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Several interesting superstitions are related to clocks. Clocks are said to stop of their own accord on the deaths of important people. The clock of the House of Lords reputedly stopped 'nearly' at the hour of George III's death in 1820 while the clock at Balmoral stopped during the hour of Queen Victoria's death. A similar legend is associated with Elizabeth I. A clock stopping may also indicate that someone's death is near. If a clock strikes during a church hymn or marriage ceremony, it is believed death or disaster will afflict the congregants or couple. Death or unlucky events are foreshadowed by a clock striking at the wrong time. It is considered unlucky to have a clock facing the fire or to talk while a clock is striking. #folklore #weird #superstition #clocks #gothic #paranormal #history
@david_castleton if you can’t have a clock face the fire, that explains why some longcase clocks have been bent by being placed next to the fire! Well, my dad’s has.
@pubby Could well be - or why they tend to stand out in the hall.
@david_castleton as a child in the 1970s the song/nursery rhyme about "Grandfathers Clock" was still popular (not sure if its well known today, or if todays kids would even see such timepieces outside of museums, unless they have older relatives interested in horology)
@vfrmedia We used to sing that song at school - I always found it sad and spooky.
@david_castleton another song I remember from that era (unrelated to clocks) was "The Big Ship sails down the alley alley O" about a large (and possibly unseaworthy) ship sinking with all hands (quite likely due to commercial pressures) - an unlikely topic for a kids song these days!
https://somersetlad.com/2019/09/30/what-was-the-alley-alley-o/
@vfrmedia We didn't sing that one - I remember 'Oh my darling, Clementine' about a girl who drowned.