ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the psychological and cultural roots of one of the commonest of modern superstitions—the practice of knocking on wood. As man’s scientific knowledge has increased, it is often naturally assumed that his irrational beliefs must be diminishing proportionately. The historical roots of the superstition are shrouded in obscurity. Most students of folklore trace it back to the earliest times in which men worshiped certain beneficent spirits which were believed to inhabit trees of various species. Roheim speculates about the possible unconscious significance of the various symbols used as countermagic against the evil eye, and suggests that they are essentially phallic symbols. The chapter represents an unconscious effort to achieve protection against envy and hostility from two potential sources, those representing parental or authority symbols, and those representing sibling symbols.
