Lightning not
only strikes twice in the same place, but is more likely to strike in the same
place than not to, simply because the mast, tree or whatever else serving as the
conductor for the first strike is the highest, most attractive point in the
area. Nevertheless, the old superstition has been around for centuries and is
often used in the expression lightning never strikes twice, meaning that
anything, either bad or good, that happened once won"t happen again.
The
ancients held that persons struck dead by lightning were incorruptible and
honored them. However, many used charms to protect themselves against
lightning. The Romans believed that the eagle, the sea calf and laurel warded
off
lightning, while people in medieval times grew the houseleek (syngreen)
on ships and on the roofs of their houses to ward it off. Charlemagne
ordered all his subjects to do so. Mariners still invoke St. Barbara to
protect them against lightning. She is the patron saint of those besieged
by lightning because a lightning flash killed her natural father after he had
tortured her and was about to lop off her head with a sword. Lightning,
incidentally, kills about 200 people every year in the United States.