What does a horseshoe have in common with bamboo, acorns and Beeman’s gum? If that has you stumped, let’s make it easier: What does a horseshoe have in common with a rabbit’s foot and a four-leaf clover? That’s right, they’re all part of a vast collection of good luck symbols that also includes bamboo, acorns and Beeman’s gum. Beeman’s gum? Yep. Early aviators like Chuck Yeager believed that chewing it brought good luck during flights, and it appears in movies like The Right Stuff and The Rocketeer.
If you see a horseshoe on a barn, it’s probably there for good luck. This is a tradition that goes back centuries, says mythologist Nitten Nair. “A horseshoe on a barn might look like a simple bit of folk superstition, but it is really a link to centuries of belief where ordinary objects became guardians of good fortune and safety.”
But what’s so special about a horseshoe? Let’s take a look.
Historical Origins of the Horseshoe Symbol
It’s a well-known tradition that a horseshoe brings good luck, and hanging one on a barn is part of that tradition. “From a cultural and historic perspective, this has been done for centuries, most notably in Europe,” says cultural scholar Joey Florez. “Farmers used to hang horseshoes over their barns in order to ward off bad luck and protect their dwelling and animals.”
If you’re wondering how the horseshoe achieved this magical status, it’s primarily because it’s made of iron. “In Europe, iron was believed to scare away evil spirits and witches, and the blacksmith was often seen as someone with almost magical powers, because he worked with fire and metal,” says Nair. “You see this same idea in mythology, too. In Roman culture, Vulcan, the god of fire and smithing, was both a creator and a protector. In Greek mythology, Hephaestus forged the weapons of the gods, while in Slavic folklore, the smith’s forge was seen as a place that connected humans with the divine.”
You may think hanging a horseshoe on a barn is merely superstitious, but Florez disagrees: “Hanging a horseshoe is not superstition; it also serves to reinforce group identity, continuity with the past, and a low-key optimism about the future.”
To supercharge the good fortune a horseshoe brings, a related tradition is to attach it to the barn siding or over the door with seven nails. The number seven has been a good-luck symbol — in the East and the West — since at least the second millennium BC.
Does the Direction Matter?
A horseshoe has a U-shape, and one traditional way to hang it is with the U facing upwards. When you do this, says Florez, the U-shape acts as a vessel to capture and hold luck so that it doesn’t run away. You can also hang the horseshoe with the U facing downward, he says, to “pour” good luck over the household, the land and people passing by.
“Both ways,” says Nair, “come from the same belief that this simple piece of iron carries a powerful meaning, striking a balance between human effort and divine favor.”
Modern-Day Use & Symbolism
The horseshoe is an almost universal symbol of good luck and protection in Western culture, and who doesn’t need a bit of that? Attracting good fortune is probably the main motivation for hanging a horseshoe on a barn, but there are others. For example, some people hang horseshoes on barns to memorialize horses (let’s not forget about them). Here are some other possibilities if you see a horseshoe on a barn:
- It could be a tribute to “horse culture” in general or a memorial to a particular horse.
- It could be an advertisement for the smith who forges the horseshoes.
- It could simply be a decoration, with no particular meaning.
For some people, a horseshoe on a barn could also symbolize stability. As Florez points out, “Psychologically, this symbol shows how humans have long used tangible objects to provide a feeling of security and control over uncertainty.”
FAQ
Does the type of horseshoe matter?
Because of the historical importance of iron, a horseshoe made from iron has more significance than one made from aluminum, titanium, plastic or some other material. So if you want to invoke tradition, hang an iron horseshoe. If you’re a horse lover, you might prefer to hang a worn horseshoe rather than a new one, because it carries some of the energy of the horse that wore it.
Can I hang a horseshoe indoors or on a home door instead?
Sure. Hanging a horseshoe on an interior wall or over a doorway is a fairly common practice. For those who tune into its tradition, a horseshoe reminds them to invite good fortune into the home and ward off evil.
About the Experts
- Nitten Nair is the Chief Mythologist at Mythlok, a site devoted to studying mythologies from around the world.
- Joey Florez is a psychology and culture scholar with an educational background in applied and forensic psychology. He publishes on his own website.
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