idk where they get 13 at the last supper. Just now realized. 12 disciples and Jesus would make 13.... But it's still ridiculous.
I don't get that 13 guest at a dinner party thing. If he has 12 guest and him it would be 13 people.
You are exactly right. 12 apostles+1 Jesus=13 people. Thirteen people at the Last Supper, shortly after which, one of the people sitting at that table died a horrible death. Which of course he would have no matter how many people had been sitting at the table, but back then people didn't usually believe that there was any such thing as coincidences.
***** Not true. Blacksmiths and other craftsman made their objects in lots of a dozen. Having 13 people at your table meant that one guest had to be singled out as the extra set that the food, tableware and silverware was taken from might be inferior and therefore and insult to the guest. Even today, most of your food, silverware and other things are often bought in a dozen or half dozen. This is also why a bakers' dozen is 13.
OvAppolyon
Your comment is duly noted, but I don't think it addresses the extent of the superstition.
He'd probably invite 11 people so it's 12 people in total.
Bethany Francia
You are exactly right, that's what I would do... plus do you really want a Jesus around sharing his blood and body at the dinner table?!?! I would lose my appetite...
the reason the phrase 'break a leg' is used for performers is because curtains on stages used to be fixed and be raised and lowered from above, the bar at the bottom of the curtains was called a 'leg'. the term comes from wishing a cast lots of encores so the leg goes up and down so much it breaks
how come i didn't know this channel before??! lol i literally am subscribed to all of Hank and John other channels
In nearly every common language, the word for spirit is the same as breath. Even English: reSPIRate
27 - Artemis, goddess of the Moon?! Selene is the goddess of the Moon, while Artemis is (primarily) the goddess of hunt.
Nah that’s Hircene
and its celtic with a k sound.
And it's Celtic with an S sound for others. Stop being close minded.
JonnyXrep what, keltis? :D
No, Seltic.
JonnyXrep please, look up the translation of it into other languages and their pronounciation :D you'll see, that [keltik] is probably most accurate
JonnyXrep(/ˈsɛltɪk/) is how you pronounce the name of the Scottish Football team. (/ˈkɛltɪk/) is how you pronounce the name of the culture.
That was a very interesting and extremely educational video. I learned a lot.
Thank you for the video.
oh dang that last one scared me. I am going to me the ring barer at a wedding.
Do you realize when mumble "mental_floss " you sound like you're saying menopause. Lol. It's true. Check it out
Screw 7, 8 is my lucky number!!!!!!!!
Serket's get punished for saying any number other than 8.
Calm down Vriska \(-_-\) always wanted to do that
Three used to be my favorite number
No such thing as a lucky number. Grow the fuck up.
dakerson1234
I was making a reference to something.
it's pronounced celtic, not "celtic." read a book gosh darn it!
Read a book?
I don't know how many words I have mispronounced for years because I saw the word in a book without ever having heard it uttered by human lips. 'Tis the curse of the well-read.
Tomato, tama(h)to. It's preference really. And you're telling John to read a book??? He's a fucking author, he writes books. I think he's probably read more books in a decade than you'll ever read. Know your shit before speaking, it can save your humility.
Ray Drouillard and TwiStedTentom you two have a serious lack of humor. the joke is that i said "it's pronounced celtic not 'celtic'" which of course means nothing since i'm typing the word... you two need a serious lesson in the internet.
.
trojan88tm Actually, the quotation marks made me think you were trying to pronounce it differently while still spelling it the same. Sorry I mistook your comment but next time try to elaborate a little better
From what I've heard about, "Break a leg," from a drama teacher of mine, the phrase is meant for someone to have a swift, glorious entrance onto the stage. The wings of the stage are also called the legs, so breaking a leg is going onto stage.
At 7:11 you use a pic of downtown Edmonton taken from a spot in my neighbourhood of Strathearn. Very cool! You can get really excellent sunrise pics from there.
You do realize that you are blaming Christians for a lot of the Catholic superstitions? I'm sure it may seem irrelevant to you, but it is not. FYI Christians, at least the ones that understand Christianity, don't believe Jesus was born on Christmas or that Easter is at all relevant, thanks pagans.
shhhhhhh
If you understood history, you'd understand why him making that simple mistake, makes him lose much creditable... Or at least whoever wrote the script and did the research
He often prefaces Christian with the word early, which really means Catholicism as other denominations did not really occur for well over a thousand years after the founding of Catholicism. Additionally most Catholic's are aware of Christmases true origins, Finally most of your comment is irrelevant to the video.
Everyone knows Christmas is just a celebration of his birth not his actual birth date. The word Christmas itself is derived from Christs mass. A mass to celebrate the life of Jesus Christ. No one truly believes he was born on Christmas but since that is the day dedicated to his birth they say happy birthday etc.
u do realize where christianity came from right?
Wow, what a shockingly naive understanding of numerology. Pro-Tip folks, take what you see on this video with a "grain of salt".
Right. As if numerology, a pseudoscience, should not be taken with a grain of salt.
Logan Willhite So first you incorrectly categorize numerology as a pseudoscience (it never purported to be a science in the first place) then dismiss it out of hand. You ignore the fact that it permeated every advanced culture in ancient history and gave birth to modern number theory, but yea, hur dur, it's "pseudoscience", nothing to see here folks. Be gone child.
*****
First off, numerology is absolutely a pseudoscience. "It" never purported to be a science because "it" is merely a concept and doesn't have the ability to talk. Many followers, however, absolutely believe it to be a form of science, as it is their way of understanding how things work. However, it lacks a scientific methodology which, by definition, makes it a pseudoscience.
P.S. You shouldn't try to talk shit when:
1) You don't know what you're talking about
2) You are responding as a fictional character in the hopes of getting attention/likes, especially if you're the 53,543,523,463,425th person to try it. You automatically lose when you do.
PSonak shhh, shhh, mommy loves you shhhhhh
***** Slap him like the bitch he is
I believe break a leg didnt originate in the us as John says, but in germany.
Its just a simplifyed translation of "Hals- und Beinbruch" (lit."neck and leg-break")
Wich originated (as quite a few german idioms) from the yiddish "hatslokhe u brokhe" (lit."Luck and Blessing")
I did very much enjoy this video, yep this channels a winner, "Liked, Subscribed" on to the next video!
Friday, October 13, 1307 Knights Templar raids and crushing. I always understood that was where this one came from.