September 26th, 2006 at 5:30 am
I have always wanted to look up the origins of why someone says “God Bless you” after you sneeze - so I decided to do a little poking around. Here is what I found …
The custom of saying “God bless you” after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God’s help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, “Kyrie Eleison” (Greek for “Lord have mercy”). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed (”God bless you!”) in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague. All that prayer apparently worked, judging by how quickly the plague of 590 AD diminished.
Most people think “Gesundheit” is synonymous with “God Bless You”. The confusion over the real meaning of the word Gesundheit, which means simply “health,” probably dates back to the time of the Bubonic Plague, where sneezing was a symptom of the disease. Sneezing was supposedly the person’s soul making a break for it! It was believed that sickness arose due to the lack of a soul. And so “soullessness” and ill-health became synonymous during the middle ages.
Some other explanations to saying “God Bless you”:
- At one time people believed a man’s soul could be inadvertently thrust from his body by an explosive sneeze, thus “Bless you!” was a protective oath uttered to safeguard the temporarily expelled and vulnerable soul from being snatched up by Satan (who was always lurking nearby). The purpose of the oath was to cast a temporary shield over the flung-out soul which would protect it just long enough to regain the protection of the corporeal body.
- Conversely, the sneeze itself was the expulsion of a demon or evil spirit which had taken up residence in a person. Therefore, although the “Bless you!” was again a protective charm meant to protect the sneezer from evil, in this version it was meant to ward off the re-entry of an evil spirit which a tormented soul had just rid itself of.
- The heart was believed to momentarily stop during a sneeze (it doesn’t), thus the “Bless you!” was uttered either as a supplication for life to return or as a congratulation upon its successful restart.
- Others claim an association of the practice with particular dire diseases (most often the bubonic plague, or “Black Death,” as it is sometimes known). They say an infected person’s sneeze was sure sign he’d soon be pushing up daisies, thus the “Bless you!” was intended as a benediction to the nearly-departed, a way of commending his soul to the care of God now that he was beyond the help of anything in the mortal world.
- Yet other folks echo the theme of other superstitions about sneezes, that these expulsions are either in themselves lucky or foretell good fortune coming the sneezer’s way. For them, the “Bless you!” is a recognition of incoming good luck, possibly even an attempt on the blesser’s part to attract a bit of it to himself.
- Finally, some see the sneeze as a blessing bestowed by the sneezer upon the sneezed-upon. Answering a sneeze with “Bless you!” is seen as nothing more remarkable than replying “Good morning!” to the person who had just greeted you with the same phrase.
Here are some superstitions I came across.
Sneeze on Monday for health,
Sneeze on Tuesday for wealth,
Sneeze on Wednesday for a letter,
Sneeze on Thursday for something better,
Sneeze on Friday for sorrow,
Sneeze on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow,
Sneeze on Sunday, safety seek.
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a letter
Four for a boy.
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told.
And lastly, a sneeze before breakfast is a sign that you will hear exciting news before the end of the day.
I am a multiple sneezer, I think my record is 6 sneezes - hmmm, yet to see any gold! I have to try an sneeze before breakfast - then buy a lottery ticket!
(Source: Straight Dope, The Brights’ Net, Snopes)
6 Responses to “The Science of Sneezing”
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Pallav said: @ 5:47 am
September 26th, 2006
i just read this today only that on a person sneezes his heart stops for one millisecond so may be god bless you is for saving a person from dying due to potential heart failure.
chill.
KristynMarie said: @ 11:11 am
September 26th, 2006
I read that people say “Bless you” when you sneeze because your heart stops for a tiny bit and if you die they want you to be blessed. Who knows how accurate that is, maybe another urban legend. :)
Kristyn
kristarella said: @ 10:17 pm
September 26th, 2006
How odd that those two comments above said opposite things to what you just said…
“The heart was believed to momentarily stop during a sneeze (it doesn’t), thus the “Bless you!” was uttered either as a supplication for life to return or as a congratulation upon its successful restart.”
Anyway, good post. I love weird little curiosities like this. Last night I was musing about the moon. Perhaps I should post about that.
On the heart thing, the heart slows and speeds up all the time and I think sometimes it can miss a beat. If your heart is going 70bpm and slows down… well, a millisecond isn’t very long.
Tense Teacher said: @ 10:20 pm
September 26th, 2006
I have no soul!
I sneeze at least 3 times daily, and that’s when there are no allergens at all floating in the air.
INAMINI said: @ 4:34 pm
September 27th, 2006
In Holland, you say “Gezondheit” (to your health.) Since I am not religious, that works out really well for me!
Website Builder said: @ 3:24 am
October 2nd, 2006
Great blog! Good to add to my trivia I don’t need to know, but am glad I do.