Evil eye

The evil eye is the supposed capacity that has the glance of a person. It symbolizes the envieux glance or jealous of the others. The popular belief wants that this glance causes various misfortunes.

History

The " glance assassin" , able to attract misfortune, the illness or death, is mentioned at the same time in the Old one and the New Testament. It appears in the texts of Sumer, Babylon and Assyrie. In Europe with the the Middle Ages, the Sorcière S were famous to use of the evil eye against all those which had misfortune to cross their road. Their victims were then struck various evils, lost the love of their spouse or were thrown in misery.

Vis-a-vis the evil eye, the small children and the animals would be particularly vulnerable. Everywhere where the superstitions related to the evil eye are still long-lived, he is regarded as dangerous to draw the attention on the beauty of his children, for fear the evil eye does not throw a jealous glance to them.

Protections

Amulet S or talismans make it possible to divert the harmful influence. They are often in the shape of eye, like the eye of Horus in old Egypt.

These eyes are traditionally placed:

at the entry of the houses
on hull of the boats, etc

If one does not have amulet, the most immediate parade consists of a symbolic gesture of the hand (fist closed, inch and auricular pointed to form " cornes"), recommended to deviate the trajectory of the malfaisant glance.

There exist also talismans representing a fist closed with the inch located between the index and the auricular one. The Romans had some already (some of these talismans were found in the Roman city of Herculanum). This type of talisman is called " Figue" (that comes from the gestural one: the hand making " the figue").

In Portugal, the children are preserved supporting evil eye using collars of small complex talismans composed of a crescent of the moon (against the magic spells), a horn (to support the chance), a pentacle and a hand " making the figue" (against the evil eye). The Fig is often used only.

One also defends oneself thanks to plants: Clover S (Ireland), garlic (Greece) or Barley (India). The bells or the red ribbons, fixed on clothing of the children or the neck of the Cattle, are used like lures to divert the attention of the evil eye.

In the Islam, one recites certain verses of the Coran.

Analyzes

Perhaps this nonreligious tradition is used to encourage the spirit of Humilité.

See too

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