7 yrs bad luck?

[comloulou]

Where does the 7 yrs bad luck for mirror smashing originate from?

[Quizmonster]

The 'bad luck' part probably came from the ancient belief that your image/reflection was somehow part of you or your soul. To fracture/dusturb it somehow harmed you...eg someone throwing a stone into a pool in which you were looking at your reflection. There are still primitive people who will not allow photographs of them to be taken, in the belief that the action 'steals' part of their being. The 'seven years' element is probably connected with the use of that figure in many ancient - even biblical - references. We have 'seventh heaven', 'the seventh son of a seventh son, 'all at sixes and sevens' and so on.

[Allen Crisp]

I am reluctant to correct the Quizmonster, who is clearly one of the more erudite beings in the Universe, but the phrase "at sixes and sevens" has an earthly origin. The ancient livery companies of the City of London (Goldsmiths, Cutlers & the rest) have an established order of preference and at one time two of them could not agree who should be sixth and who should be seventh. They agreed to alternate on an annual basis, hence people in an argument are said to be at sixes and sevens with each other.

[Quizmonster]

Allen, I'm not sure what you mean when you say the phrase 'at sixes and sevens' has an earthly origin. I thought all phrases did. All I said was that it was ancient; the reference to the Bible was in parenthesis. I'm also sorry to have to say I don't agree with your account of its origin. If you click http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-six1.htm you will find an explanation from a respected source that I do agree with. Since it's the one that agrees with the explanation offered by The Oxford English Dictionary - the bible of word/phrase etymology - too, I'm doubly convinced it's right. (If you meant your opening comment kindly, I thank you for it.) Cheers

[Allen Crisp]

Dear Quizmonster. My opening comment was indeed meant kindly and I am now doubly convinced of its truth. When I wrote "earthly" I had clearly latched on too closely to your reference to the Bible and meant "earthly" as opposed to "divine" or "other-worldly". I have investigated the link you provided and consider myself corrected. Thank you.

[Quizmonster]

Thank you, Allen; you're most kind.

[comloulou]

As riviting as your bout of self congratulating is, I can't say i'm any the wiser on my mirror issue (but thank you quizmonster for your credible theory). But please, continue...

[rekstout]

I always believed that the bad luck and mirrors superstition came down to when mirrored glass was very expensive and cleaning staff in wealthier homes were told this so that they would be extra careful when cleaning - as far as I am concerned, seven is as good a number as any to choose. Sound's a lot more mundane though.

[Fitzer]

But the Livery Companies of the Merchant Taylors and the Skinners do indeed swap position of precedence between six and seven each year, and since the order of precedence was fixed in about 1535 I feel its a fairly strong contender.