MIRRORS MYTHS – CULTURAL TIDBIT

Chinese believed that demons avoided mirrors because they would be made visible in them. They would hang global mirrors over the bed’s in one’s house to protect the family. Evil spirits could not avoid being reflected and would have to avoid the place.

The Chinese associated the mirror with the heavens as it caught the "suns fire" for the cooking fire, and the "moons water" (dew). Some Chinese mirrors were made with a deep rim to hold this dew.

Aztecs used mirrorlike surfaces to ward off evil spirits.

Greeks regarded it as an omen of death if a man dreamed of himself being reflected.

The Greeks let a mirror down a well until it touched the water, and drew it forth quickly to see what the forecast was for a sick one.

The ancient Greeks believed that water spirits, lurking in reflective pools, lakes and streams would drag the unwary reflected soul underwater, leaving the now soulless person to die.

Greeks believed that if a mirror were held before a sleeping man during a hailstorm, the storm would cease.

The Romans, who were the first to make glass mirrors, attributed the seven years bad luck to their belief that life renewed itself every seven years. To break a mirror meant to break one’s health, and this “broken health” would not be remedied for seven years.

The people of northern India considered it dangerous to look into a mirror that belonged to someone else. It was especially so to look into the mirrors of a house you were visiting. When you left you would leave part of your soul trapped behind the mirrors, which could then be manipulated by your host to his advantage. In 18th century India, women were seen to wave
mirrors before the image of death goddess Kali, apparently to appease her need for human sacrifice with the reflection of a person rather than the sacrifice of a real human being.

In Japanese mythology the mirror is significant. It is said to be the soul of a woman as a sword is to a samurai. When the heart is free of evil thought and is clear, the mirror will reflect the purity of the soul.

Japanese used mirrors made of bronze until the late 19th century. They also buried great leaders with mirrors.

Mirrors are often used in literature: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Through the Looking Glass, and Snow White are just a few examples
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