On the Isle of Man, what animals are referred to as "longtails", because saying their name is considered bad luck?

The people of the Isle of Man call rats "longtails" as it is seen to be bad luck to say the word "rat". The superstition dates back to the 1600s, when a Manx duke was traveling to England to be awarded knighthood. On his way back, he was bitten by a rat, tripped, and broke his nose. Due to ancient Manx law, no person with a facial disfigurement could hold a noble title, so he had to give up his Dukedom to his son. From then on, it's been bad luck to say "rat" on the Isle of Man.

Asked by Ben Jenkins · Last updated 2 years ago · 13.8K views