Why do we hang horseshoes for good luck or place wreaths on our doors? Why does the groom carry his new bride over the threshold? These customs represent the last vestiges from a long, rich history of honouring the spirits of our homes. They show that a house is more than a building: it is a living being with a body and soul. Examining the extensive traditions surrounding houses from mediaeval times to the present, Claude Lecouteux reveals that humanity had an extremely sacred relationship with their homes and all the spirits who lived there alongside them - from the spirit of the house itself to the mischievous elves, fairies and imps who visited, invited or not. He shows how every aspect of constructing and keeping a house involved rites, ceremony, customs and taboos to appease the spirits, including the choice of a building lot and the very materials with which it was built. Revealing our ancestors' charms, prayers and practices to bestow happiness and prosperity upon their homes,
