BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?

Subject: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: JennieG
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 12:26 AM

Today a friend told me she found a horseshoe in her back yard and would like to hang it in her house, possibly over a doorway. I seem to remember that if a horseshoe hangs with the open end up it means one thing, and if it hangs pointing down (as it were) it means something else altogether - but I can't for the life of me remember what the different meanings are!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Padre
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 12:37 AM

I was taught that it should be hung with the open end up, so that the good luck will not run out.

Padre

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 12:39 AM

Points up is supposed to catch the luck and keep it from falling out or something like that.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Micca
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 03:51 AM

There was a story about Albert Einstein having a horseshoe attached to the door frame of his house (during the Manhattan project?) and one of the Physicists chided him saying "surely Dr Einstein you do not believe in this superstitious nonsense, That a Horseshoe will bring you Good Luck"
He Replied " It is not necessary to believe in it for it to work"!!

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Gurney
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 04:37 AM

As I remember, open end up =A/ Holds the luck, or B/ the devil will sit in it. Depends which old wife you listen to.
Straighten it out and use a spirit level.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 04:46 AM

In Ireland, always up, like the letter U, otherwise the luck will spill out.
Fergus

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:46 AM

If a horseshoe is not on a horse then it has either fallen off or the horse has died..how can it be lucky?
Best wishes.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 07:42 AM

Definitely points up so the luck won't fall out. It seems to have originally been something to do with the fact that iron was considered magic....

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 07:56 AM

Micca's story is usually told about Niels Bohr.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Bobert
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 08:02 AM

Depends on the horse... They a tad heavy to be turnin' over...

Nevermind...

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 08:40 AM

People remove horseshoes from horses after a while and replace them with new ones. So a loose horseshoe may not imply a dead horse or the show falling off. It may just mean that it's a little worn out, but still good for luck.
    The horseshoe above my front door, incidentaly, points up, to keep the luck in. There is no room for the devil to sit in it, anyway,there is a thing over the door(what is the opposite of a sill?) that the points are nearly touching; it would be very uncomfortable for the devil.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 08:42 AM

To find a horseshoe is supposed to be good luck anyway, so to take one off a horse doesn't quite count!

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: MaineDog
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 09:10 AM

Horseshoe pointing up : you bucket is always full.
Horseshoe pointing down : your trash can is always empty.
So it depends on you point of view.
MD

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Cats at Work
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 09:10 AM

Open end up. Then it stops the luck running out. There again if you have it that way up it makes a seat for witches.. perhaps that's why all mine are up that way, extra seating. It's Ok MBSLynne, you can have a comfy chair when you come down, unless you prefer a horseshoe with a cushion on it...

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Dead Horse
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 11:04 AM

Why would you want the luck to be trapped inside the horseshoe, better it falls out onto your door-step?
And MY old shoes definitely aint gonna bring nobody luck!

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 11:10 AM

When I was a boy, it was about 50/50. Open end up to conserve the luck, open end down so the luck would fall on those who passed beneath. There were a lot of Central Europeans in the area. Maybe version 2 came from them.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 11:55 AM

points up, definitely. If the witch or the devil wants to sit in the part that collected the most maneur, let them!

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Blowzabella
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 12:00 PM

Up - definitely - concurr with those who have posted earlier!

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 12:23 PM

Yep - I'd go for up as well.

Bobert - you're mad! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 02:14 PM

Cats, I'd rather have a horseshoe with a horse on it! But failing that, I'll settle for the comfy chair! Ta.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 02:35 PM

I'm with the majority here....'points' up to keep the luck from running out is how I heard it.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 04:18 PM

After serious and prolonged consideration, I would say yes.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 06:13 PM

points up, and it's called a lintel.

Not sure about the superstition being based around iron, as it's been a protection against witches for considerably longer than there have been horseshoes.

There was a huge Shire horse by the name of Prince, lived at the bottom of my road when I was growing up. He was a massive beast, and won many prizes. Each shoe had to be specially made as it contained twice the amount of metal than the standard shoe. It measured nearly 14 inches across, if he lost one, you really WERE lucky to pick it up, they weighed what felt like a ton!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 07:25 PM

Forgot about the iron in the shoe. Anyone know where I can get a silver one so my sidhe friends can come visit and I won't run outta luck?

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: frogprince
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 07:31 PM

sidhe?

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: GUEST,milk monitor.
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 07:38 PM

Fairy folk.........Yeats wrote 'Hosting of the Sidhe.'

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: dianavan
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 09:01 PM

ends up or the luck will run out

d

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 09:23 PM

The ends of the horseshoe should be around the peg. Definitely.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: JennieG
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 01:22 AM

Thank you all, I will pass this on to my friend. We thought it was points up but weren't sure. I can look in Rabbi Brasch's books too - unfortunately he died this weekend but his books on the origins of nearly everything belief and superstition make fascinating reading.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 03:29 AM

True LtS, but things like a belief in the power of iron continue and transfer themselves to newer items such as horse shoes. People still do a lot of 'superstitious' things (like hanging horseshoes over their doors!) which have passed down from very ancient times. They often don't know why they do them any more, but they don't feel quite safe if they omit them.

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 05:18 AM

Then there was the man visiting his son at his University rooms. Looking round he spots a stiletto heeled shoe hanging over the door.

"In my day," he said "that would have been a horseshoe."

"But dad," replied his son, "That is a whore's shoe!"

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Horseshoe: hang points up or down?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Nov 04 - 05:41 AM

*G*