Since the start of The Hull Hub, I have written articles for every issue (bar one). These mainly centred upon superstitions – especially ones revolving around Hull’s Arctic Trawling days. It’s time for a change. Another topic close to my heart is our rich English language. We are very fortunate having English as our Mother Tongue. We have such a vast vocabulary – many words to say the same thing in a variety of different…

Why is it that only the British believe in ‘Lucky Black Cats’? Most foreign seafarers (including USA mariners) prefer a white cat aboard their ships. Cats spark off contradictory reactions in all sorts of areas. In Wales, if a black cat crosses your path, it was best to stroke it for good luck. A Yorkshire landlady boasted that she was non-superstitious; but if ever she received a postcard depicting a black cat, she dare not…

WEDDING SUPERSTITIONS There are critical times in many people’s lives such as birth, marriage and death – or, as we say in Hull, “Hatched, Matched and Dispatched”. Superstitions are drawn to these key life events like bees to a honeypot. In this summer issue of Hull Hub, therefore, I would like to highlight the variety of folklore beliefs and traditions surrounding weddings and the honeymoon. The bride is more central then the groom – so…

INTRODUCTION: Homespun Religion  Superstitions once inhabited every corner of many old-fashioned homes – especially in Hull, once the greatest deep-sea fishing port in the world. Taboo beliefs were not just a once-a-week activity but saturated every moment; and every nook and cranny of the home. In that sense, superstition was very much a homespun religion. It came from within the home rather than being imposed upon it by some outside religious order.  This article follows…

APRIL FOOLS’ and LEGGING-UP DAY April 2019 is a peculiar month. It is riddled with trickery, religion, and superstition. That is, April Fool pranks, Easter in the Christian calendar, and pagan undercurrents. Let’s start with the First of April – commonly known as Fools’ (or All Fools’) Day and, in Hull after twelve noon, Legging-up Day – a different kind of ‘leg-pulling’. April Fool is fun – for some, not everyone. It depends which end…

Dr Alec Gill MBE Should Hull re-brand itself as ‘Superstition City’? Why not make this a powerful USP (Unique Selling Point) for the port? After all, superstitions are universal and there is the old expression: “Of all seafarers, there are none more superstitious than fishermen”. Fishing is at the heart of Hull’s cultural heritage. It is still the world’s most perilous job – an extreme occupation – with a high loss of life. Crewmen battled…