The History, Magic, & Superstition Behind Mirrors

German chemist Justus von Liebig invented the mirror in 1835.

von Liebig developed a process of applying a thin layer of metallic silver to one side of a glass pane.

Mass mirror production adopted von Liebig’s techniques.

Modern mirrors are produced by depositing aluminium directly onto glass.

But mirrors existed long before von Leibig perfected them, 8000 years to be exact.

The History of Mirrors

The people of Anatolia, now Turkey, created mirrors using polished volcanic glass.

Mirrors made of polished copper appeared in Mesopotamia and Egypt from 3000 to 4000 BC.

1000 years later Chinese and Indian mirror makers started using bronze.

Nature can be credited with providing the first mirrors through calm bodies of water, which one could use to examine their reflection.

Superstitions Surrounding Mirrors

With Mirrors came a lot of superstitions.

Breaking a mirror is said to bring people 7 years of bad luck.

The Romans believed the mirror is a reflection of the soul, which regenerates every 7 years, and when a mirror breaks, the soul breaks, requiring 7 years to rebuild.

One of the ways around this curse is to bury every piece of a broken mirror six feet under.

Other superstitions include mirrors falling off walls, indicating someone in the house is going to die, and covering up mirrors when someone in the house does die to prevent the devil from trapping their soul.

Mirrors are also associated with vanity and narcissism.

Most people don’t want to look at themselves in a mirror for longer than a quick glance.

But mirrors play a pivotal role in psychological and emotional functioning.

Reflections help us develop our sense of self.

Babies are able to recognize their own reflection after 20 months.

Before this time they regard their reflection as another baby or something suspicious.

Mirrors as Medical Tools

Mirrors also have medical benefits.

Arm or leg paralysis is common after a stroke causing problems with daily activities such as walking, dressing, or eating.

Mirror Therapy is a rehabilitation process where a mirror is placed between the arms or legs so that the image of a moving non-affected limb gives the illusion of movement in the affected limb.