Superstition

 

I'm just reading that the German Federal Labor Secretary is planning a 13th Social Code. It is supposed to carry the number 14, as 13 is an unlucky number. This is quite considerate of Secretary Heil. The discomfort with the number 13 is still widespread, even in the digital age. Who has never seen a hotel room with the number 12a?

 

In a similar fashion, the phenomenon of the "black cat" is likewise still well-known.

 

It is therefore not surprising that superstition was also rampant during the Middle Ages.

 

"The Mouth of Truth" in front of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome.

 

The enormous marble slab is said to be over 2000 years old. Since the Middle Ages, it has been believed that the “mouth” can distinguish between truth and falsehood. In the latter case, it snaps shut. – This young woman came away unscathed.

 

 

 

The same lady was observed putting her hand on the left foot of the statue of the famous Jewish scholar Maimonides (12th-century) in Córdoba. Whether a little bit of wisdom passed onto her…?

 

 

 

Let's stay a little bit closer to home: In Cologne it is said that, during the Middle Ages, touching of the statue of St. Christopher inside the Cathedral ensured the survival for this day.

 

Similar "proposals" were common throughout medieval Europe.