Fascinating story of 7 common superstitions

Even if you consider yourself an ardent skeptic, you have probably heard of one or two superstitions and may even have followed them.

The most common superstitions didn't just materialize out of nowhere. The surprising origins behind some of the most common superstitions are fascinating at best - and tragic at worst.

7 PHOTOS

1. In the Middle Ages, people associated black cats with the devil - and therefore tried to destroy them.

Back in the fourteenth century, the association between black cats and the devil was so common that people supposedly believed they were causing the Black Death pandemic.

Later, when the hysteria of the sixteenth century over witchcraft was at its height, suspicious Europeans associated black cats with so-called witches, believing them to be their "familiars".

2. Superstition that walking under stairs or under posts is a bad omen.

The sign is probably related to the importance of the third number in certain religions. In Christianity, the doctrine of the trinity is the belief that there is one God who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and because the trinity is sacred, the number three is sacred in every sense.

A double pillar or a ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle. Walking under it can be seen as the "destruction" of the trinity - a blasphemous crime.

3. Number 13.

Not only was Judas Iscariot — otherwise known as the man who betrayed Jesus Christ — the 13th guest at the Last Supper, but Loki, the cunning rogue god of Norse mythology, wreaked havoc when he arrived as the 13th guest at the divine dinner.

4. Judas can also be accused of spilling salt.

Look at Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting The Last Supper. Judas Iscariot - the aforementioned unfortunate 13th guest at Jesus' dinner - is depicted with a salt shaker on the table, which he pushed with his elbow.

Because Judas betrayed Jesus, the salt he spilled became associated with his wrongdoings.

5. Knocking on wood is a tradition that stems from the beliefs of ancient pagan cultures. It is believed that spirits and gods live in trees.

Thus, knocking on tree trunks was an attempt to wake up the gods and call them protection and good fortune.

6. Eve took a four-leaf clover when she was kicked out of paradise.

The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are estimated to be one in 10,000, making this an extremely rare find. As the legend goes, when Eve learned that she had been expelled from paradise, she took a four-leaf clover so that she would never forget the Garden of Eden. Now, the four-leaf clover symbolizes good luck and prosperity.

7. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy suggested that shooting stars meant that the gods were watching from the sky and granting wishes.

According to Ptolemy, the gods had to open the space separating the earthly sky from the divine sphere in order to observe mankind. Shooting stars are the result of these manipulations, so if you see a shooting star, it is believed that the gods are watching and listening to you.