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DOORS,THE DEAD, and GHOSTS |
Numerous superstitutions exist concerning doors and ghosts of the dead.It is widely believed to be unlucky to to enter a house through the back door;perhaps this relates to the custom of of corpses traditionally being removed from the house by the back door. However in certain areas the belief is the reverse: the corpse should be carried out the front door,lest others deaths occur in the household.
There are many "charms" and "spells" involving doors that are intended t keep ghosts from entering homes, or to force them out of homes. A circle chalked on doors, or patterns chalked on doorsteps, are believed to prevent ghosts-and the Devil and evil spirits-from entering. Ther markings must be unbroken and joined together. Slamming a door several times in a row catches a ghost between the door and the frame and forces it to leave the premises.A Norfolk, England, charm calls for unhinging the door,turning it around and rehanging it.The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits,pp.106-107. |
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