Leftward movement versus rightward movement

Leftward movement versus rightward movement

Since rightward movement is regarded in all European traditions as corresponding to that of the sun, and hence beneficial and joyous, circling to the left is necessarily ‘backwards’, reversing the norm. Folklore links leftward circling with bad luck, cursing, witchcraft, and raising the Devil. Until the 19th century, this was purely a Scottish and Irish belief, though one which intrigued English observers, as shown by quotations in the OED (under ‘sunways’ and ‘withershins’) and in Opie and Tatem (1989: 383-6). The few English references in Victorian times concerned the bad luck involved if a funeral or bridal procession moved anticlockwise. Nowadays, popular writers have built up a conventional picture of black magic rituals, in which turning withershins causes evil, and the belief has become more widespread.

A circling movement made by turning to the right is described as a ‘right-handed’, ‘clockwise’, or ‘sunwise’ turn, and is regarded as bringing good luck. Though the belief is strongest in Scotland and Ireland, it was customary in parts of England in 19th century country funerals to carry the coffin sunwise round the churchyard (Hereford Times (20 Mar. 1838), cited in Opie and Tatem, 1989: 384). Recent instances of the idea in England are that when making sauces, puddings, or cakes the stirring must always be done clockwise, or the cooking will go wrong; that ropes should be coiled clockwise; even, that in stirring tea and laying a table one must never go ‘against the sun’ (Opie and Tatem, 1989: 385-6). The primary reason why this direction of movement is said to be ‘sunwise’ appears to be that in order to remain facing the sun as it moves from east through south to west, one has to pivot round constantly to one's right.