One is sorrow, two is mirth,
Three a wedding, four a birth,
Five heaven, six hell,
Seven's the de'il's ain sel!
Anon.
Today:
four times four magpies?
one time one magpie, one time two, one time five and one time six?
‘Early Christians saw the bird as a symbol of dissipation and vanity,
holding it cursed among the crow tribe for not wearing completely black
plumage in mourning after the Crucifixion.
‘Among devout Scots, it was considered so evil that each bird was
believed to carry a drop of the Devil’s blood under its tongue. In
Somerset, country folk carried an onion as protection against the
influence of crows and magpies and tipped their hats in salute if they
encountered them.
‘English people generally were prone to cross themselves and raise
their hats upon seeing magpies, intoning as they did so: “Devil, Devil, I
defy thee!”‘
It’s widely supposed that the number of magpies seen together
indicates good or bad luck, but not all versions of the familiar rhyme
agree. In fact, some even contradict others. Mr Morton collected the
versions told in his family, the Oxford Dictionary of Superstitions, the Scottish as quoted by Tom Speedy and the Scottish in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable:
-
Morton Family lore: One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a story, Yet to be told
-
Oxford: One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a
wedding, Four for a birth, Five for rich, Six for poor, Seven for a
witch, I can tell you no more
-
Speedy: One’s sorrow, Two’s mirth, Three’s marriage, Four’s death, Five’s heaven, Six is hell, Seven’s the Devil’s, Ain sel’
-
Brewer: One’s sorrow, Two’s mirth, Three’s a wedding,
Four’s a birth, Five’s a christening, Six a dearth, Seven’s heaven,
Eight is hell, And nine’s the Devil, His ain sel’
"Durante dos años no he escrito nada en mi Diario, y pensé que nunca volvería a tal sinsentido pueril. Pero no era sinsentido pueril, era ocasión de hablarme a mí mismo, al interno y divino yo que vive en todo el mundo. Durante todo este tiempo ese yo ha estado dormido, y no tuve a nadie a quien hablar. Ha despertado por un hecho inusual. Fue el 28 de abril, en el tribunal donde estuve como miembro del jurado.Allí, en el banquillo de los acusados la vi, Katyusha, la mujer que seduje, vestida en uniforme de prisionera.Por una extraña negligencia, y debido a un error mío, fue sentenciada a trabajos forzados. He ido a ver al fiscal jefe y a la prisión.No se me permitió entrar, pero estoy decidido a hacer todo lo que pueda para verla, limpiar mi pecho y expiar mi culpa, casándome con ella si fuera necesario. El Señor me ayude. Me siento bien.Mi alma está alegre"
28 th day of April 188_
(Leo Tolstoi, "Resurrection".Tolstoi estudio lenguas orientales y derecho en la
Universidad de Kazan)
(Comprado en el mercadillo de Fuencarral: dos peras y tres plátanos por 2 euros)
