The Number 4

Title: The Number 4

General Information about Item:

  • Customary Folklore: Korean Superstition (Bad luck)
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: Korea/Chinese
  • Informant: Sunglim Kim
  • Date Collected: November 5, 2018

Informant Data:

  • Sunglim Kim was born and raised in Seoul, Korea until the age of 17. Her family origins are Korean. When she was a junior in high school she moved to the United States, and went to high school in Seattle, Washington. She then went to UC Berkeley for her undergraduate degree, went back to work in Korea for a few years, and then came back to the United States to get her masters degree at the University of Kansas, and then went back to Berkeley for PHD. Currently, she is a professor of Korean Art and Culture, in the department of Art History at Dartmouth College. This is her 7th year teaching at Dartmouth College. 

Contextual Data:

  • Social Context:

    As a young girl growing up in South Korea, Sunglim noticed that many of the elevators in buildings were missing the number 4 on the buttons that are to be pressed to go up to different floors. In place of the number 4, Sunglim noticed that many elevators either used the letter “F” or omitted the number all together. She was told by her mother that the number 4 was bad luck, and would not be used in places like elevators, or in buildings to denote the fourth floor. She was told that any use of the number 4 would bring upon her bad luck and even death.

  • Cultural Context: The bad omen surrounding the curse of the Evil eye is undoubtedly one of the most popular and commonly-practiced Greek superstitions. The origins of the Evil Eye date back to 100 AD with the works of Plutarch, a Greek biographer. He claims that the eyes are the primary source of the deadly spells cast by evil individuals. While Plutarch struggled to explain the phenomenon, Pliny the Elder stated that some individuals have the, “power of fascination with the eyes and can even kill those on whom they fix their gaze.” Today, the evil eye superstition exists in distinct variations across cultures, and it is common for believers to make efforts to protect themselves and their families against the curse.

Item:

  • One is cursed with the Evil Eye as a result of another person’s stare, comments, or praises. It is most commonly placed upon someone through a malevolent glare; however, it is possible for an individual to curse himself by looking at his reflection or acting a certain way. The Evil Eye is thought to cause harm, misfortune, and bad luck.

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Collector’s Comments:

  • The superstition of the number 4 is one that is common in not only Korean culture, but also in Chinese culture. This is a superstition that is still practiced in Korean society today. This is an example of sign superstitions.

Collector’s Name: Clay Han

Tags/Keywords:

  • Korean. Superstition. The Number 4. Bad Luck. Sign Superstition.

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