Robertson Davies Quotes

I try not to put my purse on the floor - demons will get into it.

Now for good lucke, cast an old shooe after mee.

I'm very superstitious... I never shout at magpies, walk under ladders or put my shoes on the table.

Gandhi became my role model. I have always been interested in Eastern philosophy. Since early in my life I've been fascinated by India, and I have spent a great deal of time traveling in that country.

I don't believe a thing about a curse. I don't understand how we can talk about a curse. You have to remember, God is blessed and man can't curse, no matter how hard they try.

I am very superstitious about toasts. I never toast with water, and I'm very careful to make eye contact with everyone I toast with.

It is my belief that all gods are stories, or at least the ideas behind stories, but stories or ideas that have become in some way almost alive and aware.

I've always loved the idea of mythologies linked to or underlying everyday life, like the kami gods of Shintoism, where every rock, tree and stream has its own little god associated with it.

Superstition cannot be the part of faith

I had hoped that out of so many stories you would at least have produced one or two, which could hardly be questioned, and which would clearly show that ghosts or spectres exist. The case you relate... seems to me laughable. In like manner it would be tedious here to examine all the stories of people, who have written on these trifles. To be brief, I cite the instance of Julius Caesar, who, as Suetonius testifies, laughed at such things and yet was happy. ...And so should all who reflect on the human imagination, and the effects of the emotions, laugh at such notions

My mother believed in curses, karma, good luck, bad luck, feng shui. Her amorphous set of beliefs showed me you can pick and choose the qualities of your philosophy, based on what works for you.

India has 2,000,000 gods and worships them all. In religion, all other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire.

My mother used to play cards with King Farouk. He believed she brought good luck to him - she was his mascot.

One time, I gave Chris Martin a My Little Pony for good luck. He said, 'Oh, you should keep it,' but I was like, 'You guys probably need it a lot more than I do.' I said that to Coldplay!

My kitchen witch hangs above the sink in my kitchen. Some people think it's specifically so that you don't burn food when you cook, but I like to think that it's warding off evil spirits and bad things in general.

Some people tell you, 'I'm your good luck charm - I've been to eight races in my life and you've won six of them' or something like that. So it's kind of like, 'Well, you need to come to more then!' Other times, fans just want to talk about previous times they've met you.

Of course I don't believe in it [pointing to horseshoe on his office wall]. But I understand that it brings you luck whether you believe in it or not.

It's because when we sneeze, our soul flies out our nose and if no one says 'bless you,' the devil can snatch it.

Superstition is more injurious to God than atheism.

To the other nations of the world, religion is one among the many occupations of life. There is politics, there are the enjoyments of social life, there is all that wealth can buy or power can bring, there is all that the senses can enjoy; and among all these various occupations of life and all this searching after something which can give yet a little more whetting to the cloyed senses - among all these, there is perhaps a little bit of religion. But here, in India, religion is the one and the only occupation of life.

In certain countries, people seem to be think that three asses together make one intelligent person. However, that is completely wrong. Several asses in concreto make the ass in abstracto and that is a most terrifying animal.

Superstition is the poetry of life. It is inherent in man's nature; and when we think it is wholly eradicated, it takes refuge in the strangest holes and corners, whence it peeps out all at once, as soon as it can do it with safety.

A woman hath nine lives like a cat.

Superstition always inspires littleness, religion grandeur of mind; the superstitious raises beings inferior to himself to deities.

May the hair on your toes never fall out!