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The Number Seven in Folklore - Page 2

© Virginia Marin

The bodies seven, eeh, lo hem heer anoon;
Sol gold is, and Luna silver we threpe,
Mars yren, Mercurie guykssilver we clepe;
Saturnus leed, and Jubitur is tyn;
And Venus coper, by my fader kyn.
(Chaucer: The Canon's Yeoman's Tale)

Remember Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; and what adult has not enjoyed reading the tale of Seven Billy Goats Gruff to a child?

And then there is the tale of The Island of the Seven Cities. This is a land of Spanish fable where seven bishops founded seven cities. The legend says that whoever visits the island never leaves it. This seems like a good tale on which to base some of today's reality television.

A collection of Oriental tales, The Seven Wise Masters, though interesting, is not well known. A king's son returned to court after being educated in the seven liberal arts by the seven wise masters. By consulting the stars, he learned that his life was in danger if he spoke before the elapse of seven days. There are numerous variant versions of these stories which date from the tenth-century.

Shakespear often made literary use of the number seven:

Fool: The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reason.
Lear: Because there are not eight?
Fool: Yes, indeed, thou wouldst make a good fool!
(Shakespear: King Lear)

Japanese folklore tells of Shichi-fuku-jin, the seven gods of luck. They were comical deities often depicted aboard a ship of treasure. In their possession were certain magical items--an invisible hat, rolls of brocade, an inexhaustible purse, a lucky rain hat, robes of feathers, keys to the divine treasure house and important books and scrolls. The Shichi-fuku-jin are personifications of earthly happiness in Japanese folk religion.

The William Blake Archive lists the jin as:

Hotei--the laughing Buddha representing mirth and merriment.
Bishamonten--the watchman
Fukurokuju--god of longevity
Jurojin--god of scholorship
Daikoku--god of nutrition
Ebisu--god of fishing
Benzaiten--goddess of music

Then, as I was on my way to England Town, the good Fae reminded me that I had exceeded seven paragraphs, so I leave you with this English rhyme which, of course, you can answer:

As I was going to St. Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits,
Kits, cats, sacks, wives--
How many were going to St. Ives?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

one two three four five six seven

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