One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told

I saw a couple of magpies on the way to work this morning, and saluted them both, which is what I’ve always done. But, (after thinking ‘ooh maybe magpie superstitions could make a good little laundry blog’) I looked into the mythology and the rhyme a wee (wikipedia) bit once I got in, and I now have reason to be believe I may have been approaching the whole thing with totally the wrong superstitious logic…

It all has to do with the first line- ‘One for sorrow’. Apparently the bird is associated with all things bad and unfortunate, in part a bit of a harsh judgement not based on anything but a character trait to go after shiny things in a coveting manner and also a bit of a nasty grating call. But this association with bad stuff in general only comes into play when you’re faced with one magpie. 2 is a goody.

Steph really believes in magpies- ‘too sly magpie!’ is what she hollers at him when she comes across one. This is her own take on the much longer and more formal ‘Good Morning Mr Magpie, how are your wife and children? What a fine bird you are!’ I had never heard of this! I’m so out of it, pah, saluting- hardly adequate for protecting yourself against the witchery of a lonelsome magpie. If you want to encourage good luck instead of bad its advisable to say some sort of greeting.

Any magpie stories for us? Come accross three of them and popped out three chicas the next day? Any more orignal words with which you greet the squarky fellas? Wow us with your black and white feathered fables pleeeeaaase!

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