  
 |  |  Decorative Horseshoes and unique Horseshoe favorsLegend says, that a Horseshoe 'Pointing up' will gather Your Luck, whereas 'Pointing down' it will shower You with Luck.
Below is a cute selection of decorative plastic Horseshoes, pewter Horseshoe charms and unique Horseshoe favors.
Scroll down for more Symbolic Meanings of Horseshoes. |
Below some Legends and Symbolic Meanings of Horseshoes:
 Americans of English and Irish descent prefer to display horseshoes upward; those of German, Austrian, Italian, Spanish, and Balkan descent generally hang them downward. People in some parts of Ireland and Britain believe that horseshoes must be turned upward or "the luck will run out." A Horseshoe 'Pointing up' will gather Your Luck, whereas 'Pointing down' it will shower You with Luck.
 The power of the horseshoe has been recognized since before the birth of Christ. We know that horseshoes were actually used by the Greeks as early as the 4th century B.C. Since horses were believed to be one of the most sacred of animals, their crescent-shaped shoes became symbols of good luck. Horseshoes are often nailed over the outside thresholds of houses and barns so that witches could not enter. Horseshoes are thought to protect and bring good luck.
 The horseshoe is used as a protective talisman against not only the devil, but also against curses in general. And folklore claims that horseshoes can also protect one from malevolent faeries, since iron supposedly repels faeries - although it seems that this would keep away both good and evil faeries. Horseshoes are sometimes nailed over beds to ward off nightmares and prevent visits from incubi and succubi.
Horseshoes are a Symbol of Good Luck. It has associations with the strength and dependability of the horse, and, in upright position it is also symbolic of the moon. Pointing downwards, it is symbolic of the womb.
The horseshoe is also meant to protect one's house and land and to keep strangers away. To the Greeks it symbolized the crescent moon which was regarded as a symbol of fertility. The modern association is more likely to be linked to a legendary tenth century Saint who trapped the Devil in a Horseshoe and as a result made him promise never to enter a Christian home marked by a Horseshoe hung above the door.
Fishermen nail horseshoes to the masts of their boats to ensure lucky catches. And one of the most successful sailors of them all, Admiral Lord Nelson, had a horseshoe nailed to the mast of his flagship, H.M.S. Victory, when he took on the Spanish and French fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar. Whether it did any good is open to question. Lord Nelson was killed in the battle, but this fleet was victorious and the H.M.S. Victory was saved.
The Greeks and Romans nailed horseshoes to their walls to protect them from plagues. In the Middle Ages, horseshoes were often buried in the roots of an ash tree, which was considered among the luckiest of trees. It was believed that the branches of an ash growing around a horseshoe needed only to be waved over the backs of cattle to instantly cure them of any ill.
No claims are made on aforementioned Legends and Symbolic Meanings of Horseshoes.
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HORSESHOE charms & favors ~ Symbol of Strength & Good Luck |
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