Superstitions: Moth

[Pomai]

It's been said that when a large black moth appears, it symbolizes a deceased loved one who is visiting. Or, it embodies the reincarnation of that deceased person.

Well, my father recently passed away, and coincidentally a black moth came to "visit" us last night. Here it is...



It wasn't large though. It's actual size is about 1" in wingspan. Speaking of wingspan, doesn't it resemble the design of the B2? lol I must say, it's quite impressive looking!

What's your take on this superstition? What culture(s) does it derive from?

[damontucker]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

Thanks for that explanation....

I have always been told not to kill moths... but no one really explained why.

At UH HILO you would see HUGE MOTHS all the time!
Someone would be clung to walls for days at a time!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

We never kill moths, large or small, that enter our home, because the AF subscribes to the superstition that they are ancestors paying us a visit; she says it's a Japanese belief.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

I call those buggas "bats" and swing something at them to make them leave.

{{{willies}}}

[Pomai]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

{{{willies}}}

Classic! I always loved that term for being scade.

{{{w-w-w-willies}}}.

As for hanging, that moth I posted stuck on the same wall (just below the ceiling) for about 2 hours. Weird how they do that. They must be waiting for food to prey on. Good thing we don't have Geckos, or that moth would have been dinner.

[1stwahine]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

It is also a belief in our family. Infact, just the other night around 3:00 a.m. my daughter woke me up cause had two in my hale. She said, "Mom, somebody died!" I told her no believe - it's only superstition. Just then one of the moths came flying towards me!

I kept shouting, "I believe! I believe!" While my daughter laughed her silly heart out and neva help me. I ran out the door and stayed out till da moths followed me out.

Yeah, moths do have a significance part in any culture. I do believe and theres nuttin going change my mind. I not going take a chance. Bumby the father of all Moths going come MWH and visit me at my Hale.

Auntie Lynn

[blueyecicle]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

When I lived in Bend, Oregon we had a yearly invasion of moths. I would drive over thousands when they covered the roads and buildings. They would sweep them into garbage bags from the windows of houses.

Does that happen?? What do you do then?

[redkayla]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

Hi Pomai,

yea a lil late with this reply but just curious, today I saw a large black and red moth in my house. Then I saw one fly right up to my face in a dream...this is just one of those weird things right...

[rissalene77]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

I was wondering if you saw the underside of the wings of this moth?

[Pomai]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

I was wondering if you saw the underside of the wings of this moth?

No I didn't. Are there any particular markings or color under the wings that would signify something? Like say a good or bad spirit, or what person it might embody?

To note, ever since the appearance of this moth at the time I posted that, no other moths have "visited" my place. Nor has anyone close to me passed either.

I'm not saying I believe in this superstition, but I do respect it.

[rissalene77]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

My grandfather passed away last month. When we went to the funeral as we were all sitting there a moth about 3-4 in wide came up out of the flowers on the casket flew right into my mothers face then my grandmother then my uncle, after that it flew around my head. I watched it and it landed on the tent that was over us. But what really got me was the fact that at first we all mistook it for a butterfly because the under wings were red, orange and yellow. Not bright but defiantly there.

My grandfather was color blind so to me it would make since for a moth to show up he wouldn't know that there wasn't much color on it, also my grandmother always thought that my grandfather looked best in brown so when she bought his clothes they were mostly brown.

Your moth just looks so much like the one we saw I was hoping you might have seen the bottom of the wings.

[salmoned]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

Driving home one night, I waved wildly at what appeared to be a 4 to 6 inch moth inside the car - and I wasn't the only person who 'saw' it (though it disappeared). 3 days later I learned my mother had died at that time.

On another occasion, I dreamt of my family standing around a long narrow table, followed by a vignette of hugging my nephew. The next day, I heard he had died in an auto accident.

When I blank my mind I can often syncronize with whatever is said next by someone else, especially when there's a change to a new topic... What the Bleep? [Da movie]

[Pomai]

Re: Superstitions: Floral Scent & the deceased visiting

Today at work my coworkers were discussing the superstition of deceased relatives paying a "visit", which they mentioned this superstition that is commonly believed in Filipino culture:

If you suddenly smell a wafting fragrance of flowers (nice smell), it's a close relative visiting you.

How ironic! Last night that happened to me at mom's place! Everyone was already sleeping, and as I was walking down the hallway late at night, suddenly this strong floral scent hit me out of nowhere. Strong enough that I actually stopped for a second to really try and "smell" it. And there isn't any of those plug-in air fresheners in the house either. All the windows were closed too, so it couldn't have come from outside. It was really strange.

Even more weird that I didn't bring that subject up today, and they just started talking about it.

[Jack Hawksmoor]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

The night my friends' grandmother died, which was only a handful days of ago, i found a moth in the kitchen. I thought about killing it but i got lazy and went to play on the computer.

[DNR55]

Re: Superstitions: Moth

A few weeks ago, my cousin's husband passed away. We had a lot in common and I was asked to edit a video obituary. It took a week to do the video. The funeral was on Saturday 1/25/14 in Hilo. I live in Waipahu.

On Sunday morning I stepped out the door of my home in Waipahu and a large black moth flew in front of me and landed above my front door.
It stayed about 30 minutes, then disappeared.

Coincidence? I think not. I never see these moths around my house.

I just told my daughter what happened and she said the same thing happened last year when her step-grandfather passed away.

My thought is that if the moth story is just BS, then why does such a story exist in the first place?