'Thumbs Up' by Karen Maitland

I’ve been to two very different exhibitions this month, one was in a village church to honour the men who fought in the First World War, the other was the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall. But curiously I found the same item on display in both – a little good luck charm called Fums Up. It took the form of a tiny doll made of wood or metal holding up a thumb, as a good luck gesture.

These dolls were first made around 1880’s, appearing not just as models, but on cards and china too. Back then they were commonly called ‘Baby Mercury’. But they become increasing popular in the First World War when girls sent these charms to sweethearts and brothers who were fighting in the trenches, to bring the soldiers luck and keep them safe. They were worn as lapel badges, on neck chains or on tucked into pocks. But why were the Fums Up charms thought to be lucky?

For a long time it was one of those popular myths that thumbs-up gesture originated in the Roman gladiatorial arenas. That's largely been discounted now. The thumbs-up sign is probably much older than that. But by the Middle Ages it was recognised as sign of good faith and peace. In some parts of the country, right into the twentieth century, children would make the thumbs up sign to declare a truce in a fight or indicate they wanted to halt a game.

There is saying, still used in some country districts – Here’s my thumb on it. This comes from the medieval custom of spitting on your raised thumb and pressing it against the raised thumb of someone else to seal a sale or pledge that the agreement was binding. It was also used to confirm that a bet had been accepted. Spittle was thought to contain the power of the soul, hence as well as a pledge, it could be also used to ward off evil or to curse someone. Thumb prints were also used for centuries to sign a written agreement if the person couldn't write. Robert Chambers records an incident in 1642 when a Scottish lieutenant spat on his thumb to pledge himself to a dual in which he was then killed. And thumb-licking was also a pledge of loyalty and allegiance. A rhyme recorded in 1724 goes,

Though kith and kin and a' revile thee,
There's my thumb I'll ne'er beguile thee.

If you feared you were in the presence of a witch or someone was trying to put a spell on you, then you could protect yourself by tucking your thumbs into your fists. Many people still tuck their thumbs into their fists for luck, instead of crossing their fingers when they are betting or hoping for good news.

The famous line from Macbeth -By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes was based on an old superstition that a tingle or twitching of the thumb, especially the left one, was a sign that unwelcome company or an enemy was approaching.

Many of the first Fums Up charms sent to the soldiers of the First World War were made of wood which made them doubly lucky. We still say touch wood, even if we don’t actually do it, when we’re talking about future plans – Touch wood, I’ll have the book finished by Friday. This harps back to one of mankind’s oldest and most enduring fears that if we talk about any good thing, something bad will happen to curse it. So we try to avert that, by warding off the evil – touching wood.

British paratroopers of the World War II preparing
to go into action giving the thumbs up sign.

The wood we used to touch would have been from one of the sacred trees- oak, ash and hawthorn etc. because the spirits of those trees were thought to have the power to protect us. Today touching any wood will do. I’ve even seen people touch wood-effect laminates.

Sadly, although I’m sure the Fums Up charms brought a great deal of comfort to the soldiers in the
trenches, not least the knowledge that a sweetheart was waiting for them, it did not keep many of those young men safe from harm. It must have been one of the most poignant things for those grieving families and girlfriends if they found the cheery little doll returned to them among the soldier’s personal effects. Fums Up came home, but they never would.