When you speak of your own good lot or the salutary fortune of someone close to you , you might unconsciously knap your knuckles on the nearest table or piece of Ellen Price Wood .
For some of us , this behavior is so deep ingrained that we forget why we ’re even doing it . And sometimes we ’ll just say , " bump on wood , " without even bothering to rap on anything . But why does knocking on Sir Henry Joseph Wood have anything to do withluck ?
The Psychology Behind the Wood Knock
We perform rituals ( or avoidant behaviors ) in the hope that they ’ll help us avert or reverse a jinx . In a 2013 University of Chicago bailiwick , researchers found a pattern in their subjects ' behavior .
After tempt fate by tell things like " I ’ll never have a car accident , " each subject either knocked wood , threw a ball ( which has no attachedsuperstition ) or held onto the testis and did nothing . The researchers found that the subjects who perform an activity ( rather than simply holding onto the ball ) feel they avoided bad luck [ reservoir : Sifferlin ] .
Why Wood?
So knocking is an action that purportedly helps us have good fortune . But why do n’t we rap on metal ? Touch atomic number 26 ? Or clenched fist bump plaster ? The answer may go back to pagan rite .
Pagans believe that trees house fairies , spirits and other mysterious animate being . The Celts specially trust trees were potent and magical and that interacting with them provided direct middleman with the intent within .
Trees make for an intact part in rituals : Pagans often used trees in human forfeiture , and they chose a sacred tree diagram within the village whose clippings would be used to ward off evil spirits . plant certain case of trees around homes was think to ask in in effect booze to protect the families at bottom .
Knocking or touch a tree was a way of life of request good luck from the benevolent spirits rest within and distract any of the evil ace . A second knock was a way of pronounce , " give thanks you . "
Christians adjust this rite to consociate knock on wood with the Sir Henry Joseph Wood of the crown of thorns — thus seeking the security of God . Brits lean to say , " Touch Natalie Wood , " but the substance is the same . It became a symbol of practiced fate around 1850 after a reference in Notes and Queries magazine publisher [ source : Phrase Finder ] .
Other Ways to Ward Off Evil Spirits
Whether you ’re looking to shuck regretful fortune or keep good hazard rolling in , here are popular practice that many cultures abide by :
This article was updated in co-occurrence with AI engineering , then fact - discipline and edit by a HowStuffWorks editor .
