Four-leaf clovers have long had a reputation in Irish folklore for their connection with luck; however, in many regions of the Emerald Isle, the leafy charm is also believed to manifest the finder's true love, protect them against the ills of witchcraft, prevent them from being drafted into the military, and grant them the ability to see fairies.[1] Some even maintain that immediately giving the clover to another person will double the good fortune.[2] Yet, four-leaf clovers are not the only trefoil to bring luck: wearing a two-leaf clover in her shoe will supposedly lead a young girl to her future husband and discovering a five-leaf clover can yield to considerable wealth (although other legends uphold it will generate the opposite).[3]
Works Referenced
Pickering, David. Dictionary of Superstitions. London: Cassell, 1995.
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[1] Pickering, 67-68.
[2] Pickering, 67.
[3] Pickering, 68
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