Lucky Charms: Where Did They Come From And Do They Work?

If you want to find out how lucky charms work or where they even originated from, then you have come to the right place. This guide will tell you all about lucky charms as well as helping you to understand their origin, so you can begin to use them to your advantage the next time you need Lady Luck on your side.

Tintinnabulum and the Ancient Romans

The Ancient Romans were somewhat staunch believers in the power of pendants and amulets. None of them quite come close to the tintinnabulum. This is actually a wind chime and it features a varied collection of bells. They surround a bronze carving of a phallus. It is said that if you hang this from your window or your doorway, this will create a sound that will help to ward off any bad spirits.

It is also suspected that this will help you to bring some good luck to your household too. Roman boys would often wear this around their necks as they believed that this would stop any harm from coming to them.

Fumsups and Touching Wood

This originally started as a bit of a fad. This charm is a cherub doll that is giving a thumbs up. The trinkets were normally made out of metal but the head was made out of wood. This gave people the chance to touch wood, or even knock on wood so that they could then get some good luck. Of course,  these were popular in the First World War, purely because soldiers felt as though they needed luck on the battlefield in order to survive. The idea was that the head of the doll would bring a lot of good fortune to those who needed it the most.

Chimney Sweeps and Lady Luck In Modern Gambling

Newlyweds would often have a chimney sweep wait outside the church for them so they could shake their hand. This is a belief that it will help to bring good luck to the person in question. The lore regarding this is a little murky, but it is possible to trace some of the lineage. Some say that it comes down to the fact that a chimney sweep rescued King George III from a horse. Others say that a labourer took a tumble off a roof but was saved by a woman. This woman would then go on to be his wife.

Even today, some people hire a chimney sweep to give the bride a kiss, which is said to be lucky. If you look at the new lottery sites to play online, you will see that although they do not contain much to do with chimney sweeps, they do feature four-leafed clovers, which is another popular good luck charm for people in England and Ireland.

Hangman’s Ropes and Public Executions

If you look back to the days of public executions, which often took place across the US and Europe, you will soon see that it was not uncommon at all for people to try and hunt down artifacts that were somewhat associated with those who had been condemned. One of them happened to be the hangman’s noose. This was said to hold a lot of special powers. This omen held a great reputation in various countries and some would even go as far as to wrap this around their necks so that they could cure their headaches.

The talisman however was always popular around cardsharps and gamblers, and many believe that having a piece of a noose would help them to keep their standing. Of course, the ropes were valuable to the point that they were cut up into small pieces and then sold as good luck charms.

Hunchbacks and the Evil Eye

Belief in the hunchback dates all the way back to the ancient world. People who had a curvature of the spine or various other deformities were seen as being somewhat comical. If you look back to the Roman age, then you will see that these figures would often be present with both art and culture. It was said that if you rub a hunchback’s hump then this would bring you good luck.

The author of the Hellenistic Aesthetic however came out to say that the hunchback could even help to avoid the curse of the evil eye. This is because the hunchback is so ugly, that surely, nobody would want to lay their eyes upon them. It’s still a lucky charm for some even to this day.