Superstitions have influenced the lives of human beings perhaps since the dawn of humanity. For millennia, people have held onto beliefs and practices regarding supernatural activity. Even after science produced evidence to explain what was once considered supernatural, superstitious traditions continued. During the Middle Ages many new superstitious rituals were developed and some can still be seen in use today. However, today's mundane superstitious rituals, such as hanging a horseshoe on a door or knocking on wood for good luck, didn't start out so simply. Superstition, as defined by the Oxford dictionary, is “excessively credulous belief and reverence.” for the supernatural." In no other time was there so much belief in the supernatural as in the Middle Ages, where witches flew on broomsticks, Jewish sorcerers cast spells and sneezing could kill. In ancient times, mysterious circumstances were explained by the imagination of our ancestors. Without science, events that seem obvious today were once described as supernatural. For example, a person's shadow cast on a sunny day was defined as a reflection of that person's soul. Natural phenomena were more or less personified. To get to the roots of supernatural beliefs, it is necessary to look at the roots of philosophy. Bernard McGinn, author of The Growth of Mysticism, stated that in the ancient Mediterranean world, philosophy was defined as “the love of wisdom, to express the highest way of human life, dedicated to something more than the ordinary tasks of survival and self-preservation”. exaltation” (32). The Middle Ages began around the 5th century, when the Roman Empire disintegrated and Christianity began to take shape. The people at......middle of paper......Simeoni, Manuela. "European Pagan Day of Remembrance". The Canon Episcopi and the beginning of the witch question. Np, nd Web. November 15, 2013.Trachtenberg, Giosuè. "Jewish Magic and Superstition: 1. The Legend of Jewish Witchcraft." Jewish Magic and Superstition: 1. The Legend of Jewish Witchcraft. Np, nd Web. November 10, 2013.Trachtenberg, Giosuè. "Jewish Magic and Superstition: 2. The Truth Behind the Legend." Jewish Magic and Superstition: 2. The Truth Behind the Legend. Np, nd Web. November 10, 2013.Trueman, Chris. "The Black Death from 1348 to 1350." The Black Death 1348 to 1350. Np, nd Web. November 17, 2013.Williamson, Allen. "Joan of Arc, short biography". Joan of Arc, Brief Biography. Np, nd Web. November 17, 2013. Wolchover, Natalie. “The Surprising Origins of 9 Common Superstitions.” WordsSideKick.com. TechMedia Network, September 19, 2011. Web. November 14. 2013.