Horseshoe quandry

[chrispy]

On returning from a rather extensive dog walk on Exmoor yesterday (i was left to my own devices on the plot), my daughter produced a horseshoe that she had found, and gave it to me to hang on the gate to my little plot.

Now as i understand there are two scools of thought on this....
1. hang it with the ends up, thus stopping all your good luck running away.

2. hang it with the ends down, thus allowing all your bad luck to run away.

any thoughts would be gratefully recieved..

[Two_Sheds]

Horseshoes are considered a good luck charm in many cultures. A common tradition is that if a horseshoe is hung on a door with the two ends pointing up then good luck will occur. However, if the two ends point downwards then bad luck will occur.

Traditions do differ on this point, though. In some cultures, the horseshoe is hung points down (so the luck pours onto you); in others, it is hung points up (so the luck doesn't fall out); still in others it doesn't matter so long as the horseshoe has been used (not new), was found (not purchased), and can be touched.

In some traditions, any good or bad luck achieved will only occur to the owner of the horseshoe, not the person who hangs it up. Therefore, if the horseshoe was stolen, borrowed or even just found then the owner, not the person who found the horseshoe.

One reputed origin of the tradition of lucky horseshoes is the story of Saint Dunstan and the Devil. Dunstan, who became the Archbishop of Canterbury in AD 959, was a blacksmith by trade. The story relates that he once nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's hoof when he was asked to reshoe the Devil's hoof. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil after the Devil promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is hung over the door.

Some believe that if guests come to a house where a horseshoe is above the door, they must leave by the same door through which they entered or they will take the luck from the horseshoe with them from the house.

(cribbed from Wikipedia ~ while I was supposed to be doing the ironing)
btw, my own horseshoe is sat on the floor because it fell off the wall when we moved in ... a bad omen? !!

[chrispy]

WOW... thanks Two Sheds (i think), i think a family conference needs to be called before any final decision is made lol

[NOG]

The story round these parts is that the devil was captured and nailed to the door of a house by his foot, whilst the people decided what to do with him.

He escaped and the horseshoe was left on the door to remind him of the reception he would receive if he were ever to return.

[chrispy]

I like that one NOG, but which way up was he?? :0)

[bubblewrap]

I don't think in matters as long as there isn't a horse attached to it!

[chrispy]

I see your reasoning there Bubblewrap....thanks for that gem..lol

[RowanStar]

i've got a horse shoe with painted wiccan signs on it, but i can't hang it above the door outside because it will get nicked, i can't hang it up inside above the door because of the stupid walls, so i left my stood up against the wall by the front door with the 2 ends up

[Nicos]

Over here you see horseshoes in the pointing between the stones of houses- slotted in sideways like a plate with the two ends hidden in the wall!

....sort of hedging their bets????

I have one like that in my piggery wall- and our neighbour has one next to their kitchen window.

I always thought best to hang like a U

[seasprout]

I don't think in matters as long as there isn't a horse attached to it!

Or that it falls on you as you shut the door.

[miffy]

I've got one that my great grandad made in his smithy in Wolvey in the 19th century, my grandma always told me it had to be hung with the ends pointed up to hold the good luck and she was a country lass through and through so i reackon she knew her eggs or horsehshoes! Hope that helps.

[Flummery]

They used to say where I grew up that if you hang it points down the luck runs out and if you hang it points up the devil will sit on the points. The answer is to hang it as a C shape!

[Victoria26]

I got 2 at my wedding that are points up.

Anyway they are nice ornaments and I don't really believe in all these old fables as they all contradict each other.

[bluemoon]

We do it points up in these parts.

[Snadger]

I like Flums idea.......nail it sideways then luck will stay in, nothing will run out, the devil will have no points to sit on or a place to sit.................. and you only need one nail!

I told the old farm foreman that I had found an old shire horses shoe in the field with my metal detector "If you'd dug a bit deeper" says he "you'd probably have found the horse. Those auld shire horses were such big booggers, if one snuffed it on the field we burried it where it fell"