Evil eye

For other uses, see Evil Eye (disambiguation).
Black and white person wearing mask
A person from Cairo, reputed to possess the evil eye.

The evil eye is a supernatural belief in a curse brought about by a malevolent glare, usually inspired by envy.[1] Amulets to protect against it have been found dating to around 5,000 years ago.[1]

A bracelet charm with a fist and protruding index finger knuckle, to protect a baby against the evil eye
Eye beads are one of many popular amulets and talismans used to ward off the evil eye.

It is found in many cultures in the Mediterranean region, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America, with such cultures often believing that receiving the evil eye will cause misfortune or injury,[2] while others believe it to be a kind of supernatural force that casts or reflects a malevolent gaze back upon those who wish harm upon others (especially innocents). The idea also appears multiple times in Jewish rabbinic literature.[3][4]

Different cultures have pursued measures to protect against the evil eye.[5] Some of the most famous talismans against the evil eye include the nazar amulet, itself a representation of an eye, and the hamsa, a hand-shaped amulet. Older iterations of the symbol were often made of ceramic or clay; however, following the production of glass beads in the Mediterranean region in approximately 1500 BC, evil eye beads were popularised with the Indians, Phoenicians, Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans.[6][7] Illyrians used objects with the shape of phallus, hand, leg, and animal teeth against the evil eye.[8][9] Ancient Romans used representations of phallus, such as the fascinus, to protect against the evil eye, while in modern-day Southern Italy a variety of amulets and gestures are used for protection, including the cornicello, the cimaruta, and the sign of the horns.

In different cultures, the evil eye can be fought against with yet other methods – in Arab culture, saying the phrase "Masha'Allah" (ما شاء الله) ("God has willed it") alongside a compliment prevents the compliment from attracting the evil eye,[10][11] whereas in some countries, such as Iran, certain specific plants – such as rue – are considered prone to protecting against the evil eye.[12]

Eye of Horus
  1. ^ a b Hargitai, Quinn (19 February 2018). "The strange power of the 'evil eye'". BBC. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  2. ^ Ross, C (2010). "Hypothesis:The Electrophysiological Basis of the Evil Eye Belief". Anthropology of Consciousness. 21: 47–57. doi:10.1111/j.1556-3537.2010.01020.x.
  3. ^ Abarbanel, Isaac (2013). nah'alat avot (in Hebrew) (2nd ed.). Ashkelon. p. 93.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Judah Loew ben Bezalel, Netivot olam, Israel 2014, p. 214
  5. ^ Ulmer, Rivka (1994). KTAV Publishing House, Inc. (ed.). The evil eye in the Bible and in rabbinic literature. KTAV Publishing House. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-88125-463-1.
  6. ^ Smith, Elaine (6 December 2019). "Beware the Evil Eye. Or Buy One, Just for Kicks (Published 2019)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  7. ^ Sharifi, Maedeh (2021-03-04). "Reclaiming the Middle East's evil eye tradition with Sayran". newarab.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Stipčević was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wilkes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Migdadi, Fathi; Badarneh, Muhammad A.; Momani, Kawakib (December 2010). "Divine Will and its Extensions: Communicative Functions of maašaallah in Colloquial Jordanian Arabic". Communication Monographs. 77 (4): 480–499. doi:10.1080/03637751.2010.502539. ISSN 0363-7751.
  12. ^ Foundation, Encyclopaedia Iranica. "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica". iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2024-11-14.