#fish lore

The luck of a fish bone, the Journal of American Folklore likes to call it the lucky bone, is not an unknown superstition throughout America. Bergen mentions superstitions from Newfoundland, Maryland, and the Western Central States, that all say that by carrying/wearing a bone from a fish you will have good luck. In these other superstitions, the type of fish is specified as either a Haddock (True Cod), Cod, Perch, or from a Gar (Osprey). The two superstitions from Texas, however, don’t give us this information. It’s just from “...a certain fish,” or from a fish head in general. I tried searching around but couldn’t find any other source stating what the type of fish is necessary in Texas. My assumption would be that any type of Demersal fish would work, such as the Catfish. Personally, Catfish are a big part of my childhood. Catfish cookouts at the lake were a common occurrence in my home town where we would fry up Catfish with our church, family, friends, anyone! 

Another fish that is a contender would be the Freshwater Drum (or gaspergou, drumfish). It is a fairly common fish in Texas and already has some magical lore associated with a bone inside its ear, called the Lucky Stone. The Lucky Stone is a part of Hoodoo magic/lore (I am not going to comment on Hoodoo or how to use/work a Lucky Stone as I am not part of this tradition). It is an otolith, or ear bone, of a fish that is usually found on shores when the heads of fish are thrown back into the water from fisherman, causing the bones to dislodge and wash ashore (Lucky Stone). A fish has two otoliths. Per Lucky Mojo, “each Drumfish ear bone has a groove or sulcus on one face that forms either an ‘L’ mark or a ‘J’ mark. The ‘L’ bones are from the fish's right side, while the ‘J’ bones come from the fish's left side....it is a common belief these days that the letter-like markings ‘L’ and ‘J’ stand for Lord Jesus, Luck and Joy, or Love and Joy” (Lucky Mojo). Lucky Mojo also mentions that the otolith of the catfish is lucky as well, so maybe that is the answer to what fish is needed for the Texas superstitions? They state “the Catfish otolith, due to the name ‘Cat’ and its relationship to sexual terms like ‘Cathouse’ and ‘[P*ssy],’ is additionally thought to bring special luck to prostitutes and women gamblers” (Lucky Stone). 

After reading about the Lucky Stone/otolith, I am fairly certain this is the two lucky stones referenced from the Fort Worth superstition. Now, what does it mean that the luck is better after they are lost? Could this be attained by intentionally losing them, such as burying them or throwing them in a river (a common theme in other folklore/superstitions). The two superstitions don’t say you have to lose them, just that the luck is better, or good, after losing them. 

There is a lot of potential in using these lucky bones/otoliths. This could be a way to seek a familiar or gain more power, like in the Toad Bone Rite. I will definitely do some experimentation, but since I don’t fish, I might have to take a trip to the store. Maybe I can convince my husband we should have some fried catfish? Now I am hungry…

Some other fish lore (all from Bergen):

-Wearing the bone from the head of a cod will cure cramps

-Wearing the fin-bone from a Haddock (caught without touching the boat) will cure cramps

-The fin-bone mentioned above is also said to cure toothaches if worn in a bag, or rheumatism if carried in your pocket. 

Fisherman followed all types of superstitions, from women not being allowed on the boat, to never saying the word “alligator” on the boat. 

Thank you for Reading!

Hope you enjoyed reading this - let me know what you thought. Got anything to add? Have you heard of a similar superstitions from your community/area? Let me know!  

Sources

Bergen, Fanny D. “The Seventh Volume of the Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society.” The Journal of American Folklore, vol. 12, no. 44, 1899, pp. 55-63. JSTOR, Accessed 3 Sept. 2020.

Hendricks, George D. Mirrors, Mice, and Mustaches: A Sampling of Superstitions and Popular Beliefs in Texas. Southern Methodist University Press, 1981.