Good morning, Mr magpie, how’s your wife *insert salute*
Magpies aren’t just birds. They are some of the most intelligent birds in the animal kingdom. But behind their glossy feathers and sharp eyes lies a murkier reputation. They are frequently tangled in superstition, suspicion, and, as some would argue, conspiracy.
For centuries, magpies have inspired both admiration and unease. In many cultures, they are seen as omens, bringers of fortune or misfortune, depending on the number seen and the direction they fly. The old rhyme is well-known across Britain and Ireland:
“One for sorrow, two for joy,
Three for a girl, four for a boy…”
And so on. A sighting of a lone magpie prompts people to salute, spit, or recite protective verses to ward off bad luck. Walking past a single magpie and not saluting is dangerous stuff, not sure that’s a risk I’m willing to take. But where did this superstition originate, and why do some believe there’s something more calculated, even conspiratorial, behind it?
Magpies have long sat at the crossroads of folklore and fear. In Norse mythology, they were thought to be sacred birds of Odin. In Chinese culture, magpies are symbols of happiness and marital bliss. Yet in parts of Europe, particularly in post-medieval Britain, they became associated with death, the devil, and deceit.
The shift in symbolism may have roots in the bird’s behaviour. Magpies are scavengers, often seen picking at carrion or shiny objects. Their reputation for “stealing” jewellery and other trinkets added to their image as untrustworthy. In reality, magpies are curious creatures, attracted not so much to value as to novelty. Still, the damage to their image was done. They are birds with a bad reputation.
Helen Fitzgerald, a conspiracy theorist said: “when I walk past a magpie, I have to salute it. I truly believe if I didn’t salute, I would have a bad omen the rest of the day, but that’s probably just a mindset… My dad used to do it all the time, I picked it up from him. I do look a bit weird sometimes, so I just pretend to scratch my head to play off the fact that I’m acknowledging a bird on my walk to work”.
Some folklorists and conspiracy theorists alike suggest that the entire notion of the magpie’s bad luck was manufactured or at least exaggerated as a tool of control. The theory says that: in a world once ruled by pagan traditions that revered animals as omens or gods, the rise of institutional religion needed to strip such symbols of their power.
Magpies, intelligent and omnipresent, were too influential in rural communities to ignore. So, they were demonised, painted as sinister spies or harbingers of doom. By creating the narrative around the bird, the new social order could undermine old belief systems.
Others believe the rhyme itself may have been a subtle form of social commentary. In a time when literacy was low, oral rhymes became a way to encode warnings, wisdom, and even political dissent. Could “one for sorrow” have been about more than just birds? Could it have been about the loneliness of dissent, the risk of standing apart in a conformist society? Were really getting deep here, but who doesn’t love a quick history lesson.
A psychological angle might offer a different explanation. Our brains are wired to seek patterns, to find meaning in randomness. Seeing a magpie on a bad day becomes a mental link. The bird becomes the scapegoat, the symbol of what’s gone wrong, possibly even something to blame about why something has gone wrong. Conspiracy theorists argue that superstitions like this persist not because they are true, but because they are useful. They give shape to uncertainty.
So is the magpie lucky, unlucky, or just misunderstood?
Perhaps all three.
What’s certain is that the magpie is more than just a bird. It’s a symbol that reflects our fears on bad omens and bad luck, all while channelling the world of conspiracy and mystery.
Next time you see one, you might salute. You might whisper a rhyme. Or you might just simply walk past and go about your day.
One thing is for certain though I will personally keep saluting, because if magpies are spies or a representative of something darker, I want them on my side.
