Curses
Characteristics
Curses are generally unbreakable
They are usually malicious in intent
Hand of Glory
Episode(s): Red Sky at Morning
A Hand of Glory is the hand of a murderer, removed while he is on the gallows and then pickled and dried. The blood and fat the of the hanged man was then utilized to make a candle which would then be placed between the fingers of the Hand of Glory. When a thief broke into a house, he would light the candle and recite a small rhyme: "Hand of Glory shining bright, lead us to our spoils tonight!" While the candle was lit, it was believed that the inhabitants of the house would continue to sleep deeply and not be awakened by the thief. The candle could only be extinguished by using blood or skimmed milk.
Rabbit's Foot
Episode(s): Bad Day at Black Rock
The Rabbit's foot that John had stored in a curse box in his lockup was made by a Baton Rouge woman about 100 years ago. It was cursed to kill people - once you've touched it, it brings you luck, until you lose it, at which point your luck turns so bad, you die. The curse couldn't truly be broken, but once the foot was destroyed using a cleansing ritual, both Sam and Bela's luck returned to normal.
Related Items
Curse Boxes
Episode(s): Bad Day at Black Rock
Using binding magic in the form of magical symbols, a curse box is designed to keep a cursed item safely locked away. The lock on the box is not necessarily a strong one, as the idea is to keep the curse inside, rather than keeping anyone out. The curse boxes in John Winchester's lock-up were built for him by Bobby Singer.