Knock on Wood

It seems as though the “luck of the Irish” goes back farther than St. Patrick’s Day. Most of us have used the phrase “knock on wood” (typically after saying something that we immediately regret). If you are in the medical field or service industry, you most likely use it when someone comments on what a slow day it is. Others use it after gloating about how they have never been ticketed while driving. No matter how you use it, it always seems to bring some form of comfort.

The comfort of knocking on wood appears to be an instinctual human act. Knocking on or touching wood is believed to be traced back to the Ancient Celts. Before Christianity in Great Britain, pagans believed fairies, spirits, and other mystical beings lived amongst nature and trees. These pagan beliefs lasted hundreds and, potentially, thousands of years. It is a topic that still influences and intrigues people today.

A modern example can be found in the Outlander novels written by American author, Diana Gabaldon and adapted to TV by Ronald Moore. The most iconic folklore scene in the series, the fictional stone circle, Craigh na Dun, displays an ancient ceremony of druids connecting with nature spirits through the stones.

Similarly, the real-life Ancient Celts held many celebrations and performed their own nature rituals. This is where we get our first idea of the origin of knocking on wood. It is speculated that one could say aloud a wish followed by a knock on a tree to rouse the spirit who lived inside in hopes of being granted good fortune. To display good manners, a second knock after the wish would mean a “thank you” to the tree spirit.

Along with good fortune, it is also thought to be used for protection from evil. Traditionally, ash, hawthorn, hazel, oak, and willow were regarded as sacred and had the most protective powers. Oak covered in parasitic mistletoe would have been deemed especially sacred, as it would have been seen to be chosen by one of their deities. In attempts to drive away an evil spirit, a celt would simply knock to receive help in driving away evil forces. This is probably the most modern way to use it, but instead of evil spirits we perform this superstitious act to avoid tempting fate.

It is most commonly thought that when Christianity started to spread across Britain, somewhere between the 1st and 4th centuries, they altered the heathen phrase’s meaning. Wood was also a material of significance for the Christians, as it was a symbol of the cross. And thus, knocking on wood may have been seen as a sign for help or “luck” from God or Jesus.

Unfortunately, there is no recorded evidence of “touching wood” until the 1800s when the English magazine, Notes and Queries, mentions the act.

There is also an argument that none of the previous theories hold any truth and the saying comes from a children’s game of tag. During the chase, a child could become “safe” or “immune” from the tag by touching or knocking on wood. This game is said to have appeared in the early 1800s.

In the case of what came first, it is left up to you to decide how that first echo of a knock came about. Much like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know how such a phrase came to be used in modern times. But don’t let it stop you from calling upon a tree spirit the next time you are in need of some assistance.