Bizarre Old Superstitions: Umbrellas, Chimney Sweeps & Deadly Omens | The Strange History Podcast

In Part Two of Old Superstitions and Where They Came From, host Amy dives even deeper into history’s weirdest omens — from cursed umbrellas and lucky chimney sweeps to haunted birds, poisoned wine toasts, and the mysterious house spirits that still lurk in folklore. Learn why Victorians feared birds in the house, why brides once kissed chimney sweeps for luck, and how a sneeze once required a papal blessing to survive. It’s another darkly funny, historically rich journey into the strange ways humans have tried to outsmart fate. Packed with humor, fake ads, and centuries of delightful nonsense, this Strange History Podcast episode explores the odd rituals that shaped our everyday habits — and reminds us that a little superstition never hurt… unless you open that umbrella indoors. Press play, raise your glass, and let’s toast to surviving another curse.

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This episode of The Strange History Podcast was lovingly crafted with the help of ElevenLabs.io — the magical technology that gives Amy her time to sleep, eat, work and spend time with her dog Jack. While some might say she sounds too good to be true, we assure you, Amy is absolutely a real person… who just happens to have access to studio-grade AI vocal cords and an unnatural ability to pronounce “necromancy” without flinching. Any resemblance to an AI is purely coincidental — and mildly flattering. Dan the announcers name is really Bill and Patrick, the fake ad guy who thinks he is funny? well he is questionable at best. So yes, AI was used but the people are real and the shinanigans are.... well.... shinanigans.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back, my brave and possibly doomed listeners. Last week
we spilled salt, knocked on wood, and nearly blinded the devil.
This week, we're taking it further. Thirteen more superstitions from
the past that prove humans will believe anything if it
helps us feel like we're in control. From cursed umbrellas
to lucky chimney sweeps. Let's open history's attic and see

(00:23):
what falls on our heads. Let's start with that time
honored piece of bad luck, opening an umbrella indoors. This
belief dates back to the eighteenth century London, when umbrellas
were made of metal spokes so sharp they could probably
double as medieval weapons. Opening one inside could easily put

(00:43):
someone's eye out or knock over your host's priceless porcelain dog. Naturally,
this led to the superstition that it offended the sun god,
who apparently didn't like shade where it didn't belong. So
technically this isn't a superstition, it's just good manners with
extra drama.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
This segment is sponsored by Safe Shade, the world's first
umbrella guaranteed not to anger ancient deities. Open indoors at
your own enlightenment.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Next up, itchy palms. According to folklore, if your left
palm itches, you'll lose money. If you're right, itches, you'll
gain some. The superstition can be traced back to Saxon times,
when people used silver to treat skin ailments. The itch
meant money was near, or that you had a rash
and poor hygiene. Either way, when my palm's itch, I

(01:34):
check my venmo and my moisturizer.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
This financial forecast brought to you by handiluck, the only
lotion that hydrates while manifesting abundance, moisturize your destiny.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Now, let's raise a glass, because toasting has its own
peculiar origin. The ancient Romans feared poisoning so much that
they'd bump goblets together, splashing wine into one another's cups
to prove trust. Later, people believed you had to make
eye contact or risk bad luck, doomed love, or social ruin.

(02:07):
In medieval times, folks even said failing to toast the
dead might offend their spirits. So next time someone says cheers,
remember you're not celebrating, you're performing an ancient anti poison ritual.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Today's liquid luck is brought to you. By wine, not
the only wine guaranteed not to be cursed, poisoned, or boxed.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Stepping on a crack that childhood chant. Step on a crack,
break your mother's back. Creepy little rhyme, isn't it. This
superstition began in the sixteenth century, when people feared cracks
were entrances to the underworld evil spirits could escape through them.
Over time, mother's spines got dragged into the deal, because well,

(02:52):
everything somehow comes back to your poor mother. Honestly, I
avoid cracks, not for luck, just to keep my ankles intact.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
This segment is sponsored by Crack Free Living, the new
line of orthotic insuls that protect your feet and your
mother's back.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Probably have you ever tossed coins into a fountain and
made a wish, You're actually participating in a pagan water
spirit bribe. Ancient Celts and Romans believed wells and springs
were inhabited by gods. Offer them coins, jewelry, or if
you were feeling dramatic, livestock and they might bless you

(03:28):
with good fortune. Today we just use pennies inflation.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
I guess wishing made easy with fountain pay skip the coins,
just tap your phone and watch Poseidon charge your card.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
Speaking of offerings, ever heard that you shouldn't cross knives
on a table? In Norse and Celtic lore, crossed blades
symbolized conflict. If you accidentally did it, you were supposed
to uncross them immediately to cut the bad luck. Medieval
households believed crossed knives meant a coming argument. In some places,

(04:01):
it was even a bad omen for marriage. At my house,
it just means I'm bad at setting the table onto
the next bit of strange. If a bird flies into
your house, someone's going to die, or at least that's
what victorians believed. This grim superstition might have come from
folklore associating birds with spirits. Robins and sparrows were said

(04:24):
to carry souls to heaven, so if one came inside,
it was delivering a message or collecting postage. I once
had a sparrow fly into my kitchen. No deaths followed,
but I did have to wash everything twice.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
This segment brought to you by window cling bird barriers
keeping your home ghost free and your bird's concussion free
since eighteen ninety nine.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Now here's when I adore chimney sweeps bring good luck.
In the eighteenth century in England, a soot covered sweep
saved King George the Second's life by stopping a runaway carriage. Grateful,
the king declared chimney sweeps lucky forever. Soon it became
tradition for brides to kiss a sweep on their wedding
day for lifelong happiness. Though personally, if a man in

(05:13):
soot kissed me on my wedding day, my first wish
would be soap.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
This bit of fortune brought to you by sweepright, the
matchmaking app connecting lonely hearts with available chimney professionals. Love
is in the air, and so is the soot.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
And then there's one we still use every day, saying
bless you when someone sneezes. This dates back to the
bubonic plague. Sneezing was often the first sign of infection,
so people said God bless you to ward off death itself.
Pope Gregory the Great even made it official in the
sixth century. So technically every bless you is an ancient

(05:53):
emergency prayer disguised as small.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
Talk, brought to you by gazoooned tight, the world's first
sneeze activated hand sanitizer. Every bless you comes with SPF
and purel.

Speaker 1 (06:07):
Whistling indoors another seemingly harmless habit with a cursed reputation.
In many cultures, whistling inside was believed to summon spirits, demons,
or bad weather. Sailors were especially wary. A whistle on
a ship could whistle up a storm. Personally, the only
storm I've ever summoned by whistling is my dog, who

(06:28):
assumes I'm holding cheese. Breaking bread with others isn't just
a meal, It's a ritual. Ancient superstition warned never to
turn a loaf upside down or cut it before it cooled.
Bread symbolized life itself, and mistreating it invited famine or sorrow.
In France, Baker's even left one loaf unmarked l'pan de boureau,

(06:51):
or the executioner's bread, out of fear that slicing it
wrong would anger death himself. No pressure when you're just
trying to make a sandand which seeing a single magpie
bad luck. Two magpies good, three a wedding, four a birth.
This British rhyme dates to the seventeen hundreds, when magpies

(07:12):
were believed to be thieves, stealing shiny things and carrying
messages between worlds. The rhyme gave people a sense of
control over random chance. To this day, some Brits still
salute a lone magpie and say hello, mister magpie, how's
your wife, as if they're checking in with a feathery
mafia down.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
This segment is sponsored by Magipie Bakery, where every slice
comes with good fortune and optional curses. Try the lucky crust,
it's to die for.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
And finally, let's talk about house spirits, the old belief
that every home had invisible guardians. In Slavic folklore, it
was the domovoi, a mischievous old man who lived by
the stove. In Scotland, it was the brownie. You had
to leave offerings a crust of bread a bowl of
milk to keep them happy. Forget to feed them and

(08:05):
they'd hide your tools, spoil your milk, or worse, curse
your luck. Basically the original version of a grumpy room mate.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
Tonight's peace offering is brought to you by Brownie Bites,
the only midnight snack guaranteed to keep your house spirit
satisfied and your milk unsoured.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
And there you have it. From soot covered sweeps to
whispering house spirits, our ancestors found omens in every sneeze, spoon,
and seagull. Maybe superstition isn't about ignorance. Maybe it's about comfort,
because deep down, we all want to believe we can
influence fate, even if it means saluting birds or refusing

(08:46):
to open umbrellas inside. Thank you for joining me on
this two part journey through history's strangest beliefs. I'm Amy
reminding you to stay curious, stay strange, and above all,
stay lucky,