Mirrors have been a source of fascination and superstition for millennia. Across the globe, their reflective surfaces have been imbued with otherworldly properties, serving as portals to the unseen and windows to the soul. Let’s reflect (do you see what I did there?) on some of the most widespread superstitions and folklore associated with mirrors.

Breaking a Mirror

The superstition that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck is perhaps the most well-known mirror myth. This belief has a long and fascinating history, dating back to the ancient Romans.

The ancient Romans believed that the soul underwent a complete renewal every seven years. This concept is linked to the idea that our bodies are constantly regenerating. They thought that mirrors captured a part of the soul, and breaking a mirror shattered that reflection, bringing bad luck until the soul could be whole again.

Across many cultures, the concept that a mirror could hold a person’s soul or essence was common. In some African and Asian cultures, for instance, mirrors were used in soul-capturing rituals. Breaking a mirror in these traditions could damage or fragment the soul, leading to misfortune.

The specific duration of that misfortune varies. In some European cultures, the unlucky period is seven years. Of course this is likely influenced by the Roman belief. However, other cultures have different numbers. The Chinese believe breaking a mirror brings three years of bad luck, while some cultures in Southeast Asia associate it with thirteen years of misfortune.

Mirrors and Death

The customs surrounding mirrors and death vary greatly. In some African traditions, mirrors are specifically placed near the body of the deceased to help guide the soul towards the afterlife. Conversely, Jewish tradition during the mourning period of shiva involves covering mirrors to prevent mourners from being distracted by their own appearance and allowing them to fully focus on grieving.

Mirrors are often seen as portals between the world of the living and the dead. Leaving mirrors uncovered during a period of mourning might be done in hopes of allowing the deceased to communicate with loved ones one last time. However, this practice can also be born out of fear. People might worry that if the mirrors are covered, the deceased won’t be able to find their way out of the house and become restless spirits.

A common fear associated with mirrors and death is that the soul of the deceased can become trapped within the mirror’s reflection and not ‘move on’. This belief is particularly prevalent in Slavic and East Asian cultures. People might cover mirrors during a wake or funeral to prevent the departing soul from being confused or frightened by its own reflection, hindering its journey to the afterlife.

Mirrors and Divination

Scrying is an ancient divination technique that involves gazing into a reflective surface, such as a mirror or crystal ball, to receive psychic insights or visions. Practitioners would often use black mirrors or mirrors made of obsidian, a volcanic glass believed to enhance psychic abilities.

Scrying mirrors were often anointed with special oils or inscribed with symbols to further focus the scryer’s intention. By gazing into the reflective surface, scryers would enter a meditative state, allowing them to interpret the images, shapes, or colors that might appear, which were believed to be messages from the subconscious mind or the spirit world.

Mirrors have also been used in other forms of divination throughout history. In Chinese Feng Shui, mirrors are strategically placed to deflect negative energy and promote positive energy flow. Shamans in various cultures have used mirrors for scrying or for soul-retrieval practices, believing that a person’s soul could become lost or stolen and that a mirror could be used to call it back.

Mirrors as Portals

As I mentioned earlier, in many cultures mirrors are regarded as gateways or portals to other dimensions or realities. This belief stems from the mirror’s ability to reflect and create a seemingly endless duplicate of our own world. In some myths, the mirror world is a perfect reflection of our own, while others depict it as a shadowy inversion or a fantastical other realm.

This concept of mirrors as portals features in numerous mythological stories. For instance, the myth of Narcissus, from Greek mythology, tells the tale of a young man who falls in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. Similarly, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland journeys through a looking-glass into a fantastical world that is both familiar and strange. These stories reflect the idea that mirrors can act as thresholds between our world and the unknown.

Mirrors have also been associated with supernatural beings and creatures. In some cultures, they are believed to be doorways that fairies or spirits can use to enter our world. Folklore often warns against performing rituals or gazing into mirrors at night, as this might invite unwanted visitors from the other side.

Fairies and the Reflection Taboo

In Celtic and Germanic folklore, fairies are often depicted as mischievous creatures who can be dangerous to humans. One recurring belief is that fairies can steal a person’s soul or essence through their reflection. This superstition is again linked to the idea that mirrors hold a person’s soul or life force. Breaking a mirror can be seen as fracturing this essence, making humans more vulnerable to fairy trickery. To avoid this, people might cover mirrors with cloths or avoid looking at their reflections at night, especially during the twilight hours when fairies are believed to be most active.

Mirrors have also been seen as gateways to the fairy realm, a hidden dimension where fairies reside. These beliefs are often tied to natural reflecting surfaces like pools of water or certain types of stones. Legends tell of humans who enter the fairy realm through mirrors or reflective surfaces, only to find themselves trapped in a timeless world or returning years later having aged only a day.

Fairies are known for their love of pranks and illusions and mirrors can be used as a tool for their trickery. A person might look in the mirror and see a grotesque or distorted reflection, or they might see a fairy in disguise. In Irish folklore, for instance, there are tales of “fetch fairies” who appear identical to a person in the mirror but steal them away to the fairy realm.

Fetch Fairies and Doppelgangers

Fetch fairies, also known as fuathas or fetches, are elusive spectral figures that appear as a person’s exact double, typically in mirrors or reflective surfaces like water. These doppelgangers were believed to be harbingers of bad luck or even death. In some traditions, they were seen as a person’s soul or life force taking on a physical form, a kind of external manifestation of one’s inner state.

Seeing a fetch fairy could be interpreted in different ways. If glimpsed in the morning, it might be seen as a good omen, a sign of long life and good health. However, an encounter at night was considered a portent of misfortune or approaching death. In some cases, the fetch fairy might appear weak or sickly, mirroring the declining health of the person they mirrored.

Irish folklore offers various methods to ward off encounters with fetch fairies. People might cover mirrors with cloths, especially at night or during times of illness. Protective charms made of rowan ash or iron were also believed to offer safeguard against fairy trickery. Additionally, avoiding spending too much time near reflective surfaces at dusk or twilight, when the veil between the human world and the fairy realm was thought to be thinnest, was another way to avoid encountering a fetch fairy.

Mirrors have long been regarded more than just reflective surfaces – they’ve been gateways to the unknown and repositories for the soul imbued with symbolic power. Breaking a mirror might bring bad luck, while covering them during mourning protects the deceased spirit. Mirrors can act as portals for fairies or spirits, while scrying practices use them to glimpse the future. Ultimately, mirrors reflect not just our physical appearance, but also our deepest fears and fascinations.