Misplaced Pages

Curse: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 19:41, 18 June 2006 editSte4k (talk | contribs)3,630 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 04:40, 8 November 2024 edit undoNeils51 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users114,072 editsm replaced: amount → number, typo(s) fixed: 14 ton → 14-ton, etc) → etc.)Tag: AWB 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Supernatural hindrance, or incantation intended to bestow such a hindrance}}
{{wiktionary}}
:<span class="dablink">''For other uses, see ].''</span> {{Other uses of|Curse|Curses|Curse (disambiguation)}}
{{multiple issues|

{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2008}}
A '''curse''' is the effective action of ] power, distinguished solely by the quality of ] that it brings, else it would be considered a "]" or a "]." A curse may also be said to result from a ] or ], imprecation or execration, or other imposition by ] or ], asking that a ], natural force, or ] bring misfortune to someone.
{{cleanup rewrite|date=October 2013}}

}}
The forms of curses found in various cultures comprise a significant proportion of the study of both ] and ].
])]]

A '''curse''' (also called an '''imprecation''', '''malediction''', '''execration''', '''malison''', ''']''', or '''commination''') is any expressed ] that some form of ] or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object.<ref name="Merriam-Webster-2019">{{cite web | title=Definition of CURSE | website=Definition of Curse by Merriam-Webster | date=2019-07-17 | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curse | access-date=2019-07-19}}</ref> In particular, "curse" may refer to such a wish or pronouncement made effective by a ] or ] power, such as a ] or gods, a spirit, or a ], or else as a kind of ] by ] (usually ]) or ]; in the latter sense, a curse can also be called a '''hex''' or a ''']'''. In many belief systems, the curse itself (or accompanying ]) is considered to have some causative force in the result. To reverse or eliminate a curse is sometimes called "removal" or "breaking", as the ] has to be dispelled, and often requires elaborate rituals or prayers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chauran|first=Alexandra |title=Have You Been Hexed? Recognizing and Breaking Curses|publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide|year=2013|isbn =978-0-7387-3620-4 }}</ref>
In a broader sense, 'curse' is a loose ] for ] or ] (i.e. a "curse word.")

"The curse" is also a term for the ] of ] in the ] religion and a slang term for menstruation.

== Philosophy and Religion ==
Belief in curses is found in many cultures and is mentioned in the scriptures of many religions.

Most established religions forbid such practices outright, but others, citing the long history of scriptural curses, utilize them only in defense against evil that struck at them first. All religions offer forms of blessings of homes and objects and people, with the intent of removing curses. Typically then a curse is only a category or type of something much larger, namely the entirety of any given culture's religio-magical paradigm.

Moreover, when negative or painful ] and ] are viewed as varieties of curse, the religious authorities may see to it that there is a sanctioned way for the curse to be removed. (Factoid: the original staff of the Vatican, according to Catholic records, included 300 full time exorcists, that is, specialists in the removal of demons inhabiting humans.)

Some people believe curses to be strictly ] in effect and/or ] in nature; these people generally hold ] opposing viewpoints to the opinion that curses are actual and real.

== Folk Use ==
The deliberate levying of curses is often part of the practice of ], taking place at the boundary between organized ] and folkloric customs.


== Types==
], text written onto a lead sheet, 4th century BC, ] Archaeological Museum, ].]]
The study of the forms of curses comprises a significant proportion of the study of both ] and ]. The deliberate attempt to levy curses is often part of the practice of ]. In ] ], the Sage or ] is believed to have the power to ] (''Āshirvada'' or ''Vara'') and curse (''Shaapa''). Examples include the curse placed by Rishi Bhrigu on king Nahusha<ref name="author">{{cite book|title=The Mahabharata, Book 13 of 18: Anusasana Parva|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4YdaEN-kM5wC&pg=PA408|access-date=4 September 2012|publisher=Forgotten Books|isbn=978-1-60506-623-3|page=408}}</ref> and the one placed by Rishi Devala.<ref name="Buddhaghosha1870">{{cite book|author=Buddhaghosha|title=Buddhaghosha's Parables: translated from Burmese by Captain T. Rogers: With an Introduction, containing Buddha's Dhammapada, or "Path of Virtue", translated from Pâli by F. Max Müller|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_CVAJDKbCOTkC|year=1870|publisher=Trübner|page=}}</ref>
Special names for specific types of curses can be found in various cultures: Special names for specific types of curses can be found in various cultures:


] ] presents us with the ] and crossed conditions, as well as a form of foot track magic, whereby cursed objects are layed in the paths of victims and activated when walked over. * ] ] presents us with the jinx and crossed conditions, as well as a form of foot track magic which was used by Ramandeep, whereby cursed objects are laid in the paths of victims and activated when walked over.
* ] and ] culture is the source of the belief in the ], which may be the result of envy or, more rarely, is said to be the result of a deliberate curse. In order to be protected from the evil eye, a protection item is made from dark blue circular glass, with a circle of white around the black dot in the middle, which is reminiscent of a human eye. The size of the protective eye item may vary.
* ], including the ], speak in terms of ] (from {{lang|de|hexen}}, the German word for doing witchcraft), and a common hex in days past was that laid by a stable-witch who caused milk cows to go dry and horses to go lame.


==Egyptians and mummies==
] and ] cutlture is the original home-base for belief in the ], which may be the result of envy but, more rarely, is said to be the result of a deliberate curse.
] donation-] from ], ], ]. The inscription celebrates a donation of land to an Egyptian temple, and places a curse on anyone who would misuse or appropriate the land.]]
There is a broad popular belief in curses being associated with the violation of the tombs of ] corpses, or of the mummies themselves. The idea became so widespread as to become a pop-culture mainstay, especially in ]s (though originally the curse was invisible, a series of mysterious deaths, rather than the walking-dead mummies of later fiction). The "]" is supposed to have haunted the ]s who excavated the tomb of ] ], whereby an imprecation was supposedly pronounced from the grave by the ]ian priests, on anyone who violated its precincts. Similar dubious suspicions have surrounded the excavation and examination of the (natural, not embalmed) ] mummy, "]". While such curses are generally considered to have been popularized and sensationalized by British journalists of the 19th century, ancient Egyptians were, in fact, known to place curse inscriptions on markers protecting temple or tomb goods or property.


==In the Bible==
] people, including the ] speak in terms of hexing (from the german word for witchcraft), and a common hex in days past was that laid by a stable-witch who caused milk cows to go dry and horses to go lame. .
]]]
{{Further|Curse and mark of Cain|Curse of Ham}}
According to the ] article ''Cursing'', the Bible depicts ] cursing the ], the earth, and ] ({{bibleverse|Genesis|3:14|NIV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|3:17|NIV}},<ref>On Genesis 3:17 cf. Andreas Dorschel, 'Entwurf einer Theorie des Fluchens', ''Variations'' 23 (2015), § 29, pp. 167–175, pp. 174–175</ref> {{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|4:11|NIV}}). Similarly, ] curses ] ({{bibleverse|Genesis|9:25|NIV}}), and ] curses any man who should build the city of ] ({{bibleverse|Joshua|6:26-27|NIV}}). In various books of the ], there are long lists of curses against transgressors of ] ({{bibleverse|Leviticus|26:14-25|NIV}}, {{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|27:15|NIV}}, etc.). The 10 ], preceding ], can be seen as curses cast from the ] of Aaron and Moses acting on instruction from the God of Israel, in order to enable the enthralled to come free from the yoke of enforced ], ] and the like.


In the ], Christ ] ({{bibleverse|Mark|11:14|NIV}}), pronounces his denunciation of woe against the ] ({{bibleverse|Matthew|11:21|NIV}}), against ], the worldly, ], and ] ({{bibleverse|Matthew|25:41|NIV}}). The word curse is also applied to the victim of ] for ] (]), to sins ] and ] ({{bibleverse|Genesis|2:17|NIV}}; {{bibleverse|Matthew|25:41|NIV}}).<ref>{{CathEncy| wstitle = Cursing}}</ref>
== Curses in the Bible ==
Some passages in the ] treat curses as being effective techniques; they see a curse as an objective reality with real power. However, most sections of the ] conceive a curse to be merely a wish, to be fulfilled by God only when just and deserved.


==Objects==
According to the ], an undeserved curse has no effect (Proverbs 26:2), but may fall back upon the head of him who utters it (]] 12:3; ] 21:27), or may be turned by God into a blessing (] 23:5).
{{see also|List of allegedly cursed objects}}
] Archaeological Museum, ].]]
Cursed objects are generally supposed to have been stolen from their rightful owners or looted from a sanctuary. The ] is supposed to bear such a curse, and bring misfortune to its owner. The stories behind why these items are cursed vary, but they usually are said to bring bad luck or to manifest unusual phenomena related to their presence. ] was reportedly cursed by the murderer Thomas Busby shortly before his execution so that everyone who would sit in it would die.


According to the Bible, cursed objects are those which are used in idolatry whether that idolatry is indirectly or directly connected to the devil. A list of those Bible references along with a comprehensive list of occult and cursed objects can be found online.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reality |first=Truth in |date=2012-10-27 |title=Occult and Cursed Objects List |url=https://truthinreality.com/2012/10/27/the-occult-cursed-objects-cults/ |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=Truth in Reality |language=en}}</ref>
The declaration of punishments (Gen. 3:14, 17; 4:11), the utterance of threats (] 11:3, 17:5; ] i. 14), and the proclamation of laws (Deut. 11:26-28, 27:15 et seq.) received added solemnity and force when conditioned by a curse.


==Bishop Dunbar's curse==
In the Bible, cursing is generally characteristic of the godless (Ps. 10:7), but may serve as a weapon in the mouth of the wronged, the oppressed, and those who are zealous for God and righteousness (] 9:57; Prov. 11"26, 30:10).
], England, by ] with an extract from the bishop's curse]]
In 1525 ], archbishop of ], Scotland, pronounced a curse on the Anglo-Scottish ] and caused it to be read out in all churches in the border area. It comprehensively cursed the reivers and their families from head to toe and in every way.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/features/2003/07/restoration/the_curse.shtml|title=The Border Reivers - The Curse|date=July 2003|publisher=BBC Cumbria|access-date=26 August 2022}} ''Includes text of curse, in English''</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/dare-you-read-the-curse-1.414994 |title=Dare You Read the Curse? |date=10 March 2005 |work=] |access-date=26 August 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202234412/http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/dare-you-read-the-curse-1.414994 |archive-date=2 December 2013 }} ''includes full text of curse, in original Scots</ref> In 2003 a 371-word extract from the curse was carved into a 14-ton granite boulder as part of an art work by ] which was installed in ]; some local people believed that a series of misfortunes (floods, factory closure, footballing defeats etc.) were caused by the curse, and campaigned unsuccessfully for the destruction of the stone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cursing Stone & Reiver Pavement |url=https://gordonyoung.info/cursingstone |website=Gordon Young |access-date=26 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |title=They're doomed: the curse of Carlisle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2005/mar/09/heritage |access-date=26 August 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=9 March 2005 |language=en}}</ref>


==As a plot device==
A righteous curse, especially when uttered by persons in authority, was believed to be unfailing in its effect (Gen. 9:25, 27:12; ] 2:24; Ecclus. 3:11). One who had received exemplary punishment at the hands of God was frequently held up, in cursing, as a terrifying object-lesson (Jer. 23: 22), and such a person was said to be, or to have become, a curse (II Kings 22:19; Jer. 24:9, 25: 18; ] 8:13). An elaborate ] for a woman suspected by her husband of ] is set forth in ] 5:11-30; this involved drinking a "bitter water that brings a curse"; if the woman were guilty, she would suffer ] and ].
Curses have also been used as ]s in literature and theater. When used as a plot device, they involve one character placing a curse or hex over another character. This is distinguished from adverse spells and premonitions and other such plot devices. Examples of the curse as a plot device:
* '']'' – Count Monterone places a curse on Rigoletto. Rigoletto blames the climactic death of his daughter on the curse.
* '']''-In the second act the ] of Thuy tortures and torments Kim in her visions and utters a curse on her that Chris will desert and abandon her and blaming her for his death.
* '']'' – A dying ] curses the Montagues and Capulets with "A plague o' both your houses." (Often quoted as "a pox on both your houses.")
* '']'' – Evil fairy ] (] in the Disney film) casts a curse on ] to die on her 16th birthday.
* '']'' – A ] punishes a conceited prince by transforming him into a hideous beast.
* '']'' (and variants) – a mother curses her six (seven, twelve) sons into bird form, and their sister must sew magic shirts to reverse the transformation
* '']'' – ] was cursed to be human by day, but ] by night.
* '']'' – ] after a bloody duel with ] tormenting and taunting him that he will never see his daughter Rose again and utters a curse on him before disintegrates and calcifies to her death.
* '']'' – Christine Brown was cursed by Sylvia Ganush to experience three days of torture, then the lamia will drag her to hell.
* '']'' – Ga-in finds herself being the target of an ancient family curse fearing that her family and friends are out to kill her.
* '']'' – The Higashikata Family is cursed to have the ] turn into ] at the age of 10.


==Sports==
It is especially forbidden to curse God (] 22:28), parents (Ex. 21:17; ] 20:9; Prov. 20:20, 30: 11), the authorities (Ex. 22:28; Eccl. 10:20), and the helpless deaf (Lev. 19:14).
{{Main|Sports-related curses}}

A number of curses are used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams, players, or even cities. For example:
== Curses in ]nic Literature ==
* No first-time winner of the ] has successfully defended his title since the event was first held at the ] in ] in ]. This has been widely attributed to a ].
A number of sections of the ] show a belief in the power of curses (Berachot 19a, 56a.) In some cases, a curse is described as related to the nature of a prayer (Ta'an. 23b); an undeserved curse is described as ineffective (Makkot 11a) and falls back upon the head of him who utters it (Sanhedrin 49a).
* The ] was used to explain the failures of the ] baseball team, who did not win a World Series championship between 1908 and 2016, and a National League pennant between 1945 and 2016.

* The ] is a cliche popularized by a Boston Globe sportswriter to describe a decades-long championship drought for the ] team in Major League Baseball. "Bambino" was a nickname for ], the team's star when Boston won the last three of its first five World Series titles. In 1920, Red Sox owner ] sold Ruth to his team's archrival ], which won four World Series with him. It took Boston 86 years to win another World Series. The Red Sox reversed history in the 2004 ] (ALCS), losing the first three games of a best-of-seven series against the Yankees before winning four in a row to take the league pennant in unprecedented and dramatic style. This comeback is considered one of the greatest in sports history. The Red Sox then swept the ] in the ] in four games, a triumph which many fans considered the end of the "curse." The Red Sox have won three more World Series since then.
Not only is a curse uttered by a scholar unfailing in its effect, even if undeserved (Mak. 11a), but one should not regard lightly even the curse uttered by an ignorant man (Meg. 15a).
* The Krukow Kurse was used to explain the ]' failure to ever win the ] until 2010. It is attributed to ] (a former ] for the Giants and a current ] for the team) based upon his yearly ] predictions that the Giants "have a chance" to win the World Series. Once Krukow stops making such predictions—says the ]—the Giants will, in fact, win the World Series. However, the Giants went on to win the World Series in 2010. It was during the same year that Krukow's partner, Giants broadcaster, Duane Kuiper, stated, "Giants baseball, it's torture!", due to the large number of close games that they played. This phrase was adopted by fans and became a rallying cry throughout the second half of the season and the playoff run.

* The ] was supposedly cast on the ] by Colonel ] (the founder and mascot of ]) after fans of the team threw his statue into the ] Canal while celebrating the Tigers' 1985 ], not to be recovered until 2009. The curse was broken in 2023 when the Tigers won Game 7 of the ] for their first NPB championship since 1985.
The Biblical prohibitions of cursing are legally elaborated, and extended to self-cursing (Shebu. 35a). A woman that curses her husband's parents in his presence is divorced and loses her dowry (Ket. 72a).
* Marketing experts have highlighted the curse of ], given the mishaps that happen to sports stars associated with the brand.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribune.ie/news/international/article/2009/nov/29/shaven-but-stirred-the-gillette-curse/|title=Shaven but stirred: the Gillette curse|last=Mesure|first=Susie|date=November 29, 2009|work=Tribune News|publisher=Tribune.ie|access-date=21 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609204203/http://www.tribune.ie/news/international/article/2009/nov/29/shaven-but-stirred-the-gillette-curse/|archive-date=9 June 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/advertising/henry-woods-federer-the-curse-of-gillette-1830663.html|title=Henry, Woods, Federer: The curse of Gillette|last=Mesure|first=Susie|date=29 November 2009|work=]|publisher=Independent.co.uk|access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref>

Cursing may be permissible when prompted by ] motives. For instance, a curse is uttered against those who mislead the people by calculating, on the basis of Biblical passages, when the ] will come (Sanhedrin 97b). Cursed are those who are guilty of actions which, though not forbidden, are considered reprehensible.

According to legend, some rabbinic scholars cursed sometimes not only with their mouths, but also with an angry, fixed look. The consequence of such a look was either immediate death or poverty (Sotah 46b, and parallel passages). (See ])

==Ancient Greek and Roman Curses==
Greek and Roman curses were somewhat formal and official. Called katadesmoi by the Greeks and tabulae defixiones by the Romans, they were written on lead tablets or other materials, generally invoked the aid of a spirit (a deity, a demon, or one of the dead) to accomplish their aim, and were placed in some place considered effective for their activation, such as in a tomb, cemetery, or sacred spring or well.

In the text of katadesmoi and defixiones, the petitioner uttered a prayer or formula that the enemy would suffer injury in some specific way, along with the reason therefor, such as theft or loss of respect.

The Romans, Etruscans, and Greeks in Italy all practiced this custom. Fortunately for us, they buried the curses so well that today we have a body of curse inscriptions to tell us how they practiced their harmful magical works.

== Curses in the Qur'an ==
:''See main article ]

The Qur'an, verse ] 33, verse 68:
:''"Our Lord! Give them double Penalty and curse them with a very great Curse!"

== Cursed Places ==
Certain objects or places are said to be cursed. Sometimes, the curse was allegedly laid with a purpose; the "]" is supposed to have haunted the ]s who excavated the ] of ] ], whereby an imprecation was supposedly pronounced on anyone who violated its precincts by the ]ian ]s.


==Cursed People==
] was reputed to cause the deaths in office of ] elected in years divisible by 20, beginning in ] (this alleged curse appears to have fallen dormant in ], as President ], elected that year, failed to die in office).

==Sports-related curses==
A number of curses are used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams or players. For example, the ] is used to explain the failures of the ] ] team, who have not won a championship since ]. Players who appear on the covers of either the '']'' ] or the '']'' ] have tended to coincidently suffer setbacks or injuries.

== Cursed Objects ==
Cursed objects are generally supposed to have been stolen from their rightful owners or looted from a sanctuary. The ] is supposed to bear such a curse, and bring misfortune to its owner.

== Cursed News Groups ==
The news group alt.religion.angels was cursed by an Internet troll approximately one year after it's inception. The troll's original intentions were to attempt to fool the particpants into believing that he was speaking on a regular basis with angels. The attempt was foiled almost immediately by one of the regular participants who died before the troll could satisfy either his claims or make apologies. The troll, thus obsessed, swore vengeance and cursed the news group to be ruined by his presence for the remainder of his life. Some would argue that the troll himself has been cursed to remain by the ghost of the former participant whom won't allow him to rest until his apologies have been made.

See:

==Fraudulent Curses==
Some people claiming to be gifted in magic or ] set up business to exploit fears, in order to profitably separate victims from their money. This has been a very large part of the mythos (and bad reputation) of the modern day Romani people (]), as well as ] and ] priests.


==See also== ==See also==

* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]: see "Ambiguity of Anthropological Usage".
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{wikiquote}} {{reflist}}

* ''Curse tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World'' by John G. Gager ISBN 0-19-506226-4
==Further reading==
* '']: The International Journal of Verbal Aggression'' ISSN US 0363-3659
* ''Curse tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World'' by John G. Gager {{ISBN|0-19-506226-4}}
* '']: The International Journal of Verbal Aggression'' ISSN US 0363-3659
* Supernatural Hawaii by Margaret Stone. Copyright 1979 by Aloha Graphics and Sales. {{ISBN|0-941351-03-3}}
* The Secret Obake Casebook Tales from the Darkside of the Cabinet by Glen Grant. Copyright 1997 by Glen Grant. {{ISBN|1-56647-183-4}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
* Article on Hexes
*{{wikiquote-inline}}
*
*


{{Superstitions|state=collapsed}}
]
{{Authority control}}
]
]


] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 04:40, 8 November 2024

Supernatural hindrance, or incantation intended to bestow such a hindrance For other uses of "Curse" or "Curses", see Curse (disambiguation).
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Misplaced Pages's quality standards. You can help. The talk page may contain suggestions. (October 2013)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
A woman performs a cursing ritual (Hokusai)

A curse (also called an imprecation, malediction, execration, malison, anathema, or commination) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular, "curse" may refer to such a wish or pronouncement made effective by a supernatural or spiritual power, such as a god or gods, a spirit, or a natural force, or else as a kind of spell by magic (usually black magic) or witchcraft; in the latter sense, a curse can also be called a hex or a jinx. In many belief systems, the curse itself (or accompanying ritual) is considered to have some causative force in the result. To reverse or eliminate a curse is sometimes called "removal" or "breaking", as the spell has to be dispelled, and often requires elaborate rituals or prayers.

Types

Ancient Greek curse tablet, text written onto a lead sheet, 4th century BC, Kerameikos Archaeological Museum, Athens.

The study of the forms of curses comprises a significant proportion of the study of both folk religion and folklore. The deliberate attempt to levy curses is often part of the practice of magic. In Hindu culture, the Sage or Rishi is believed to have the power to bless (Āshirvada or Vara) and curse (Shaapa). Examples include the curse placed by Rishi Bhrigu on king Nahusha and the one placed by Rishi Devala. Special names for specific types of curses can be found in various cultures:

  • African American hoodoo presents us with the jinx and crossed conditions, as well as a form of foot track magic which was used by Ramandeep, whereby cursed objects are laid in the paths of victims and activated when walked over.
  • Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culture is the source of the belief in the evil eye, which may be the result of envy or, more rarely, is said to be the result of a deliberate curse. In order to be protected from the evil eye, a protection item is made from dark blue circular glass, with a circle of white around the black dot in the middle, which is reminiscent of a human eye. The size of the protective eye item may vary.
  • German people, including the Pennsylvania Dutch, speak in terms of hexing (from hexen, the German word for doing witchcraft), and a common hex in days past was that laid by a stable-witch who caused milk cows to go dry and horses to go lame.

Egyptians and mummies

Limestone donation-stele from Mendes, 3rd Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXII. The inscription celebrates a donation of land to an Egyptian temple, and places a curse on anyone who would misuse or appropriate the land.

There is a broad popular belief in curses being associated with the violation of the tombs of mummified corpses, or of the mummies themselves. The idea became so widespread as to become a pop-culture mainstay, especially in horror films (though originally the curse was invisible, a series of mysterious deaths, rather than the walking-dead mummies of later fiction). The "Curse of the Pharaohs" is supposed to have haunted the archeologists who excavated the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, whereby an imprecation was supposedly pronounced from the grave by the ancient Egyptian priests, on anyone who violated its precincts. Similar dubious suspicions have surrounded the excavation and examination of the (natural, not embalmed) Alpine mummy, "Ötzi the Iceman". While such curses are generally considered to have been popularized and sensationalized by British journalists of the 19th century, ancient Egyptians were, in fact, known to place curse inscriptions on markers protecting temple or tomb goods or property.

In the Bible

Shimei curses David, 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld
Further information: Curse and mark of Cain and Curse of Ham

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia article Cursing, the Bible depicts God cursing the serpent, the earth, and Cain (Genesis 3:14, 3:17, 4:11). Similarly, Noah curses Canaan (Genesis 9:25), and Joshua curses any man who should build the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:26–27). In various books of the Hebrew Bible, there are long lists of curses against transgressors of the Law (Leviticus 26:14–25, Deuteronomy 27:15, etc.). The 10 Plagues of Egypt, preceding the 10 Commandments, can be seen as curses cast from the rods of Aaron and Moses acting on instruction from the God of Israel, in order to enable the enthralled to come free from the yoke of enforced serfdom, slavery and the like.

In the New Testament, Christ curses the barren fig tree (Mark 11:14), pronounces his denunciation of woe against the incredulous cities (Matthew 11:21), against the rich, the worldly, the scribes, and the Pharisees, and foretells the awful malediction that is to come upon the damned (Matthew 25:41). The word curse is also applied to the victim of expiation for sin (Galatians 3:13), to sins temporal and eternal (Genesis 2:17; Matthew 25:41).

Objects

See also: List of allegedly cursed objects
Ancient Greek cursed object against enemies in a trial, written on a lead figurine put in a lead box, 420-410 BC, Kerameikos Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Cursed objects are generally supposed to have been stolen from their rightful owners or looted from a sanctuary. The Hope Diamond is supposed to bear such a curse, and bring misfortune to its owner. The stories behind why these items are cursed vary, but they usually are said to bring bad luck or to manifest unusual phenomena related to their presence. Busby's stoop chair was reportedly cursed by the murderer Thomas Busby shortly before his execution so that everyone who would sit in it would die.

According to the Bible, cursed objects are those which are used in idolatry whether that idolatry is indirectly or directly connected to the devil. A list of those Bible references along with a comprehensive list of occult and cursed objects can be found online.

Bishop Dunbar's curse

The Cursing Stone art work in Carlisle, England, by Gordon Young with an extract from the bishop's curse

In 1525 Gavin Dunbar, archbishop of Glasgow, Scotland, pronounced a curse on the Anglo-Scottish Border reivers and caused it to be read out in all churches in the border area. It comprehensively cursed the reivers and their families from head to toe and in every way. In 2003 a 371-word extract from the curse was carved into a 14-ton granite boulder as part of an art work by Gordon Young which was installed in Carlisle; some local people believed that a series of misfortunes (floods, factory closure, footballing defeats etc.) were caused by the curse, and campaigned unsuccessfully for the destruction of the stone.

As a plot device

Curses have also been used as plot devices in literature and theater. When used as a plot device, they involve one character placing a curse or hex over another character. This is distinguished from adverse spells and premonitions and other such plot devices. Examples of the curse as a plot device:

  • Rigoletto – Count Monterone places a curse on Rigoletto. Rigoletto blames the climactic death of his daughter on the curse.
  • Miss Saigon-In the second act the vengeful spirit of Thuy tortures and torments Kim in her visions and utters a curse on her that Chris will desert and abandon her and blaming her for his death.
  • Romeo and Juliet – A dying Mercutio curses the Montagues and Capulets with "A plague o' both your houses." (Often quoted as "a pox on both your houses.")
  • Sleeping Beauty – Evil fairy Carabosse (Maleficent in the Disney film) casts a curse on Princess Aurora to die on her 16th birthday.
  • Beauty and the Beast – A fairy punishes a conceited prince by transforming him into a hideous beast.
  • The Six Swans (and variants) – a mother curses her six (seven, twelve) sons into bird form, and their sister must sew magic shirts to reverse the transformation
  • Shrek – Princess Fiona was cursed to be human by day, but ogre by night.
  • Resident Evil Village – Ethan Winters after a bloody duel with Lady Dimitrescu tormenting and taunting him that he will never see his daughter Rose again and utters a curse on him before disintegrates and calcifies to her death.
  • Drag Me To Hell – Christine Brown was cursed by Sylvia Ganush to experience three days of torture, then the lamia will drag her to hell.
  • Someone Behind You – Ga-in finds herself being the target of an ancient family curse fearing that her family and friends are out to kill her.
  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: JoJolion – The Higashikata Family is cursed to have the firstborn son turn into stone at the age of 10.

Sports

Main article: Sports-related curses

A number of curses are used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams, players, or even cities. For example:

  • No first-time winner of the World Snooker Championship has successfully defended his title since the event was first held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 1977. This has been widely attributed to a Crucible Curse.
  • The Curse of the Billy Goat was used to explain the failures of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, who did not win a World Series championship between 1908 and 2016, and a National League pennant between 1945 and 2016.
  • The Curse of the Bambino is a cliche popularized by a Boston Globe sportswriter to describe a decades-long championship drought for the Boston Red Sox team in Major League Baseball. "Bambino" was a nickname for Babe Ruth, the team's star when Boston won the last three of its first five World Series titles. In 1920, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to his team's archrival New York Yankees, which won four World Series with him. It took Boston 86 years to win another World Series. The Red Sox reversed history in the 2004 American League Championship Series (ALCS), losing the first three games of a best-of-seven series against the Yankees before winning four in a row to take the league pennant in unprecedented and dramatic style. This comeback is considered one of the greatest in sports history. The Red Sox then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series in four games, a triumph which many fans considered the end of the "curse." The Red Sox have won three more World Series since then.
  • The Krukow Kurse was used to explain the San Francisco Giants' failure to ever win the World Series until 2010. It is attributed to Mike Krukow (a former pitcher for the Giants and a current broadcaster for the team) based upon his yearly pre-season predictions that the Giants "have a chance" to win the World Series. Once Krukow stops making such predictions—says the legend—the Giants will, in fact, win the World Series. However, the Giants went on to win the World Series in 2010. It was during the same year that Krukow's partner, Giants broadcaster, Duane Kuiper, stated, "Giants baseball, it's torture!", due to the large number of close games that they played. This phrase was adopted by fans and became a rallying cry throughout the second half of the season and the playoff run.
  • The Curse of the Colonel was supposedly cast on the Hanshin Tigers by Colonel Harland Sanders (the founder and mascot of Kentucky Fried Chicken) after fans of the team threw his statue into the Dōtonbori Canal while celebrating the Tigers' 1985 Japan Championship Series, not to be recovered until 2009. The curse was broken in 2023 when the Tigers won Game 7 of the 2023 Japan Series for their first NPB championship since 1985.
  • Marketing experts have highlighted the curse of Gillette, given the mishaps that happen to sports stars associated with the brand.

See also

References

  1. "Definition of CURSE". Definition of Curse by Merriam-Webster. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  2. Chauran, Alexandra (2013). Have You Been Hexed? Recognizing and Breaking Curses. Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN 978-0-7387-3620-4.
  3. The Mahabharata, Book 13 of 18: Anusasana Parva. Forgotten Books. p. 408. ISBN 978-1-60506-623-3. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  4. Buddhaghosha (1870). Buddhaghosha's Parables: translated from Burmese by Captain T. Rogers: With an Introduction, containing Buddha's Dhammapada, or "Path of Virtue", translated from Pâli by F. Max Müller. Trübner. p. 22.
  5. On Genesis 3:17 cf. Andreas Dorschel, 'Entwurf einer Theorie des Fluchens', Variations 23 (2015), § 29, pp. 167–175, pp. 174–175
  6. Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Cursing" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  7. Reality, Truth in (2012-10-27). "Occult and Cursed Objects List". Truth in Reality. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  8. "The Border Reivers - The Curse". BBC Cumbria. July 2003. Retrieved 26 August 2022. Includes text of curse, in English
  9. "Dare You Read the Curse?". News and Star. 10 March 2005. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2022. includes full text of curse, in original Scots
  10. "Cursing Stone & Reiver Pavement". Gordon Young. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  11. "They're doomed: the curse of Carlisle". The Guardian. 9 March 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  12. Mesure, Susie (29 November 2009). "Shaven but stirred: the Gillette curse". Tribune News. Tribune.ie. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  13. Mesure, Susie (29 November 2009). "Henry, Woods, Federer: The curse of Gillette". The Independent. Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2010.

Further reading

  • Curse tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World by John G. Gager ISBN 0-19-506226-4
  • Maledicta: The International Journal of Verbal Aggression ISSN US 0363-3659
  • Supernatural Hawaii by Margaret Stone. Copyright 1979 by Aloha Graphics and Sales. ISBN 0-941351-03-3
  • The Secret Obake Casebook Tales from the Darkside of the Cabinet by Glen Grant. Copyright 1997 by Glen Grant. ISBN 1-56647-183-4

External links

  • Quotations related to Curse at Wikiquote
Superstition
Main topics
Lists
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
General
Related
Categories: