Superstitions XII – Ladders

Everybody knows it’s bad luck to walk under a ladder, but do you know why?

The oldest instance of this superstition comes to us from ancient Egypt. When a ladder leans against a wall it creates a triangular shape, like a pyramid. This shape was sacred to the Egyptians as it represented the trinity of the gods. To pass through a triangle was to desecrate it and incur the wrath of the gods.

The followers of Jesus Christ had a different take on this superstition, linking it to the death of Christ. Because a ladder had rested against the cross Jesus had been hung on, it became a symbol of wickedness, betrayal, and death. To walk under a ladder was to court misfortune.

The Holy Trinity of the Christians is made up of three parts – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – making the number three sacred. The triangle, having three sides, became sacred by association. As with the Egyptians, a ladder leaning up against a wall was seen as a triangle and to walk under the ladder, or through the triangle, was seen as breaking the Holy Trinity. Breaking the Holy Trinity was considered blasphemy and the person who did so was believed to be in league with the devil. This kind of label was a quick path to the witch trials and the hangman’s noose.

Before the creation of the gallows, murderers were hung from the top of a ladder. The ladder was propped up and the person being hung was made to climb up to the rope. After they died it was said that their ghost would remain after the body had fallen. This made the area around the ladder very unlucky.

There are, of course, more pedestrian reasons why walking under a ladder is unlucky. The presence of a ladder suggests someone is standing on it to do some work. You don’t want to walk under a ladder and have something fall on your head, nor would you want to risk jostling it and causing someone to fall.

But as with most superstitions, there are ways to reverse the bad luck:

- make a wish while you’re walking under the ladder.
- spit through the ladder’s rungs three times.
- walk backwards through the ladder again.
- cross your fingers until you see a dog.
- spit on your shoe and continue walking, but don’t look at your shoe again until the spit has dried.
- say “bread and butter” as you walk under the ladder.
- put your thumb between your index and middle fingers as you walk under the ladder (but be warned, this is called the “fig sign” and is sometimes seen as a mildly obscene gesture.

Or better yet, don’t take any chances and just avoid walking under a ladder in the first place.