Drowning has probably been a fear of human beings since we lost the ability to breathe under water somewhere along our path of evolution. This fear has created a number of superstitions involving drowning over the years.
• In Britain an old superstition claims that it is unlucky to rescue a drowning man. The superstition justified this statement by saying that if one does rescue a drowning man than that man will become your enemy for the rest of your life.
• In Scotland ancient folklore asserted that every river demands at least one life each year. If you rescue an individual who is drowning in a river that has not claimed a life yet that year then the river will take your life in place of the life you saved.
• In Ireland it once was believed that if an individual who drowned was buried too far away from the river then the river would take another life as punishment for this sinful act.
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If I go to save someone from drowning I am already taking my life into my own hands. I just might die saving them.
I am intrigued by the enemy for life variation of the superstition. Nemesis legends and superstitions are extremely fun and this drowning one reminds me of some mirror legends–since water is like a mirror, perhaps it ties into the “reflection of self” created to act as your nemesis for life…
The superstitions probably come from how dangerous it is to save someone from drowning. Trying to explain why people tend to die in rescue efforts.
I’m Irish, so the Ireland one really caught my attention.
Carmina, you make a very good point about how the superstition may have came about. There had to be a reason why someone died trying to save someone else. Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense!