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Ebausk: hele pool = Ebausk: tume pool
"Paljud inimesed seostavad numbrit 13 ebaõnnega. Sellesse suhtutakse nii tõsiselt, et mõnedes hotellides pole sellenumbrilist tuba või osades hoonetes lausa 13. korrust.
Miks seostatakse valgeid jäneseid ja hobuseraudu hea õnnega?
„Ebausk“ sukeldub sügavale kummaliste rahvauskumuste ja tavade müstilisse maailma. Raamatus heidetakse pilk meie esivanemate lootustele, hirmudele ja muredele ning uuritakse, miks paljud neist uskumustest on tänapäevalgi veel elujõulised. Raamat on jaotatud heledaks ja tumedaks pooleks, millest esimene keskendub hea- ja teine halvaendelistele uskumustele.
Nii et kui sind on hiljuti ära neetud või sind on tabanud ebaõnn, loe edasi …"
Miks seostatakse valgeid jäneseid ja hobuseraudu hea õnnega?
„Ebausk“ sukeldub sügavale kummaliste rahvauskumuste ja tavade müstilisse maailma. Raamatus heidetakse pilk meie esivanemate lootustele, hirmudele ja muredele ning uuritakse, miks paljud neist uskumustest on tänapäevalgi veel elujõulised. Raamat on jaotatud heledaks ja tumedaks pooleks, millest esimene keskendub hea- ja teine halvaendelistele uskumustele.
Nii et kui sind on hiljuti ära neetud või sind on tabanud ebaõnn, loe edasi …"
144 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2020
7 people are currently reading
543 people want to read
About the author
Sally Coulthard
36 books103 followers After studying Archaeology & Anthropology at Oxford University, best-selling author and designer Sally Coulthard has spent the last twenty years designing, making and writing about homes, craft and outdoor spaces. She sees no boundary between the rules that govern good interior design and those which are needed to craft a spectacular studio or glorious garden.
Keen to make good design accessible, she’s written over twenty books about restoring houses, designing interiors and outdoor living. From garden styles to craftsmanship, creating workspaces to building sheds, Sally’s books inspire, encourage and equip readers to take on projects of their own.
Sally is a passionate advocate of rural living and regularly writes about nature and her experiences of smallholding deep in North Yorkshire countryside, including her ‘Good Life in Country’ column for Country Living magazine.
Keen to make good design accessible, she’s written over twenty books about restoring houses, designing interiors and outdoor living. From garden styles to craftsmanship, creating workspaces to building sheds, Sally’s books inspire, encourage and equip readers to take on projects of their own.
Sally is a passionate advocate of rural living and regularly writes about nature and her experiences of smallholding deep in North Yorkshire countryside, including her ‘Good Life in Country’ column for Country Living magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 21, 2019
4 stars based on the illustrations and some of the facts of the beliefs included throughout! This was a random library book borrow one day and such a fast read too. I will warn in advance and say that some of the wording at times felt a little...awkward? I'm not sure that's the right word for it. There is another review here on GR that goes into more detail so check that one out before deciding if this is the read for you!
October 9, 2019
The design for this book was gorgeous - I want to buy all the art to hang on my walls, and the black/white flipbook dichotomy worked really well for discussing the nature of superstition. For design and illustration, the book deserves five stars. Unfortunately, the actual textual content is HORRENDOUS. The grammatical errors and typos, while numerous, are nothing compared to the ahistorical and frankly racist text itself. The superstitions are discussed facilely at best, with few if any sources cited, and the choice of topics doesn’t make much sense - but can you expect better from an author who calls Africa a country? I lost count of the number of times she referred to “the West” to mean rational white people, and the construction of her ‘examples’ - e.g. comparisons along the lines of “in Germany and in Asia” - show how broadly she constructs the Other as a faceless horde, unlike ofc Europeans who are delineated by nationality.
I think this was a well-intentioned book, meant to be dipped in and out of as a conversational rather than an academic reference. That it fails so wholly on every level illustrates rather than excepts it from the charge of furthering a Euro-centric view of the world.
Tl;dr if the artist puts out prints, buy those. Don’t bother to read this.
I think this was a well-intentioned book, meant to be dipped in and out of as a conversational rather than an academic reference. That it fails so wholly on every level illustrates rather than excepts it from the charge of furthering a Euro-centric view of the world.
Tl;dr if the artist puts out prints, buy those. Don’t bother to read this.
October 26, 2022
A fun little book on the history of common folk beliefs full of beautiful illustrations <3
November 2, 2021
J'attendais Halloween pour apprendre tous les petits secrets de ce joli livre et j'en ai adoré le principe ! D'un côté, il est blanc et évoque les superstitions positives que l'humanité a développé depuis des siècles, de l'autre, le côté noir parle des négatives ! On découvre ainsi la genèse historique de tous ces petits gestes et ces peurs qui jalonnent notre quotidien, à travers les cultures du monde entier. C'est très enrichissant et ça fait parfois un peu flipper car c'est illustré et que certaines superstitions sont... creepy, comme les chats emmurés. Entre le chat noir, le miroir brisé, la pleine lune, le chiffre 13 et bien d'autres moins connus, et toucher du bois, dire à tes souhaits ou jeter une pièce dans une fontaine, plein de petites expressions auxquelles on ne fait même plus attention sont évoquées. En plus, vu que c'est en anglais, il fallait les traduire et c'est pas toujours la même chose !
November 1, 2021
Throughout your life are there certain actions that you do that make you stop sometimes and wonder where they have come from such as blessing a sneezer, knocking on wood or even not opening an umbrella in a building? Have you ever heard of changelings or sought hag stones from a river bed? If any of this intrigues you and is the start of your journey on superstitions than this book may be for you but only as a stepping stone into the minds of early people as there is so much more to explore.
Superstition is unique in that it takes its titular subject matter and splits it into halves with one side of the book being dedicated to good superstitions and then making the reader flip the book over to read about dark superstitions while both sides have their own introductions. Technically this is where I have a bone to pick since from the dark side introduction these darker superstitions are only considered dark since the practitioner is inhibited in making safe choices either for themselves and others thus replacing commonsense. But really avoiding walking under ladders, breaking mirrors or opening an umbrella inside is dark?
The writing is simplistic and easy-to-follow while only giving a summary of the superstition, any prior understanding on how it came to be and sometimes variations or an explanation of another aspect. For those who are into history or even into the study of folklore there is really nothing new to be learned in about two-thirds of the entries.
Meanwhile the two main aspects of the book are the division with most of the dark entries being printed on dark colored pages. Unfortunately the font on these much darker pages haven't been contrasted so there are cases where the reader will struggle to be able to read the writing on the pages and in one case I had to hold the book to the light just to be able to read it.
The second main aspect is the gorgeous illustrations for each entry. These are beautiful, brightly colored and detailed while if the book's text had vanished I would have most definitely enjoyed the book for them alone. Unfortunately with the pairing they have been coupled with I just can't get myself to even push this book for a half star.
All in all it was decent and fast but not a great book for those who are deeply interested in the subject. Instead this could be a nice family introduction to superstitions if parents or caregivers were wanting to go over the information with their little ones or for those who are just stepping into this world on their own without much prior information.
Superstition is unique in that it takes its titular subject matter and splits it into halves with one side of the book being dedicated to good superstitions and then making the reader flip the book over to read about dark superstitions while both sides have their own introductions. Technically this is where I have a bone to pick since from the dark side introduction these darker superstitions are only considered dark since the practitioner is inhibited in making safe choices either for themselves and others thus replacing commonsense. But really avoiding walking under ladders, breaking mirrors or opening an umbrella inside is dark?
The writing is simplistic and easy-to-follow while only giving a summary of the superstition, any prior understanding on how it came to be and sometimes variations or an explanation of another aspect. For those who are into history or even into the study of folklore there is really nothing new to be learned in about two-thirds of the entries.
Meanwhile the two main aspects of the book are the division with most of the dark entries being printed on dark colored pages. Unfortunately the font on these much darker pages haven't been contrasted so there are cases where the reader will struggle to be able to read the writing on the pages and in one case I had to hold the book to the light just to be able to read it.
The second main aspect is the gorgeous illustrations for each entry. These are beautiful, brightly colored and detailed while if the book's text had vanished I would have most definitely enjoyed the book for them alone. Unfortunately with the pairing they have been coupled with I just can't get myself to even push this book for a half star.
All in all it was decent and fast but not a great book for those who are deeply interested in the subject. Instead this could be a nice family introduction to superstitions if parents or caregivers were wanting to go over the information with their little ones or for those who are just stepping into this world on their own without much prior information.
January 8, 2022
An ineresting insight into folklore and superstitions.
The book is nicely put together. The feature of turning the book upside down and over to read the two seperate sections (light and dark) is fun. The artwork is lovely, mystical and creepy so perfect for the subject material. The collection of superstitions is wide ranging yet familiar, there won't be anything in there that is unheard of, yet the history behind them might be novel.
There were a few errors which was a little annoying, i.e. a missing word which made a sentence harder to understand. For a book of information where understanding is key, this took a little of the shine away for me, as did some of the page and text colouring combinations. Some were difficult to read.
The book is nicely put together. The feature of turning the book upside down and over to read the two seperate sections (light and dark) is fun. The artwork is lovely, mystical and creepy so perfect for the subject material. The collection of superstitions is wide ranging yet familiar, there won't be anything in there that is unheard of, yet the history behind them might be novel.
There were a few errors which was a little annoying, i.e. a missing word which made a sentence harder to understand. For a book of information where understanding is key, this took a little of the shine away for me, as did some of the page and text colouring combinations. Some were difficult to read.
May 8, 2025
Superstition by Sally Coulthard is an absolutely fascinating insight into ancient folklore and, modern day science and logical reasoning behind the myths. I'm really glad I read this because I'm so curious about myths, and being such a short read with beautiful art work is a nice, easy way into learning about some fascinating anthropological finds throughout the ages.
September 19, 2020
Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...
April 4, 2021
Not gonna lie, this book got me on presentation and premise. It's split into "Light" (rainbows, horseshoes, clovers) and "Dark" (full moons, broken mirrors, black cats) superstitions, with each cover opening onto the beginning of its particular section, each with their own color palettes. The artwork is lovely, too.
HOWEVER I must say that, from an Oxford grad in archaeology and anthropology, I was hoping for a little more. That's probably on me--Coulthard is honest about how there's very little we can trace for sure about superstitions, since they've evolved over take, take on local flavors, etc. Entries are given a maximum of about 8 paragraphs (sometimes as few as two) in easy-to-read, coffee-book or children's-library print. Feels like a vehicle for the design work, but again, that could be my inclination towards detail speaking here. Honestly, I'd probably be just as interested in a book that went into more detail about the superstitions themselves (here's how they do it in France; here's a twist that could make this good luck charm go bad), or a book loaded with tons of suppositions, even if they were 100% saying, "We don't know how factual or widespread these ideas were, or where they came from--but here's what we've heard and think."
...there's probably a reason we don't really write books of hearsay or rumors like ancient historical writers did, though. And why we don't confuse rhinoceroses with unicorns.
Cute, short, something to maybe inspire dreamy musings in younger readers, and probably more interesting if you haven't heard some of these backstories before.
HOWEVER I must say that, from an Oxford grad in archaeology and anthropology, I was hoping for a little more. That's probably on me--Coulthard is honest about how there's very little we can trace for sure about superstitions, since they've evolved over take, take on local flavors, etc. Entries are given a maximum of about 8 paragraphs (sometimes as few as two) in easy-to-read, coffee-book or children's-library print. Feels like a vehicle for the design work, but again, that could be my inclination towards detail speaking here. Honestly, I'd probably be just as interested in a book that went into more detail about the superstitions themselves (here's how they do it in France; here's a twist that could make this good luck charm go bad), or a book loaded with tons of suppositions, even if they were 100% saying, "We don't know how factual or widespread these ideas were, or where they came from--but here's what we've heard and think."
...there's probably a reason we don't really write books of hearsay or rumors like ancient historical writers did, though. And why we don't confuse rhinoceroses with unicorns.
Cute, short, something to maybe inspire dreamy musings in younger readers, and probably more interesting if you haven't heard some of these backstories before.
September 15, 2022
I really liked the dark side of the book, but the light side let me down a little.
June 24, 2021
When I first started reading this book and saw that it was written by an atheist, I was slightly worried about how the topics would be approached. It all ended up being fine, in the end.
I bought this book for the spirituality section of a store, so it was slightly disappointing to see the author almost act like Paganism is a dead religion. The author, also, seemed to focus heavily on the white sides of these superstitions; I am not sure whether or not that is her fault or due to lack of historical POC written accounts.
What my biggest issue with this book was the coloring of the pages. There were many instances where I could barely read a page because of the dark text against the dark background. This is not very helpful for anyone who has eye strain or a general reading issue (due to dyslexia, ADHD, whatever it may be). If you have issues with reading words on a dark background, you may want to avoid this book.
I bought this book for the spirituality section of a store, so it was slightly disappointing to see the author almost act like Paganism is a dead religion. The author, also, seemed to focus heavily on the white sides of these superstitions; I am not sure whether or not that is her fault or due to lack of historical POC written accounts.
What my biggest issue with this book was the coloring of the pages. There were many instances where I could barely read a page because of the dark text against the dark background. This is not very helpful for anyone who has eye strain or a general reading issue (due to dyslexia, ADHD, whatever it may be). If you have issues with reading words on a dark background, you may want to avoid this book.
January 3, 2023
I was expecting more from this book - more details, more research, more like Mary Roach (but without all the wisecracks that aren’t nearly as funny as she thinks they are).
Sadly, this book just doesn’t deliver. It presents the reader with a superstition, then says, “Well, it could have originated here…or it *could* have originated here…I just don’t know.” And that’s it.
So don’t expect much insight. It’s like a really tiny coffee table book and I read this book in about an hour.
The illustrations are gorgeous, though, and for that it gets three stars.
Sadly, this book just doesn’t deliver. It presents the reader with a superstition, then says, “Well, it could have originated here…or it *could* have originated here…I just don’t know.” And that’s it.
So don’t expect much insight. It’s like a really tiny coffee table book and I read this book in about an hour.
The illustrations are gorgeous, though, and for that it gets three stars.
February 25, 2024
Covers quite a few superstitions and has a variety of ways they have come about, interesting that some superstitions I've never heard of and others have changed so much through history. The only issue is that the book is vague, she mentions some historians and theories but generalises a lot. The book is so beautiful though that I could look at it without reading a word and being quite happy. The images for each superstition are gorgeous and the way the book is like a puzzle, turned upside down for each side. Clever designing just wish the facts were as good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2021
I have taken to reading anything that is illustrated by Karl James Mountford, because his illustrations are so stunning. But sadly, that was the only really good thing about this book. I mean the content was okay, but it was mostly common knowledge, very basic information about superstitions, and the writing style was also very unremarkable. There also were a lot of distracting spelling errors. This definitely needed more proof-reading.
January 19, 2021
This cute little book tells the background stories of different superstitions, good luck charms, and the like. It covers a wide range of traditions and has some interesting details but there’s only a few paragraphs per topic, so I you really want to know more about a specific superstition you’ll have to do more reading. I especially like how it’s divided into two halves- a light side and a dark side- showing some darker superstitions as well as some lighthearted ones
December 21, 2021
Light side topics I found interesting…
* Cutting Babies Fingernails
* Rainbows
* Touching Wood
* Kissing Under The Mistletoe
* Eggs
Dark side topics I found interesting…
* Dead Man’s Hand
* The Evil Eye
* Number 13
* Menstruation
* Mirrors Breaking
I had some issues with the book, when you have black writing on top of black paper that’s VERY difficult to read or any dark paper with dark writing on it is not going to be easy to read at all.
* Cutting Babies Fingernails
* Rainbows
* Touching Wood
* Kissing Under The Mistletoe
* Eggs
Dark side topics I found interesting…
* Dead Man’s Hand
* The Evil Eye
* Number 13
* Menstruation
* Mirrors Breaking
I had some issues with the book, when you have black writing on top of black paper that’s VERY difficult to read or any dark paper with dark writing on it is not going to be easy to read at all.
February 23, 2022
I rate this 4/5👍🏻
I loved this book for its short simple sections regarding different superstitions. The illustrations on the pages are BEAUTIFUL to say the least 🤩
The reasons it couldn’t be a five was because of some of the pages in the ‘dark section’ have black lettering and dark page colour. So for people with vision/reading difficulties (inc me) it can be problematic. Also the odd few sentences don’t make sense.🍂
I loved this book for its short simple sections regarding different superstitions. The illustrations on the pages are BEAUTIFUL to say the least 🤩
The reasons it couldn’t be a five was because of some of the pages in the ‘dark section’ have black lettering and dark page colour. So for people with vision/reading difficulties (inc me) it can be problematic. Also the odd few sentences don’t make sense.🍂
September 5, 2022
I really liked this book! There were a lot of superstitions that I didn’t know about. Some of them are ancient even. Which is pretty cool. What’s even more fascinating to me is that so many are from all areas of the world; not just one culture. Very very fun book to read, easy to read, pictures are beautiful, and I loved the color scheme. I really don’t have anything bad to say about it. I truly enjoyed reading it!
Thank you Sally!
Thank you Sally!
August 7, 2025
First and foremost, I love the design of this. Black and white, reminds me of a playing card and split into light and dark superstitions- have to flip the book to read the other side.
Interesting, but a bit too concise in places. Some things I wish it had gone into more detail on but I've got enough notes to work with so I can find out more on my own. Covers a few things in non-western countries as well, unlike things I've read previously.
Interesting, but a bit too concise in places. Some things I wish it had gone into more detail on but I've got enough notes to work with so I can find out more on my own. Covers a few things in non-western countries as well, unlike things I've read previously.
June 10, 2024
It was a gorgeously illustrated book, but I was thrown off at first by the formatting.
You can start the book from either side to delve into the "good" or "bad" superstitions. But once you choose which end to start, it is a quick, easy, informative read.
It's very easy to put down and puck up again.
You can start the book from either side to delve into the "good" or "bad" superstitions. But once you choose which end to start, it is a quick, easy, informative read.
It's very easy to put down and puck up again.
December 31, 2019
Perfect book to read when you are desperately trying to reach your reading goals for the year. It was actually really interesting I love learning about the origins of superstitions and superstitions in other countries too.
September 30, 2020
See raamat on nii ilus ja vingete illustratsioonidega, teema iseenesest kah huvitav, käsitlus jäi minu jaoks veidi pinnapealseks ja Inglise-keskseks (kuigi ka eestlasi on paar korda mainitud!), aga päris vahva lugemine oli seepoolestki.
October 5, 2020
Very well presented visually, but a little light on details. A good introduction to common superstitions, but I feel like googling might get me more details. A fun book for flipping through and getting a basic idea of how superstitions began, but is not through enough to fully satisfy my curiosity.
November 10, 2020
Beautiful illustrations and interesting cultural histories of modern superstitions. Definitely a brief book for entertainment purposes, not meant to be a comprehensive history of all superstitions in human history.
February 22, 2021
Beautiful illustrations and some really fascinating folk stories. It’s not overly detailed, but it could be a good place to start for those who are interested. I would have liked more information and input from a larger number of cultures.
January 5, 2022
The art style is beautiful, I liked learning about brief histories on certain superstitions I've heard about, and have never heard about. The way certain lines were written sounded strange at times, but it was a decent book to have picked up randomly.
April 24, 2022
I initially wanted to like this book but I was surprised she thought that Vikings 'lynched' people. Something I've never read before nor is there conclusive evidence that 'bog-bodies' were votive offerings.
May 16, 2022
Another fabulous and fascinating book by Sally Coulthard! Packed with fascinating facts that answer so many questions about superstitions. As ever, this book is wonderfully written and a real joy to read.
March 19, 2024
DNF at a only a few pages. Some of it was that I was just reading it while waiting for some other books, and the other way I just got bored reading it because, while I admire the idea of explaining superstitions, this book just seemed like a lot of scattered facts and thoughts.
October 28, 2019
Beautiful illustrations, and interesting facts. Although awkwardly written in some parts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews