Thread: Mirrors and folklore

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We all know that mirrors are a big part of folklore: Superstition, legends, etc. In the old days, people used MIRRORS in divination games on Halloween. They'd stand in front of one, chant something, and try to see their future spouces. If a person was on his/her deathbed, all of the MIRRORS in the house to prevent the soul from getting trapped within one of them. There's a southern superstition that says if you put a mirror outside, the devil can't get in because he'll be admiring himself. Everyone knows the one about breaking a mirror; 7 years of bad luck, right.

Today, people use mirrors in that way to, if they're feeling adventurous, would try to summon a spirit, (Bloody Mary or Candyman). It's said that the mirror is a portle to the spirit world, and, if you put 2 mirrors face to face, with the reflective sides facing one another, you can take a picture and see a ghost in between the mirrors, traveling to the next. The facts in this paragraph are probably backed up by the ones in the last paragraph.

Mirrors always will be a part of folklore.

I know in feng shui (Asian interior design to promote balance and good luck in the home) it's a horrible idea for someone to have a mirror in the bedroom. Something about if you have a bad dream, or get startled awake you're spirit could get stuck in a mirror or something like that.

All this stuff gives proof of a portal to the spirit world, which in turn proves the mirror legends like Bloody Mary to be true, if not plausible.

Mirrors are creepy. One bit of folklore about mirrors that always scared me was the idea that vampires have no reflections.

One of my favorites is looking into a mirror while dreaming. Supposedly you may see figure of yourself from a past life as people believe (if you believe in this sort of things) there is some kinda continuity of peoples current, past, and future lives. Basically you are looking at them and they are looking at you. There is also another piece of lore that says that if you look into a mirror while dreaming you see your inner self. But it comes with the warning that people my not always like what they see .. someone may see a vision of beauty others a terrifying and grotesque monster or demon that makes you crazy.

I can't say I have ever looked into a mirror in the dream -- my dreams are a lot less physical -- but it is still an interesting story.

Sleep tight

What I meant to say is that when someone died, all of the mirrors in the house were covered. That prevented a soul from getting trapped within the mirror, supposedly. Has anyone tried any mirror legends? Bloody Mary, Blue Baby, Veronica and scissors, or others? And do they work? What are others? Thanks.

I remember when I was young, probably 7 or 8, I first heard about staring into a mirror in a dark room and saying "I believe in Mary Worth" 13 times. I don't recall just what was supposed to happen, but I was terrified of walking past mirrors in dark rooms for weeks after! Maybe that's the sole intent?

Um, I refuse to look in a mirror in a dark room. Had something weird happen when I was a teenager, and carry that fear with me still today. Also, my grandmother, during her last years living at her house, had me cover up her only mirror found in her bedroom with handkerchiefs. She hated the thing, and sometimes I would visit and find her very upset from a slipping handkerchief until I would readjust it over the mirror. Found out several years later that my great grandmother also became the same way in her older years. Who knows, maybe a mirror madness exists in our family heritage. In any case, I definitely acquired mirror phobia at a much younger age than anyone else in my family.

Admittedly, I have been to lots of halloween parties when I was younger, where friends dared each other to do the whole candyman and bloody mary stuff. No menacing faces ever appeared. Of course, my chicken butt never took the dare. Not that I am scared of seeing a candy man or mary. But I do hold a solid superstition that mirrors are right up there with OUIJA Boards when it comes to possibly invoking something you really don't want to invoke.

I've seen some freaky stuff in mirrors before. There was one particular mirror an ex of mine had that didn't reflect correctly. We ended up throwing the thing away because it was so strange (and essentially worthless). There was just something menacing about that mirror.

I also will not look into a mirror in the dark.. for no real logical reason. Mirrors have always scared me. In my 1st studio apartment I could lay in bed at night and see my sliding closet doors which were 2 HUGE floor to ceiling mirror panels -- I absolutely HATED it and my heart rate would sometimesgo up and I'd break out in a sweat.

The legend about putting two mirrors with the reflecting side facing one another to photograph ghosts moving from one to the other has me intrigued -- I'm too much of a chicken to try it though.

Has anyone seen the trailer for Paranormal Activity 3? That scene where the little girl does the Bloody Mary chant in the bathroom and then she appears behind her?? I can hardly stand it it creeps me out so much!

Generally, I'm a difficult person to scare or shock, but I suppose that mirrors are my achilles heel where this stuff is concerned.

Ironically, the movie "Mirrors" did not bother me -- I thought it was kinda silly.