Superstitions: Witch Marks, Touching Wood & Lucky Pants

<p>Many of them pre-date modern religions and defy what science tells us about the world - from saluting magpies, to wearing lucky pants. Yet why do superstitions still have such a strong hold on our lives?</p><br><p>Today we’re joined by Sally Coulthard, author of <em>Superstition - the History of Common Folk Beliefs</em>, to find out the origins and meaning behind some of our most common ritualistic behaviours.</p><br><p>Why do we touch wood? And what does crossing our fingers say about the crossover between superstition and religion? Let’s go Betwixt the Sheets to find out.</p><br><p>This episode was edited by Siobhan Dale, and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer Charlotte Long.</p><br><p>If you're enjoying Betwixt please vote for us at the British Podcast Awards here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting</a>. It would mean the world to us!</p><br><p>Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard and more.Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT.</p><br><p>Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at&nbsp;<a href="https://historyhit.com/subscribe." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historyhit.com/subscribe.</a></p><br><p>You can take part in our listener survey here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6FFT7MK</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>