What is evil eye?

The evil eye belief – primarily the belief that someone can project harm by looking at another’s property or person – is found in many parts of the world.

Who casts the evil eye, who or what can it strike, and what is the nature of the ascribed power? In Philippines the power emanates only from one person who casts it, through his eye or mouth. But in the Mediterranean, it may be an avenging, righteous power of deity, or even in ancient Egypt, power o a god emanating from his eyes. The evil eye may be (In Italy) a pervasive, malevolent force like a virus or plague, to be staved off with charms made nowadays, or it may be (in Mexico) the effect of bad “air” over the land, or it may be (among Slovak-Americans) a “chronic but low-grade evil eye. It may be thought of (in the Mediterranean) as the embodiment of the source of evil, maybe the Devil himself, or even (in the Near East) as a sort of deity in its own right on occasion. But elsewhere (in India) there is no such dichotomy of good and evil rending the world asunder, and the evil eye is only an emanation from the mind behind the eye of the person who casts it. Yet elsewhere (in Guatemala) it is the name of a sickness, not just the cause of sickness.

All these are variations and scenarios around the simple belief that one's eye-power can cause sudden harm to another's property or person.

In different parts of the world, different kinds of people can cast it. In one country (Ethiopia) it is cast by people of a certain low caste, in another (Mexico) mainly by strangers, in another (Tunisia) by marginal people but not by kin, and in yet another (Iran) mainly by kin. Elsewhere (in India) it may be cast by any being-one's own mother or other kin, neighbors, strangers, gods, or even animals. In some places (ancient Israel, Italy) it has at times been cast b) high ecclesiastical officials, while in another place (Greece) it is often thought of as cast by witches who can bewitch people, and among yet another ethnic group (Slovak-Americans) it is a spell thought to be cast by those who as babies returned to the mother's breast after weaning.

And in different countries different kinds of objects can be struck with it. In some (Mexico, Philippines) it mainly strikes babies or children, while elsewhere (the Mediterranean) it attacks people of any age, women and the weak being especially susceptible. In most regions the wealthy or the hand­ some are considered susceptible because they are the objects of envy. But there is an ambivalence between this and the thought that it  is the weak who are attacked.

 Common Italian Charms Against the evil eye.

Attempts to ward off the curse of the evil eye have resulted in a number of talismans in many cultures. Many amulets and actions to counter the evil eye have  come down through the ages. Charms made of silver, gold. bronze, or amber are partic­ularly powerful, and their power is increased through addition of the Hebrew word Shaddai (one of the mystic names of God). The Magen David (Star of David) and medallions in the shape of an open hand, a fish, or an eye are considered counter magic to fascination by Italian Jews. The gesture of the right thumb tucked between index finger and middle finger is particularly efficacious against the evil eye. Called the feige, this gesture is common to Jews and Christians in many parts of Europe. In Italian fica means vulva, derived from the Latin ficus, the fruit of the fig tree.

 In Malta, fishermen decorate the prows of their boats with the eye and drivers paint an eye on the trunk lid or bumper of their automobiles. A number of Maltese proverbs refer to the belief., and “May God save you from the evil eye” is frequently heard.

The main general characteristics of the evil eye are that it relates to the fear of envy in the eye of the beholder, and that its influence is avoided or counteracted by means of devices calculated to distract its attention and by practices of sympathetic magic. Jealousy can kill via a look!

The most common name for the evil eye is simply "the eye" (Arabic 'ayn). Verbal forms "to eye" or "to eye-strike" are also used. In Persian it is often referred to as ' the salty eye" (casm-e sur), “Nazar” in Turkish. Variations such as "the narrow eye," "the bad eye," "the wounding eye," "the look," are also found. In some accounts it is an independent evil power that acts through certain people and in certain situations; in others there are simply certain people whose look is evil.

The concept existed before Islam and is found under each of the universalistic religions represented in the area (Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism). The evidence suggests that it preexisted all of them. Particular beliefs and practices concerning the evil eye tend to be neither exclusive nor well defined: that is, generally in any situation there are other evil agents besides the evil eye that maybe blamed; and some of the rites that are used to counteract it may also be practiced for other purposes. 

 

I have to mention on the Lidless Eye in The Lord of the Rings. Sauron is the Eye. Besides, Sauron's Eye is his most important means of attack, and nearly all his other weapons are connected with it. The Ring is a conduit for the Eye's power and is felt as an eye by its keeper (I, 43)1 long before the connection is known. The Ringwraiths were originally drawn to the Eye by means of similar rings and have, in effect, become lesser Eyes under Sauron's domination; they are the only other beings in the trilogy said to have "lidless eyes" of their own apart from Sauron (II, 302). All of Sauron's various slaves have the Eye marked either upon their armor (I, 18), their banners (III, 164) or their bodies (Ill, 198). These facts suggest that the Eye somehow represents the essence of the evil forces at work in the trilogy. (Sauron as Gorgon and Basilisk Gwenyth Hood

Whether or not it may be accounted universal, the evil eye is a widespread cultural phenomenon. It is more popular in modern times more than before and it is inspiring for many designers today

Evil eye rose necklace, that i designed last year but launched in 2021

Please don’t forget to check our Evil Eye collection at here.

REFERENCES

The evil eye - Clarence Maloney (1976)

(Sauron as Gorgon and Basilisk Gwenyth Hood)