The human shadow holds a special place in various legends and folklore tales. Many of the ancient peoples saw it as a magical extension of our bodies and it was even present in important prophecies and magical rituals. As such they considered it worthy of prominence.
According to ancient Slavic beliefs, the shadow symbolized human health. Therefore if a person cast no shadow, it was a bad sign, that the person's end was near.
The shadow was holy and no one had the right to approach or step on it. If a person placed a foot in another person's shadow it was said that it would cause harm to the latter. This would drain their vital forces and could even lead to disease.
It was also believed that special magical rituals with shadows could attract love. For this, a person has to hug (symbolically) the projection of their body with their arms. That way they will charge their shadow with love, health and luck.
Another very old ritual asserts that if you'd like to get rid of someone that frequently visits your home you have to sweep away their shadow.
In beliefs from around the world, interestingly, we see the incorporation of the human shadow motif. For the foundations of a building to be strong, they have to have a shadow built into them.
