The rabbit's foot is considered a good luck charm due to a blend of ancient superstitions and folklore. The belief in the rabbit's foot as a lucky charm is thought to have roots in African American folk magic, known as hoodoo, and may have been influenced by European traditions as well. According to folklore researcher Bill Ellis, the rabbit's foot represents a dead witch, neutralizing any threat it might pose.
In some cultures, the rabbit's foot is believed to bring good luck because it is associated with the dead body of a criminal. For example, former President Grover Cleveland received a rabbit's foot taken from a rabbit killed on the grave of Jesse James, an American outlaw, because it was believed that the more wicked the person who is dead, the more effective the charm associated with his remains.
The rabbit's foot is also linked to the European good luck charm called the Hand of Glory, a hand cut from a hanged man and then pickled. This connection suggests that the rabbit's foot could be a substitute for a part from a witch's body, further supporting its role as a protective talisman.
The specific attributes of the rabbit's foot, such as being the left hind foot of a rabbit killed in a cemetery under certain conditions, add to its perceived luckiness. These conditions include being taken by the full moon, on a Friday, or Friday the 13th, and sometimes shot with a silver bullet or cut off while the rabbit is still alive.
In some cultures, the rabbit's foot is believed to bring good luck because it is associated with the dead body of a criminal. For example, former President Grover Cleveland received a rabbit's foot taken from a rabbit killed on the grave of Jesse James, an American outlaw, because it was believed that the more wicked the person who is dead, the more effective the charm associated with his remains.
The rabbit's foot is also linked to the European good luck charm called the Hand of Glory, a hand cut from a hanged man and then pickled. This connection suggests that the rabbit's foot could be a substitute for a part from a witch's body, further supporting its role as a protective talisman.
The specific attributes of the rabbit's foot, such as being the left hind foot of a rabbit killed in a cemetery under certain conditions, add to its perceived luckiness. These conditions include being taken by the full moon, on a Friday, or Friday the 13th, and sometimes shot with a silver bullet or cut off while the rabbit is still alive.
They live.
We sleep.
We sleep.
