Was This Irish Superstition Passed Down in Your Family?

Céad Míle Fáilte – and welcome to your Letter from Ireland for this week. The autumn mists are rolling across the fields here in County Cork, and with the clocks going back here in Ireland last night, we are certainly heading into the darker half of the year. How are things in your part of the world today?

I’m sipping on a cup of Maher’s coffee as I write, and I do hope you’ll join me with whatever you fancy as we explore some of the more mysterious aspects of Irish folklore and family traditions.

Irish Superstitions and Traditions.

Given the time of year – Samhain or Halloween – a time when the spirits and superstition walked hand in hand across the fields of Ireland, I thought it would be interesting to look at Irish superstitions that were passed down through many of our families. One I remember from my mother’s family was the tradition of “Piseogs”.

In Ireland, there’s a special kind of magic called “Piseogs” (pronounced “pish-ogues”). While many cultures have their own magical traditions, Piseogs are particularly interesting because they’re all about the power of fear and belief.

Let’s have an example: A farmer finds mysterious eggs in the hay they feed their cows. They get so worried about the “curse” that they throw away all the hay. Without food, their cows become weak and sick. The curse seemed to work, but it was really the farmer’s own fear that caused the problem!

Piseogs are different from other magical traditions. In some stories, people try to use magical creatures or write special notes to make things happen. But with Piseogs, people believed that just wanting something bad to happen – and making the target person afraid – was enough to make it come true.

Some common Piseog “curses” included:

Putting eggs in someone’s field to ruin their crops
Using special three-legged stools to “steal” milk from someone else’s cows
Leaving cursed objects near someone’s new house to bring bad luck

Whether or not you believe in magic, these curses often worked because people believed in them so strongly. When someone thought they were cursed, they would get so scared that they might destroy their own crops or stop taking care of their animals or simply make bad decisions because they are worried.

So, the most powerful part wasn’t any magical spell – it was the fear itself that caused all the trouble. It’s like when you’re scared of something – even if it’s not really dangerous, being afraid can make you act differently.

The next time you hear about old traditions and Irish superstitions, remember that sometimes the main intention is how scared people get when they think they’ve been cursed. Such was the intention of the “Piseog”!

So, how about you? Do you have any Irish superstitions or customs like this that have been passed down through your own Irish family? Do share them in the comments section below.

Sometimes these old beliefs tell us as much about our ancestors as any historical document!

That’s it for now,

Oíche Shamhna shona duit! (Happy Halloween to you – pronounced “EE-ha HOW-na HUN-a dit”)

Slán until next week, Mike.