Ecology of thinking: why can’t you leave knives with the blade facing up? The magical power of the knife and folk signs associated with it

Not everyone knows that if knives break, become dull, or fall, this is a negative omen. Knives are items that require special treatment.

In the article:

Knives break, become dull or fall - a sign

If knives fall in your kitchen, the omen promises you a visit from a man. At the same time, they look at how many knives fell. If there is only one, then there will be only one guest. And if all the sharp objects in your house have fallen to the floor, an old sign promises you many exciting acquaintances and a meeting with your soulmate. But if after the fall the blade stuck into the floor, you will have an unpleasant interaction with a man or a quarrel with him. There is also a more unpleasant omen: if a knife falls on the floor while cutting bread and sticks into the floor, this foreshadows the appearance of a dead person in the house. This sign is especially true about families in which there are old or sick people. If, while cutting bread, the tool falls with its handle, a guest will soon come, and even before you finish the meal for which you cut the bread. Previously, they would have thought that if you have a stupid weapon, then you yourself are stupid too. There is a rational grain in this; the blade should be kept sharp and suitable for use. Even now, many people believe that what knives are like, so is their owner. A person whose hands do not reach the point of sharpening the object with which his food is prepared is inclined to create problems for himself. If your knives constantly become dull, pay attention to this tendency. Breaking a knife is an unpleasant omen. Sometimes this happens due to jealousy of the item that has been replaced with a new one. But, in any case, if the knife breaks, the signs promise problems for you or your entire family. Since in the old days it was considered a strong talisman, if your personal item is broken, it means that it was aimed at you. Perhaps someone is using it to harm you. You cannot store broken knives at home; you will have to throw them away, even if you are very used to this product. Usually they throw a broken thing where people don’t go, with the words:

Even though the knife breaks, grief and misfortune do not concern me.

Giving knives is a bad omen

In the East, giving a decorative edged weapon symbolizes the desire to break off a relationship. Such gifts are not accepted there even now. But in the East they only consider giving decorative blades as gifts; this superstition does not concern ordinary people. IN Latin America it's the other way around. They believe that a household knife will bring quarrels and misfortune, but they consider a decorative knife to be an excellent gift. In our country it is not customary to give knives as gifts. It is believed that such a gift will bring a quarrel between the giver and the person for whom such a gift is intended. It is believed that a sharp blade can cut friendships or love ties between people, and sometimes there is an opinion that this gift can even shorten life path. Therefore, they are not given as a gift, but exchanged for a small coin or other purely symbolic item. Then Bad sign doesn't come true. This superstition is popular not only among the Slavs, but also in Europe. It is believed that the blade has a soul that does not recognize being given as a gift and wants to be purchased. That's why exchange is needed.

Household signs about knives

Decorative blades are often used as interior decoration. They can literally transform a boring room and highlight your taste. But signs about knives do not allow them to be hung strictly vertically on the wall. It brings death. If you want to hang a bladed weapon on the wall, place it at an angle to the floor. Do not store household products with the blade facing up - this not only threatens injury, but also serves as a sign of quarrels. An ancient sign can easily answer the question why you can’t eat from a knife. She foreshadowed anger and loneliness for impatient people who are too lazy to look for a spoon, because it is difficult to find those who want to communicate with an evil person. In addition, trying to eat with such an object instead of a fork can lead to injury. For girls, this sign promises an angry and sharp-tongued husband.

If two knives or one with a fork intersect on the table, you should immediately move them, preferably to different corners of the table. This sign portends a major quarrel or failure. You should also not spin the knife on the table.

Some believe that a blade crossed with another blade is bad luck, and if this happens with a knife and fork or spoon, death will come into the house if these cutlery are not immediately transferred to different sides. Sharp objects were always hidden at night. There is even an opinion that if you leave a sharp blade under the light of the moon on a full moon, it will become dull by morning. Few people would want to sharpen a knife again. It cannot be left on the table, it is a pet. Some believe that this makes it possible for evil spirits to stab someone in this house or prevents the brownie from fighting it and can even cut him. You cannot sharpen a knife after sunset, this portends the entry into the house of a thief, robber or enemy who wants you harm or even wants your death. You cannot use knives instead of skewers. If you forgot them and have already left for nature, use branches and other objects. If you are accidentally given two knives at a feast, it means you will have two marriages.

Playing with a knife is a sign of a quarrel.

Ancient signs warn that if a knife is found and picked up, the person who did it will die from a stab wound. This sign does not indicate how soon this will happen, but it still follows from it that you cannot pick up knives on the street. The loss of a knife in most signs symbolizes the loss of life. If you think badly of an item while using it at the same time, he may be offended. Most often this leads to its loss or cuts. Things that we underestimate either try to show what they are capable of, or they become completely offended and leave. You cannot cut bread with two different blades, this will lead to a quarrel. You can’t even put two sharp objects near the bread. Do not leave the blade in the bread, this is disrespectful, and the punishment for this is poverty and hunger.

Ancient customs and signs about knives

In some regions it was forbidden to come to visit with bladed weapons. It should have been left near the front door, at a minimum. If the guest did not do this, he was disrespectful and aggressive, and also brought misfortune to the house. Most likely, this custom was caused by the fact that the owners were unnerved by guests with edged weapons.

The Slavs attributed many specific magical properties to edged weapons and sharp household objects. For example, a knife was considered the best amulet, as were many other metal objects - pins, sickles, needles. It was wrapped in silk and placed under the pillow, carried with them, and placed in the cradle. In this way, pregnant and giving birth women, children, the bride and groom were protected, they were stuck into the floor, threshold or wall to create protection, and windows and doorways were baptized with knives. Sometimes they were used during funerals, but they were never taken to funerals, so as not to hurt the soul of the deceased. If you were in the same house with the deceased Small child, he was given a blade to protect himself from death. A sharp object was placed under the table with the dead person; it was believed that this would slow down the decomposition of the body. Seeing evil spirits, our ancestors drew a circle around themselves with a blade. Things consecrated in... had special power against evil spirits.

In the past, it was thought that if such a blade was thrown into the middle of a whirlwind caused by evil spirits, it would stop, and blood would remain on the blade. Sometimes knives were stuck into the place where the child tripped and fell. They believed that evil spirits were hiding there. Knives were stepped over and transferred for various purposes livestock. In Scotland they believed that a person who had a knife with him would never be taken by the fairies. And in order to prevent the fairies from taking the meat brought into the house at night, a knife was stuck into the carcass. The word “knife” was never spoken by sailors while sailing. But the products themselves were stuck into the mast for good luck in fishing. Girls who were about to get married, but did not want to have children, bought a folding blade before the wedding ceremony. It was required to be kept folded with you during the wedding. In some regions, during a feast, a knife was stuck under the table. It was believed that this would prevent guests from eating too much. In general, all sharp things have powerful magical powers, so underestimating the significance of such superstitions and omens can be very dangerous. In addition, many of the signs have an additional aspect - they relate specifically to the safe handling of things.

A knife is an item that every person has in their kitchen. We all handle it every day, using it for its intended purpose, and sometimes we can cut ourselves or drop it on the floor. However, it has long been known that a knife is not just a piece of kitchen utensil. There are various superstitions and signs about knives.

IN different times this item played many roles: it was a symbol of power, might, often acted as a talisman or amulet, was used as a magical weapon, and so on. It is not surprising that the knife has acquired a lot of superstitions and signs, which will be discussed further.

What does a falling knife mean?

The most common sign is about a falling knife, since this simply cannot be avoided when cooking.

So, if a knife falls, you should pay attention to this, because there may be a hidden meaning in such an action. This way, holding it can warn you about something or correctly guide you through life, so you shouldn’t throw this information out of your head.

If a clean knife falls and does not injure anyone, this indicates that there will be guests in the house in the near future, one of whom must be a man, since this word refers to the masculine gender.
If a fallen object lands on the handle after falling, it means that soon someone familiar or even a family member will knock on the front door. Moreover, the visit will carry only positive energy and does not promise anything bad either for the owner or for the future guest.
If a knife falls on the floor or on a table at home in such a way that the tip turns towards a person, it should be ready. A man does not come to your house with good intentions; he may have negative thoughts in his head. You need to decide whether to let such a guest on your doorstep.

By the way, there is a belief that if a knife falls with its tip up and pointed towards a person, he has the opportunity to avoid an unpleasant encounter. To do this, you need to pick up the object, take it in right hand and hit the front door with the tip several times, while saying the following words: “No one is home, there is no need to come here.” Judging by the reviews, after this, the male guest does not come.

If, after falling on the table, the knife turns its handle towards the person, this indicates that there is a man who is looking for a meeting, but something is standing in his way.
If the house has a wooden floor in the kitchen or, for example, linoleum, the knife may stick its tip after falling. This means that a stranger will soon knock on the house.

Why does the knife break?

Everything in this life does not last forever and, of course, any object in the apartment can break sooner or later. All signs of a broken knife do not bring anything good.

If a knife in the house breaks in your hands, you should not attempt to repair it, even if it was of particular value. You need to throw it in the trash as quickly as possible, while whispering the following words: “Go out into the night, out of sight, take away all the tears and sadness above you.”

If rust appears on an object, this indicates that something is wrong in the body of one of the household members and you should pay more attention to your health.

Why do you dream

If you happen to see a knife in a dream at night, know that it’s not just like that, it’s also not the most best omen. A particularly bad omen is considered the situation when someone breaks a sharp weapon, because this means that among friends someone is only pretending to be friendly, but in fact is holding a stone behind his back.

If you dreamed that you found an old knife that was previously stolen, this is also bad sign. After all, according to knowledge about folk signs, when you pick up someone else’s thing, you take away all the negativity that its owner has ever been exposed to. Accordingly, you need to be careful in all respects if you had such a dream the night before important events.

If in a dream you happened to fight with someone or you hurt someone stab wounds, in reality you will have to experience remorse for what you once did to one of your friends or acquaintances, as the truth will come out. The same applies to dreams about how a person had to steal using the described item.

What does a found knife mean?

If you find someone else's knife, it is better to bypass such a find; under no circumstances should you pick it up. According to folk beliefs and signs, this item has the ability to absorb all the negativity emanating from its owner. If you pick up such an object, quarrels, troubles, failures will appear in life, everything will simply fall out of your hands.

If you find a rusty knife, this promises a quick breakdown in your relationship with your loved one. If you value your marriage, then under no circumstances should you pick up such a find in order to maintain harmony.

There are some points that are worth talking about in more detail. Even if you don’t plan to pick up the knife and take it for yourself, the very fact of the find can also become a sign. Pay attention to how the tip is positioned:

directed upward - expect changes for the worse;
directed downwards - everything you plan will not come true.

Thus, you cannot stop near a knife that has disappeared, much less pick it up, since such a find could turn out to be a bad thing.

Good omens associated with a knife

Despite the fact that most signs still carry a negative connotation, there are also those that promise something good for the person interacting with the knife. No matter how absurd it may sound, a common kitchen item has more than once helped women get pregnant. To do this, you need to do the following: before going to bed, rub the tip on your stomach, saying “Give me life.”

In addition, women who have already managed to become pregnant can use a knife to protect their not yet pregnant partner. born child. To do this, the knife is placed under the mattress strictly in the place where the woman sleeps.

In addition, it has long been known that a knife placed under the pillow of a newborn child protects him from evil spirits. However, this method can only be used until a cross appears on the child’s neck, indicating that the baby has undergone baptism.

If in a catering establishment they brought two knives to the table instead of the usual cutlery: forks or spoons, this indicates that you happy man. If you have lost an item, don't be upset, you have just gotten rid of all the negativity that ever passed through you. Actually, for the same reason, some people tend to throw away bladed weapons.

Other signs associated with a knife

Here we will tell you what other signs about knives that were not mentioned earlier exist.

Under no circumstances should you give a knife as a gift. It is believed that any sharp object given can bring an end to friendly relations, even existing for years. There is only one way to give a knife without fear of causing irreparable harm to the friendship. To do this, the person to whom you are going to give the knife must buy it from you for a nominal fee. Then such a gift will only bring joy.

Our ancestors knew well what modern scientific researchers are just figuring out. But knowledge is lost, old people leave and the unique life experience of generations is lost...

Part of this knowledge remains, as needed, in the form of folk signs and folk tales. Understanding is lost, but knowledge is preserved.

For example, why can’t an ax or knife be left with the blade up, but must be stuck into a wooden block? Or why can’t you sit on the corner of the table all the time - you won’t get married for seven years?

The situation is commented on specifically for “Ecology of the North” by a bioenergy therapist, traditional healer from Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region) Sergei Gagarin, who raised these questions in previous article.

Everything is very simple: I have already explained (see elemental properties) that the property of the metal element is the destruction of structures. When structures are destroyed, energy is released that flows down the blade of a knife or ax to their tip; this flow is called “Albert’s lines,” which destroy structures, creating unfavorable zones in the surrounding space.

To neutralize this phenomenon, all nations used knowledge of the property of the element of wood - blocking structures. A knife or ax was stuck into wooden blocks. During meals, both peasants and aristocrats stuck knives and daggers into the surface of the table.

In relation to the corners of the table, old knowledge is also used, but at a different level - the properties of sign systems used in the creation of amulets, amulets and talismans (runes, Kabbalistic signs, etc.). At the junction of the edges of an object, that is, at the corner connecting the plane, a flow of energy flows down in the form of an energy needle.

Most often, the tabletop (plane) of the table is located at the level of the solar plexus. Official science recognizes that the solar plexus is a vital center ( ganglion), but doesn't explain why. In Eastern philosophy, the solar plexus is considered as an energy center (chakra manitura), which transforms and redistributes energy from chakras with an excess of energy to chakras, where its lack is responsible for the condition immune system.

Periodically being on the corner of a table will not cause harm to a person’s health, but if this is his permanent place, then the body’s energy supply system becomes unbalanced, and problems arise. various diseases, does a sick person need to get married at all, and not just for 7 years? First you need to restore your health.

And here’s the thing: old people treat their grandchildren warmer and better than their parents. Even if old people object to their grandchildren being brought to visit them for the summer, what happens when their parents take them away? Old people and grandchildren miss each other and begin to get sick. The child again becomes nervous and tense, and the old people’s illnesses return. It's all about energy metabolism.

In a middle-aged person, energy exchange is stable and orderly, in old people it is insufficient, in grandchildren it is excessive. Old people and grandchildren help each other, reducing the hyperactivity of some and supporting others. So, take care of the elderly, they deserve a dignified old age.

When hearing the word “Knife,” many people immediately feel a sense of danger. Perhaps that is why it is shrouded in various superstitions, myths, legends and mysterious stories. They have woven such a winding web around this symbol of protection and aggression that it is very difficult to untangle it and separate truth from fiction. Perhaps many signs and legends have no serious basis, but it is worth listening to some beliefs.

Signs about knives

Due to the fact that a knife can cause serious harm health and life of a person, the signs associated with it are mostly of a warning nature.

Usually people try not to give knives to relatives and friends in order to avoid quarrels,
Pregnant women are not recommended to sharpen a knife to preserve the life and health of the child,
It’s better not to eat from a knife, because... it makes a person angry and aggressive,
It is forbidden to say the word “knife” at sea to avoid shipwreck,
you cannot twirl the knife in your hands, hit it on the table or scrape it - this will lead to a quarrel,
You can’t keep two knives on the table near food - there will be a quarrel.

All these legends are still alive and many of them are probably familiar to you.

However, there were times when a knife was a vital item for a person and then the signs associated with it were not so gloomy. A huge number of signs where the knife is endowed protective properties, is present in the life of the Slavic peoples.

In ancient times, a knife was carried with them as a talisman, and was even placed under a pillow and under a baby’s cradle. This, according to the belief of our ancestors, protected a pregnant woman from complications during pregnancy from the evil eye and misfortune of a baby who did not have time to be baptized, as well as from the destruction of the family happiness of the newlyweds.

In order for a child to become a carpenter in the future, a knife was placed in his cradle. Also, to protect the baby during other people's funerals, a knife was placed in his cradle.

To protect the child from evil spirits, when going to church to baptize the baby, parents stepped over a knife when leaving the house.

They drew a magic circle around themselves with a knife to protect themselves from witches, werewolves and other evil spirits. They protected their homes by sticking a knife into the threshold or crossing the windows and doors of the house with it.

There was also a belief that a knife thrown into a storm could injure the devil.

To protect against storms and thunderstorms, a knife was stuck into the ground.

The knife was also used to protect domestic animals. When taking the cattle out of the barn, they stuck a knife into the wall and said:

“Just as a bear doesn’t eat meat from this knife, so don’t eat our Little Pestrukhonka.”

Then they carried the cow through the knife. Some Slavs, to protect their domestic animals, got up at first light, took a knife and ran around the barn three times, and then stuck the knife into the wall. To prevent the animal from falling into the clutches of wild animals, when the cattle went missing, they stuck a knife into the threshold.

As can be seen from these legends, the knife was of great importance to people. This is explained by the fact that in ancient times a knife could feed, protect and warm a person. Therefore, its role in folklore is often positive.

Fortune telling with a knife

Since the knife has always been shrouded in magic, folk fortune-telling could not do without it.

They took a wooden board and laid out pieces of paper with inscriptions along the edges. Also, sometimes the board was replaced with cardboard, on which the same inscriptions - answers - were written. A knife was placed in the middle of the board or cardboard. Fortune telling consisted of the fortuneteller asking a question and twisting the knife. When he stopped, he pointed to a certain inscription, which contained the answer to the question:

Be patient;
The enemy is plotting against you;
Good news;
Love letter;
Luck is shining;
Wait for guests;
A love adventure;
Tears will be replaced by joy;
Stay tuned for news;
A journey awaits you;
Important letter;
Don't rush into a decision.

Another option for fortune telling is fortune telling with a freshly baked pie and a knife. In the evening they stick a knife into the pie vertically. The knife stays like this all night. If in the morning he deviates to the side, then you should expect financial losses. If the knife remains standing straight, then this indicates good luck in money matters.

If you dream about a knife, then this may indicate something not very good. Just a dream with a knife means a quarrel or deception. Inflicting a wound with a knife in a dream may indicate that you will be subjected to insult or violence. Sharpening a knife in a dream means failure in business. If you dream of a lot of knives collected in a pile, it means you will be offended by someone.

Knife as a magical attribute

A magic knife (Atem) is one of the main attributes of a magician. With its help, the magician concentrates his internal energy and directs it to solve the problem. This knife doesn't cut anything. Its task is only to concentrate energy in the right place. There is also a knife (Bulin or Bolline), which has magical properties, in order to cut herbs, cut matter and other material objects. It is also used to block the actions of evil spirits, remove a conspiracy, etc.

Thus, it is important to know that Atem is called upon to open portals, cut channels, clear space, or summon spirits. And with the help of Bulin, magicians perform specific physical action– cut grass, branches, material and other components of the magical action.

How to give a knife magical properties

When choosing a knife to perform magical rituals, choose a knife with a wooden handle and a steel blade. The wooden handle will prevent energy dissipation. The blade, in turn, must be sharpened so that the energy goes exactly as intended. The knife should be comfortable and clean. Use only new knives for these purposes.

When purchasing a knife, you need to follow certain rules:

A knife purchased for magical rituals should be used only for this purpose.
It is strictly forbidden to discuss the price or take change when purchasing a knife.
If the knife is forged yourself, then no one except you should touch it.
In order to purchase a knife magical properties, it must be placed under running water and left overnight so that the light of the moon falls on it.
Then you need to organize a magical altar, put a knife on it and leave it on the full moon. Before this, wrap the knife in cotton cloth and keep it in a secluded place. If the knife “leaves” the altar, then use it in magical rituals it is forbidden. For the altar, choose a place far outside the city, hidden from prying eyes. Ideally, there should be a hill nearby and a stream running.
To secure the knife to the owner, you need to drip blood on it. There is no need to cut your hand, you just need to drip blood onto the knife. You can't wipe it off.
Before casting a spell, you need to stick the knife into the ground, kneel down, and lean both hands on the ground on both sides of the knife. While looking north, recite the spell.
The knife must be carried with you for three days and placed under the pillow at night.
This knife cannot be used for sacrifices. It is intended solely for good purposes.

You can have different attitudes to the magical power of a knife. Someone may do this out of a great desire to join to the other world. Some people don't take these things seriously. But for believers, communication with dark forces and, even more so, attempts to influence the physical and spiritual state of a person, especially an outsider, is considered a very serious sin. In any case, rash actions of a magical nature can harm both your health and well-being, and the well-being of your loved ones. Therefore, before embarking on practical magic, you should think seriously.

– The knife is a symbol of my faith!

- What faith?

– The belief that it is more convenient to cut sausage with a knife than to break it with your hands!

From the Internet

A knife is an almost universal tool, but at the same time it is extremely ancient, having, one might say, gone through fire and water. And the rules for interacting with a knife developed a long time ago; some relate to the safety of the owner, some relate to the safety of the product itself, and some even relate to myths and very ambiguous signs.

Part one: safety precautions

It is not advisable to work with a knife if the blade is pointed in your direction. This is mainly how they cut or peel hard and small-sized food products, cucumbers, radishes, etc.: they hold what they are cutting and use a knife to “feed” from below towards you. This, admittedly, is quite convenient, but unsafe. It is all the more undesirable to cut, for example, bread by weight, again making the cut towards you; and cutting tape, electrical tape, and rope in this way is generally prohibited. Particularly dangerous is cutting on thumb" when a small object being cut is supported thumb on the side opposite to the blade.

Do not use dull knives. The same rule applies to scissors, although they are safer. This is an indisputable rule for knives: when working with a dull knife, we put more effort, as a result of which the knife often slips and causes damage to the person using it.
You cannot catch a falling knife in flight. It is unlikely that the injury will be serious, even if you grab the blade and squeeze it, but in this case cuts are guaranteed.
You cannot leave a knife in disarray on the table, between foods, or in foods. If the knife is not in place, you can accidentally grab it along with other objects and cut yourself.
Do not leave a knife on the edge of a table, shelf, etc. Compliance with this rule is especially critical in a home where there are children.
Do not leave the knife on the table in the “blade up” position. There is even a folk sign about this, the meaning of which does not need to be explained.

Part two: safety of the knife itself

The most detailed part of our material, where we will tell you what not to do if you do not want to destroy your knife. These recommendations apply to steel and ceramic utensils, kitchen and hunting knives, fixings and folding knives, that is, absolutely all products.

The knife must not be used for other purposes. For example, if we are talking about a ceramic kitchen knife that does an excellent job of slicing greens, then it should not be used to cut frozen meat or any other hard foods, pry off tight lids, or use it as a screwdriver. An ordinary kitchen knife with a relatively thin blade is not designed for opening cans, even if you have found out through experience that it is still capable of doing this job. Sooner or later, it will hopelessly ruin the cutting edge, which will no longer be a perfectly straight line.

Do not leave the knife dirty and/or wet. After each use, the knife should be at least rinsed or washed with liquid dish detergent and then wiped dry. Even divers’ knives with stainless steel blades are treated with clean water after a dive. fresh water(so-called desalination). It is better to evaporate moisture that has got into the hinge of a folding knife using a hairdryer.
You cannot store knives in bulk in the same drawer with other cutlery. Impacts on steel cause microscopic chips to form on the cutting edge. It is ideal to use a special tray with holders for storing kitchen knives in a drawer, or on the wall. Remember hygiene - stands should be designed to be cleanable.

You cannot store knives in leather sheaths for a long time (weeks, months). Especially with blades made of carbon steel and handles made of materials of natural origin - wood, bone, horn. Various types of leather are used for tanning leather. chemical substances, adversely affecting the components of the knife, especially if the skin is wet. It must be removed from there and stored in oiled paper or cloth. Caring for scabbards is similar to caring for shoes: dry them away from heating devices, clean the outside and inside, and do not store them in the light.

Do not leave knives in areas with high humidity: swimming pools, bathrooms. Make it a habit to remove all knives from your pockets and belts if you are undressing for a swim and can leave your clothes in the same area.
You can't sharpen knives against each other, but editing is possible. Straightening the edge of one knife against the butt of another is widely practiced by chefs. This works, however, only with cutting edges that have a thin approach.
To sharpen a knife, use either by special means, or contact a professional. Sharpening is done only with a suitable tool. Household sharpeners are not suitable for this: too high speeds can “set fire” to the cutting edge. “General craftsmen” like to use them in ordinary metal repairs, but you shouldn’t resort to their services either: look for a specialist in sharpening cutting tools.
It is not advisable to sharpen knives if you do not have enough experience. It is better to have ceramic knives sharpened by a craftsman, and sharpen steel knives only with a suitable tool that corresponds to the degree of wear of the leads.
It is not advisable to store an unused knife without preservative lubricant. If you plan to put the knife away for a long time, for example, it was bought as a gift and will not be needed soon, treat it with a preservation lubricant. This is especially true for folding knives and knives with carbon steel blades.

Part three: signs

This will be a very small review part, and, rather, of a cultural and educational nature, rather than of a recommendatory nature. True, not a single ancient sign arose just like that, each of them had practical roots, and if your experience suggests that you need to pay attention to them, why not?

You cannot give knives as gifts. It is believed that this will lead to trouble (sometimes they even talk about a knife in the body of the person to whom the gift was given!), and such a belief exists not only in Russia, but also in some European countries. The Mongols have a similar concept about this - since the time of Genghis Khan, they have not accepted such gifts. But in Japan, for example, they have an extremely positive attitude towards donated knives: they even use the same hieroglyphs for the concepts of “cutting a path to happiness” and “cutting”. And such gifts really bring the Japanese, if not luck, then certainly pleasure from the gift itself. Well, then, what about such a widespread custom, even in our country, as the presentation of award weapons, including bladed weapons?.. So this popular belief is completely ambiguous.
You should not leave a knife on the table, especially at night. This prohibition has very practical roots - a knife left in plain sight attracted the attention of children, which sometimes led to trouble. Such a reasonable prohibition at some point lost its original meaning and acquired a sacred meaning, although its “base” is quite obvious.
You cannot pick up found knives. The “superstitious” side of the issue lies in the negative energy of such a magical object as a knife, but the quite ordinary and very reasonable side is simply that other people’s piercing and cutting objects can be dirty, contaminated, etc. They can also have a “criminal” "past. But these reasons were probably once insufficient, resulting in an explanation for the mystics.