'Bless you' !

Lokitama · Post by **Lokitama** » 23-10-2012 18:59

Today, I've learned something today !

Why does the English says "Bless you" when you sneeze ? It's because during the great plague, the first symptom was sneezing.

In these time, sneezing meant that you were about to die. So 'Bless you'. 'God bless you'. Which means "May you stay alive".

Weronikus · Post by **Weronikus** » 24-10-2012 06:40

Yeah, I found that out from my mum ages ago! Funny, isn't it? The same with "ring around o'roses", I think that's how you spell it. I thought it was just a happy rhyming song for kids, but then my mum told me it was actually pretty sad, also from the times of the Great Plague. And the last line: "We all fall down", when I thought it was just about some fun for the kids to giggle and laugh, it's actually about... death.
Honestly, what surprised me most is that my mum knows all this stuff. I'm used to the fact she'll answer almost any of my questions. Unless it's maths. She has forgotten all of the harder stuff. XD

Lokitama · Post by **Lokitama** » 24-10-2012 14:02

It's the same with the black cats, walking under a ladder and touching woods !

Black Cats : Unlucky sign

It comes from the Middle-Age, when black cats were associated with witch, so crossing a black cat wasn't a good sign.

Walking under a ladder : Unlucky sign.

We could think that it's because a pot of paint would hit us on the head but no ! It comes from the Ancient Egypt ! In Ancient Egypt, triangle form where sacred, so if you pass under a ladder - which make a triangle with the wall and ground - you broke the power of the triangle. And broke your protection against bad luck, too !

Touching woods : Lucky pray.

It said that touching wood is for asking help from a good spirit :3

Weronikus · Post by **Weronikus** » 24-10-2012 19:04

I didn't know any of that!
Haha, I've got to remember to go to the woods and hug trees before tests. Some good luck would be very helpful. I'll just have to look for some forest in my neighbourhood... XD
I know this one though! Black cats are thought of as good luck in England, did you know? No idea why though. They liked witches...? XD

Oh! Oh! And listen to this!
Poland was the only mainland country in europe (so not counting Iggy and Icy) that was so tolerant, the country actually kept "witches" safe inside the borders. Which is why many "witches" moved to Poland during the killings, and stayed there. So we have many different people living here now

.

Lokitama · Post by **Lokitama** » 24-10-2012 19:15

Hm... I used to hit my sheets on my head before a test. It was pretty hurtful - no wonder I didn't make the tests; didn't have neurons left.

That's nice ! When I think about the ones they considered as witches in Middle-Age, I just think about poor woman who were intelligent enough to use herbs and such to heal persons !

Polish are so intelligent ! <3

Weronikus · Post by **Weronikus** » 24-10-2012 19:30

Ouch - is that definitely the most intelligent way out? XD

Hmmm I'd like to say, yeah, Poles are soo intelligent, but actually they'd probably do the same, but they couldn't. The Middle Ages was the time when Poland had a lot of different people in it's borders, from many different countries, due to border changes, the Lithuanian-Polish union, etc. If Poland wasn't tolerant, then it would have had to kill or banish all the not Polish people, which would make the country poor and weak, for the Poles in those times were, what, a half of the population? Something like that. So history, my dear, history has led to Poland ending up welcoming the "witches" with open arms.
The times of the Middle Gaes was Poland's Golden Age, in it's Union. Together with Lithuania, the two countries made the most powerful Eastern European country. There's a saying about the kind which ruled then, King Casmir: He found Poland wooden, and left it bricked.

Silvermoonwings · Post by **Silvermoonwings** » 05-11-2012 00:48

While certainly the 'Bless you' may have really become overly used during the plauge, I've heard on multiple occasions that 'Bless you' came about from a belief that if you sneezed part of your soul came out & a demon or evil spirit would try to take it if you were not blessed. ouo''

Weronikus · Post by **Weronikus** » 05-11-2012 15:27

Wow. I never heard of that explanation before. It seems that in many places it has different meanings. I do know, though, that the Polish version of 'bless you' is 'na zdrowie' which basically means 'for your good health'. I'm not sure what it was used for first, but it's used when someone sneezes and when two or more people drink some alcohol - beforehand they clink their glasses and say it. Funny, isn't it? XD

Lokitama · Post by **Lokitama** » 05-11-2012 17:07

Wow ! What an explanation ! I like yours better !

In French, we say 'A tes souhaits' when it's for someone you're familiar with, or 'A vos souhaits' to someone... you don't know, for whose you have respect, etc...

In English, since the respect signification isn't with the pronouns, the first translation that comes to me is "To your wishes" but I don't know why, tough :/

Weronikus · Post by **Weronikus** » 05-11-2012 17:30

So you've got two different types? O.O I admire the french more and more for not getting mixed up in their language. Don't take it the wrong way, I love the sound of the french language, but... I'm beggining to think that it's a harder language than I thought.