Evil eye

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Nazars, charms used to ward off the evil eye.

The evil eye (Greek: μάτι, mati, Turkish: Nazar, "eye"; Hebrew: ‫ ;עִַין הָרָע‬Italian:
malocchio; Arabic: ‫عين حسد‬, ayn; Persian: ‫ چشم‬cheshm) is a superstitious belief in
curse, [1] believed to be cast by a malevolent glare, usually given to a person
when one is unaware. It dates back at least to Greek classical antiquity, 6th
century BC where it appeared on Chalcidian drinking vessels, known as 'eye-cups',
[2] as a type of apotropaic magic.[3] Many cultures believe that receiving the evil
eye will cause misfortune or injury,[4] 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). 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 Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans.[5] Blue was likely
used as it was relatively easy to create; however, modern evil eyes can be a range
of colors.

The idea expressed by the term causes many different cultures to pursue protective
measures against it, with around 40% of the world's population believing in the
evil eye.[6] The concept and its significance vary widely among different cultures,
but it is especially prominent in the Mediterranean and West Asia. The idea appears
multiple times in Jewish rabbinic literature.[7] Other popular amulets and
talismans used to ward off the evil eye include the hamsa, while Italy (especially
Southern Italy) employs a variety of other unique charms and gestures to defend
against the evil eye, including the cornicello, the cimaruta, and the sign of the
horns.

While the Egyptian Eye of Horus is a similar symbol of protection and good health,
the Greek evil eye talisman specifically protects against malevolent gazes.
Similarly, the Eye-Idols (c. 8700–3500 BC) excavated at the Tell Brak Eye Temple
are believed to have been figurines offered to the gods, and according to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, are unrelated to a belief in the evil eye.[8][9]

Eye of Horus

Contents
1 History
1.1 Protection from the eye
2 Around the world
3 Protective talismans and cures
3.1 In Islam
3.2 In Judaism
3.3 Caribbean/West Indies
3.4 Greece
3.5 Assyrians
3.6 Turkey
3.7 Ethiopia
3.8 Senegal
3.9 Pakistan
3.10 Southern Italy
3.11 Malta
3.12 Brazil
3.13 Spain and Latin America
3.13.1 Mexico
3.13.2 Puerto Rico
3.14 India
3.15 United States
4 Media and press coverage
5 Names in various languages
6 See also
6.1 Amulets and other protections
6.2 Creatures
6.3 Concepts
7 Notes
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
History
Belief in the evil eye dates back to at least Ancient Ugarit, as it is attested to
in texts from this city (ruins in modern-day Syria). Given that the city was
destroyed circa 1250BC, during the late Bronze Age collapse to never be rebuilt,
the belief dates back at least to this point, and likely earlier.[10] Later in
Greek Classical antiquity, it is referenced by Hesiod, Callimachus, Plato, Diodorus
Siculus, Theocritus, Plutarch, Heliodorus, Pliny the Elder, and Aulus Gellius.
Peter Walcot's Envy and the Greeks (1978) listed more than one hundred works by
these and other authors mentioning the evil eye. Noting that Greeks are an ethnic
group indigenous to Greece and the Levant, artefacts can be found from this region.
[11]

Kylix eye cup (530-520 BC), inscribed with Chalcidian text. It features an eye
motif, to ward off the evil eye.
Classical authors attempted both to describe and to explain the function of the
evil eye. Plutarch's scientific explanation stated that the eyes were the chief, if
not sole, source of the deadly rays that were supposed to spring up like poisoned
darts from the inner recesses of a person possessing the evil eye. Plutarch treated
the phenomenon of the evil eye as something seemingly inexplicable that is a source
of wonder and cause of incredulity.[a] Pliny the Elder described the ability of
certain African enchanters to have the "power of fascination with the eyes and can
even kill those on whom they fix their gaze".[b]

The idea of the evil eye appears in the poetry of Virgil in a conversation between
the shepherds Menalcas and Damoetas.[c] In the passage, Menalcas is lamenting the
poor health of his stock: "What eye is it that has fascinated my tender lambs?".

Protection from the eye

The belief in the evil eye during antiquity varied across different regions and
periods. The evil eye was not feared with equal intensity in every corner of the
Roman Empire. There were places in which people felt more conscious of the danger
of the evil eye. In Roman times, not only were individuals considered to possess
the power of the evil eye but whole tribes, especially those of Pontus and Scythia,
were believed to be transmitters of the evil eye.[citation needed]

The phallic charm called fascinum in Latin, from the verb fascinare, "to cast a
spell" (the origin of the English word "fascinate") is one example of an apotropaic
object used against the evil eye. They have been found throughout Europe and into
the Middle East from contexts dating from the first century BC to the fourth
century AD.[12] The phallic charms were often objects of personal adornment (such
as pendants and finger rings), but also appeared as stone carvings on buildings,
[13] mosaics, and wind-chimes (tintinnabula).[14][15] Examples of stone phallic
carvings, such as from Leptis Magna, depict a disembodied phallus attacking an evil
eye by ejaculating towards it.[13]

In describing their ability to deflect the evil eye, Ralph Merrifield described the
Roman phallic charm as a "kind of lightning conductor for good luck".[16]

Around the world

Tree with nazars in Cappadocia, Turkey.

John Phillip, The Evil Eye (1859), a self-portrait depicting the artist sketching a
Spanish gypsy who thinks she is being given the evil eye.
Belief in the evil eye is strongest in West Asia, Latin America, East and West
Africa, Central America, South Asia, Central Asia, and Europe, especially the
Mediterranean region; it has also spread to areas, including northern Europe,
particularly in the Celtic regions, and the Americas, where it was brought by
European colonists and West Asian immigrants.[citation needed]

Belief in the evil eye is found in the Islamic doctrine, based upon the statement
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, "The influence of an evil eye is a fact..." [Sahih
Muslim, Book 26, Number 5427].[17] Authentic practices of warding off the evil eye
are also commonly practiced by Muslims: rather than directly expressing
appreciation of, for example, a child's beauty, it is customary to say Masha'Allah,
that is, "God has willed it", or invoking God's blessings upon the object or person
that is being admired.[18] A number of beliefs about the evil eye are also found in
folk religion, typically revolving around the use of amulets or talismans as a
means of protection.

In the Aegean Region and other areas where light-colored eyes are relatively rare,
people with green eyes, and especially blue eyes, are thought to bestow the curse,
intentionally or unintentionally.[19] Thus, in Greece and Turkey amulets against
the evil eye take the form of eyes looking back at someone, and in the painting by
John Phillip, we witness the culture-clash experienced by a woman who suspects that
the artist's gaze implies that he is looking at her with the evil eye.

Among those who do not take the evil eye literally, either by reason of the culture
in which they were raised or because they simply do not believe it, the phrase, "to
give someone the evil eye" usually means simply to glare at the person in anger or
disgust. The term has entered into common usage within the English language. Within
the broadcasting industry, it refers to when a presenter signals to the interviewee
or co-presenter to stop talking due to a shortage of time.[citation needed]

Protective talismans and cures

The Hamsa, a charm made to ward off the evil eye.

Attempts to ward off the curse of the evil eye have resulted in a number of
talismans in many cultures. As a class, they are called "apotropaic" (Greek for
"prophylactic" / προφυλακτικός or "protective", literally: "turns away") talismans,
meaning that they turn away or turn back harm.

Disks or balls, consisting of concentric blue and white circles (usually, from
inside to outside, dark blue, light blue, white, and dark blue) representing an
evil eye are common apotropaic talismans in West Asia, found on the prows of
Mediterranean boats and elsewhere; in some forms of the folklore, the staring eyes
are supposed to bend the malicious gaze back to the sorcerer.
Known as nazar (Turkish: nazar boncuğu or nazarlık), this talisman is most
frequently seen in Turkey, found in or on houses and vehicles or worn as beads

Detail of a 19th-century Anatolian kilim, with rows of crosses (Turkish: Haç) and
scattered S-shaped hooks (Turkish: Çengel), both to ward off the evil eye[20]
The hamsa hand, an apotropaic hand-shaped talisman against the evil eye, is found
in West Asia. The word hamsa, also spelled khamsa and hamesh, means "five"
referring to the fingers of the hand. In Jewish culture, the hamsa is called the
Hand of Miriam; in some Muslim cultures, the Hand of Fatima. Though condemned as
superstition by doctrinaire Muslims,[21] it is almost exclusively among Muslims in
the Near East and Mediterranean that the belief in envious looks containing
destructive power or the talismanic power of a nazar to defend against them. To
adherents of other faiths in the region, the nazar is an attractive decoration

A variety of motifs to ward off the evil eye are commonly woven into tribal kilim
rugs. Such motifs include a cross (Turkish: Haç) to divide the evil eye into four,
a hook (Turkish: Çengel) to destroy the evil eye, or a human eye (Turkish: Göz) to
avert the evil gaze. The shape of a lucky amulet (Turkish: Muska; often, a
triangular package containing a sacred verse) is often woven into kilims for the
same reason.[20]

In Islam
The evil eye, or al-’ayn ‫العين‬, is a common belief that individuals have the power to
look at people, animals or objects to cause them harm.[22] It is tradition among
many Muslims that if a compliment is to be made one should say "TabarakAllah" ( ‫تبارك‬
‫"( )الله‬Blessings of God")[citation needed] or "Masha'Allah" (‫"( )ما شاء الله‬God has
willed it")[23] to ward off the evil eye. Reciting Sura Ikhlas, Sura Al-Falaq and
Sura Al-Nas from the Qur'an, three times after Fajr and after Maghrib is also used
as a means of personal protection against the evil eye.[24][better source needed]
[failed verification]

Salafi scholars have pointed some conditions from the Quran and Hadith, which
includes performing exorcism using the words of God or his names, reciting in
Arabic or in a language which can be understood by the people, not using any
talismans or amulets or fortune-tellers or any magic, nor asking jinns to help.[25]
[26][27]

Scholars have a difference of opinion whether talismans using the Quran is

permissible or not.[25]

In Judaism

Clay hamsa with an inscription in Hebrew (translates to "success")

The evil eye is mentioned several times in the classic Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our
Fathers). In Chapter II, five disciples of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai give advice on
how to follow the good path in life and avoid the bad. Rabbi Eliezer says an evil
eye is worse than a bad friend, a bad neighbor, or an evil heart.

Talmudic exegete, Rashi, says in the wake of the words of Israel's Sages that when
the ten sons of Jacob went down into Egypt to buy provisions, they made themselves
inconspicuous by each entering into a separate gate, so that they would not be
gazed upon by the local Egyptians and, thereby, trigger a malevolent response (the
Evil eye) by their onlookers, seeing that they were all handsome and of brave and
manly dispositions.[28]

Some Jews believe that a "good eye" designates an attitude of goodwill and kindness
towards others. Someone who has this attitude in life will rejoice when his fellow
man prospers; he will wish everyone well.[29] An "evil eye" denotes the opposite
attitude. A man with "an evil eye" will not only feel no joy but experience actual
distress when others prosper and will rejoice when others suffer. A person of this
character represents a great danger to our moral purity, according to some Jews.
[30]

Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook explained that the evil eye is "an example of how one soul
may affect another through unseen connections between them. We are all influenced
by our environment... The evil eye is the venomous impact from malignant feelings
of jealousy and envy of those around us."[31]

Many observant Jews avoid talking about valuable items they own, good luck that has
come to them and, in particular, their children. If any of these are mentioned, the
speaker and/or listener will say b'li ayin hara (Hebrew), meaning "without an evil
eye", or kein eina hara (Yiddish; often shortened to kennahara), "no evil eye".
Another way to ward off the evil eye is to spit three times (or pretend to). Romans
call this custom "despuere malum," to spit at evil.[32] It has also been
suggested[by whom?] the 10th Commandment: "Do not covet anything that belongs to
your neighbor" is a law against bestowing the evil eye on another person.

Caribbean/West Indies
In Trinidad and Tobago, the evil eye is called maljo (from French mal yeux, meaning
'bad eye'). The term is used in the infinitive (to maljo) and as a noun (to
have/get maljo) referring to persons who have been afflicted. Maljo may be passed
on inadvertently, but is believed to be more severe when coming from an envious
person or one with bad intentions. It is thought to happen more readily when a
person is stared at- especially while eating food. A person who has been taken by
the ‘bad eye’ may experience unexplained illness or misfortune. In traditional
rural legends, ‘The general belief is that doctors cannot cure maljo----only people
who know prayers can "cut" the maljo and thus cure the victim.’[33]

There are several secular approaches to combatting maljo, but more extreme cases
are usually referred to spiritual rituals, with a particularly strong influence
from the Hindu religion.

In non-religious respects, there is a strong cultural association that between the

evil eye and the colour blue. It is believed to ward off maljo when worn as
clothing or accessories, so much so that some striking shades are referred to as
‘maljo blue’. Blue ornaments may be used to protect a household, and blue bottles
from Milk of Magnesia have been hung on trees or placed in the yard surrounding a
property.[citation needed]

Blue soap and Albion Blue (an indigo dye referred to Trinbagonians simply as
‘blue’) are traditionally used for domestic washing, but are also considered to
prevent maljo if used in bath water, or to anoint the soles of the feet.

Jumbie beads are the poisonous seeds of the Rosary Pea tree which are used to make
jewelry that also wards off maljo and evil spirits.

One superstition is that a pinch can reverse maljo following interpersonal

interactions, especially if one is stared at or given a compliment. Some also
believe that rubbing one's own saliva in their hair will counteract maljo in
general, but particularly from envy of the hair texture and length.

A bath in the sea is also thought to relieve an afflicted person.

Maljo believers are particularly concerned with safeguarding babies and children,
who are considered to be most vulnerable to its effects. It may be ‘caused by
someone born with a "blight" in the eye, when such a person looks admiringly at a
child. It can also occur with a pat on the head, or with just a glance. Whether it
is intended or not, compliments (...) can cause maljo. It can be caused by a
stranger, a member of the child's immediate family or by another relative.’[33] It
may even be passed on by a parent who is obsessed with their own child. A baby with
maljo ‘refuses to eat or drink, cries continually and "pines away.". It may have an
"attack of fever".’[34]

Bracelets made of jet beads are traditionally given to newborns to wear as a

preventative measure, while elders also recommend securing a bag of blue (dye) to
the baby's clothes. This is because a newborn is viewed as most vulnerable.

Following East Indian influence, a tikka is a black dot that is placed on a baby's
forehead- thought to distract the attention of the evil eye and protect the child
as such.

The most common maljo remedy comes in the form of a Hindu ritual called a jharay.
It may be practised at home (usually by parents or elders) or by a pundit or
spiritual practitioner. There are many variations to the ritual, and non-Hindu
persons readily participate if they are considered to have been affected by maljo.

The main implement in a jharay is either a peacock feather or a cocoyea broom- a

traditional broom made using the midrib of the coconut palm leaf. Some also report
a knife or machete being used. In some instances, the cocoyea broom is measured
against a particular part of the body at the beginning of the ceremony, and it is
believed to be confirmation of maljo if the recorded length has changed by the end
of the session. The officiant will say a prayer while using the tool of choice to
brush the person from head to toe. The prayer is conventionally said in Hindi, but
may also be said in English.

A jharay may focus on a specific point of affliction or pain (head, hair, back,
feet and so on).

It is not unusual for a jharay ceremony to be carried out on children and babies.
‘People believe that maljo can cause death. Two types were reported: the
"'dragging" kind, where the baby gets smaller and smaller and goes through all of
the symptoms mentioned above, before withering and dying; the "Twenty-four hour"
maljo, said to kill in just twenty-four hours if effective help is not
obtained.’[33]

Another Hindu ritual called the oucchay is also employed to heal maljo- though this
might also be interchangeably called a jharay. Ingredients such as onion skin,
salt, cobweb, hot pepper or mustard seeds, piece of a cocoyea broom, a lock of the
victim's hair (in the case of children, it is a lock of the mother's hair) are
wrapped in a tissue or newspaper. The officiant will circle the wrapped objects
around the victim's body before burning them all. It is believed that if the items
create a large, crackling flame and a foul stench, it is an indication that the
victim had a severe case of maljo. At the end of the ritual, the victim may be
asked to walk away without looking back while the objects burn.

In Afro-Caribbean Spiritual Baptist and Orisha tradition, a special piece of

jewelry called a 'guard' will be blessed by an elder, who invokes its protection on
the wearer. It may be a waist bead, anklet, bracelet, or necklace. For babies, a
large safety pin might be used as a guard.

Greece
The evil eye, known as μάτι (mati), "eye", as an apotropaic visual device, is known
to have been a fixture in Greece dating back to at least the 6th century BC, when
it commonly appeared on drinking vessels.[35] In Greece, the evil eye is cast away
through the process of xematiasma (ξεμάτιασμα), whereby the "healer" silently
recites a secret prayer passed over from an older relative of the opposite sex,
usually a grandparent. Such prayers are revealed only under specific circumstances,
as according to their customs those who reveal them indiscriminately lose their
ability to cast off the evil eye. There are several regional versions of the prayer
in question, a common one being: "Holy Virgin, Our Lady, if [insert name of the
victim] is suffering of the evil eye, release him/her of it." Evil repeated three
times. According to custom, if one is indeed afflicted with the evil eye, both
victim and "healer" then start yawning profusely. The "healer" then performs the
sign of the cross three times, and emits spitting-like sounds in the air three
times.

Another "test" used to check if the evil eye was cast is that of the oil: under
normal conditions, olive oil floats in water, as it is less dense than water. The
test of the oil is performed by placing one drop of olive oil in a glass of water,
typically holy water.[36] If the drop floats, the test concludes there is no evil
eye involved. If the drop sinks, then it is asserted that the evil eye is cast
indeed. Another form of the test is to place two drops of olive oil into a glass of
water. If the drops remain separated, the test concludes there is no evil eye, but
if they merge, there is. There is also a third form where in a plate full of water
the "healer" places three or nine drops of oil. If the oil drops become larger and
eventually dissolve in the water there is evil eye. If the drops remain separated
from water in a form of a small circle there isn't. The first drops are the most
important and the number of drops that dissolve in water indicate the strength of
the evil eye. Note that a secret chant is spoken when these tests are conducted.
The words of the chant are closed practised and can only be passed from man to
woman, or woman to man.[citation needed]

There is another form of the "test" where the "healer" prepares a few cloves by
piercing each one with a pin. Then she lights a candle and grabs a pinned clove
with a pair of scissors. She then uses it to do the sign of the cross over the
afflicted whilst the afflicted is asked to think of a person who may have given him
the evil eye. Then the healer holds the clove over the flame. If the clove burns
silently, there is no evil eye present; however, if the clove explodes or burns
noisily, that means the person in the thoughts of the afflicted is the one who has
cast the evil eye.[citation needed] As the clove explodes, the evil eye is released
from the afflicted. Cloves that burn with some noise are considered to be λόγια -
words - someone foul-mouthing you that you ought to be wary of. The burned cloves
are extinguished into a glass of water and are later buried in the garden along
with the pins as they are considered to be contaminated. Greek people will also
ward off the evil eye by saying φτου να μη σε ματιάξω! which translates to "I spit
so that I won't give you the evil eye." Contrary to popular belief, the evil eye is
not necessarily given by someone wishing you ill, but it stems from admiration - if
one considers admiration to be a compelled emotion of astonishment at a rival's
success over one's evil plan. Since it is technically possible to give yourself the
evil eye, it is advised to be humble.

The Greek Fathers accepted the traditional belief in the evil eye, but attributed
it to the Devil and envy. In Greek theology, the evil eye or vaskania (βασκανία) is
considered harmful for the one whose envy inflicts it on others as well as for the
sufferer. The Greek Church has an ancient prayer against vaskania from the Megan
Hieron Synekdemon (Μέγαν Ιερόν Συνέκδημον) book of prayers.[37]

Assyrians

A Ruby Eye Pendant from an ancient[when?] civilization[which?] in

Mesopotamia[where?] was possibly used as an amulet to protect against the evil
eyes. Adilnor Collection.
Assyrians are also strong believers in the evil eye. They will usually wear a
blue/turquoise bead around a necklace to be protected from the evil eye. Also, they
might pinch the buttocks, comparable to Armenians. It is said that people with
green or blue eyes are more prone to the evil eye effect.[citation needed]
[clarification needed] A simple and instant way of protection in European Christian
countries is to make the sign of the cross with your hand and point two fingers,
the index finger and the middle finger, towards the supposed source of influence or
supposed victim as described in the first chapter of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula
published in 1897:

When we started, the crowd round the inn door, which had by this time swelled to a
considerable size, all made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers towards
me. With some difficulty, I got a fellow passenger to tell me what they meant. He
would not answer at first, but on learning that I was English, he explained that it
was a charm or guard against the evil eye.[38]

Turkey
Main article: Nazar (amulet)

Traditionally shaped nazar ornaments

A typical nazar is made of handmade glass featuring concentric circles or teardrop
shapes in dark blue, white, light blue and black, occasionally with a yellow/gold
edge.[39]

Cultures that have nazars or some variation include Turkey, Romania, Albania, North
Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine,
Egypt, Armenia, Iran, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and
Azerbaijan,[40] where the nazar is often hung in homes, offices, cars, children's
clothing, or incorporated in jewellery and ornaments.[39] They are a popular choice
of souvenir with tourists.[41]

Ethiopia
Main article: Buda (folk religion)
Belief in the evil eye, or buda (var. bouda), is widespread in Ethiopia.[42] Buda
is generally believed to be a power held and wielded by those in a different social
group, for example among the metalworkers. Some Ethiopian Christians carry an
amulet or talisman, known as a kitab, or will invoke God's name, to ward off the
ill effects of buda.[43] A debtera, who is either an unordained priest or educated
layperson, will create these protective amulets or talismans.[44][45]

Senegal
The equivalent of the evil eye in Wolof would be the "thiat". It is believed that
beautiful objects may break if enviously stared at by others. To repel the effect
of the evil eye, Senegalese people may wear cowrie shell bracelets. The sea shells
are said to absorb the negative energy of the thiat and gradually darken until the
bracelet breaks. It is also common for superstitious people to wear "gris-gris"
made by a marabouts to avoid misfortune.[citation needed]

Pakistan
In Pakistan, the evil eye is called Nazar (‫)نظر‬. People usually may resort to
reading the last three chapters of the Quran, namely Sura Ikhlas, Sura Al-Falaq and
Sura Al-Nas. "Masha'Allah" (‫"( )ما شاء الله‬God has willed it") is commonly said to
ward off the evil eye. Understanding of the evil eye varies by the level of
education. Some perceive the use of black color to be useful in protecting from the
evil eye. Others use "taawiz" to ward off the evil eye. Truck owners and other
public transport vehicles may commonly be seen using a small black cloth on the
bumpers to prevent the evil eye.[46]

Southern Italy

Various evil eye amulets from Italy such as the cornicello, cimaruta, and lunula
(1895).
The cornicello, "little horn", also called the cornetto ("little horn", plural
cornetti), is a long, gently twisted horn-shaped amulet. Cornicelli are usually
carved out of red coral or made from gold or silver. The type of horn they are
intended to copy is not a curled-over sheep horn or goat horn but rather like the
twisted horn of an African eland or a chili pepper.[47] A tooth or tuft of fur of
the Italian wolf was worn as a talisman against the evil eye.[48]

One idea that the ribald suggestions made by sexual symbols distract the witch from
the mental effort needed to successfully bestow the curse. Another is that since
the effect of the eye was to dry up liquids, the drying of the phallus (resulting
in male impotence) would be averted by seeking refuge in the moist female genitals.
Among the ancient Romans and their cultural descendants in the Mediterranean
nations, those who were not fortified with phallic charms had to make use of sexual
gestures to avoid the eye. Such gestures include scratching one's testicles (for
men), as well as the mano cornuta gesture and the fig sign; a fist with the thumb
pressed between the index and middle fingers, representing the phallus within the
vagina. In addition to the phallic talismans, statues of hands in these gestures,
or covered with magical symbols, were carried by the Romans as talismans.

Two handsigns (fig sign and horned sign) used in Italy against the evil eye (1914).
The wielder of the evil eye, the jettatore, is described as having a striking
facial appearance, high arching brows with a stark stare that leaps from his eyes.
He often has a reputation for clandestine involvement with dark powers and is the
object of gossip about dealings in magic and other forbidden practices. Successful
men having tremendous personal magnetism quickly gain notoriety as jettatori. Pope
Pius IX was dreaded for his evil eye, and a whole cycle of stories about the
disasters that happened in his wake were current in Rome during the latter decades
of the 19th century. Public figures of every type, from poets to gangsters, have
had their specialized abilities attributed to the power of their eyes.[49]

Malta
The symbol of the eye, known as "l-għajn", is common on traditional fishing boats
which are known as luzzu. They are said to protect fishermen from storms and
malicious intentions.[50]

Brazil
Brazilians generally will associate mal-olhado, mau-olhado ("act of giving a bad
look") or olho gordo ("fat eye" i.e. "gluttonous eye") with envy or jealousy on
domestic and garden plants (that, after months or years of health and beauty, will
suddenly weaken, wither and die, with no apparent signs of pest, after the
visitation of a certain friend or relative), attractive hair and less often
economic or romantic success and family harmony.

Unlike in most cultures mal-olhado is not seen to be something that risks young
babies. "Pagans" or non-baptized children are instead assumed to be at risk from
bruxas (witches), that have malignant intention themselves rather than just mal-
olhado. It probably reflects the Galician folktales about the meigas or Portuguese
magas, (witches), as Colonial Brazil was primarily settled by Portuguese people, in
numbers greater than all Europeans to settle pre-independence United States. Those
bruxas are interpreted to have taken the form of moths, often very dark, that
disturb children at night and take away their energy. For that reason, Christian
Brazilians often have amulets in the form of crucifixes around, beside or inside
beds where children sleep.

Nevertheless, older children, especially boys, that fulfill the cultural ideals of
behaving extremely well (for example, having no problems whatsoever in eating well
a great variety of foods, being obedient and respectful toward adults, kind,
polite, studious, and demonstrating no bad blood with other children or their
siblings) who unexpectedly turn into problematic adolescents or adults (for example
lacking good health habits, extreme laziness or lacking motivation towards their
life goals, having eating disorders, or being prone to delinquency), are said to
have been victims of mal-olhado coming from parents of children whose behavior was
not as admirable.

Amulets that protect against mal-olhado tend to be generally resistant, mildly to

strongly toxic and dark plants in specific and strategic places of a garden or the
entry to a house. Those include comigo-ninguém-pode ("against-me-nobody-cans"),
Dieffenbachia (the dumbcane), espada-de-são-jorge ("St. George's sword"),
Sansevieria trifasciata (the snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue) and guiné
("Guinea"), among various other names, Petiveria alliacea (the guinea henweed). For
those lacking in space or wanting to "sanitize" specific places, they may all be
planted together in a single sete ervas ("seven [lucky] herbs") pot, that will also
include arruda (common rue), pimenteira (Capsicum annuum), manjericão (basil) and
alecrim (rosemary).[51] (Though the last four ones should not be used for their
common culinary purposes by humans.) Other popular amulets against evil eye
include: the use of mirrors, on the outside of your home's front door, or also
inside your home facing your front door; an elephant figurine with its back to the
front door; and coarse salt, placed in specific places at home.[52]

Spain and Latin America

The evil eye or Mal de Ojo has been deeply embedded in Spanish popular culture
throughout its history and Spain is the origin of this superstition in Latin
America.

In Mexico and Central America, infants are considered at special risk for the evil
eye (see mal de ojo, above) and are often given an amulet bracelet as protection,
typically with an eye-like spot painted on the amulet. Another preventive measure
is allowing admirers to touch the infant or child; in a similar manner, a person
wearing an item of clothing that might induce envy may suggest to others that they
touch it or some other way dispel envy.

One traditional cure in Latin America involves a curandero (folk healer) sweeping a
raw chicken egg over the body of a victim to absorb the power of the person with
the evil eye. The egg is later broken into a glass with water and placed under the
bed of the patient near the head. Sometimes it is checked immediately because the
egg appears as if it has been cooked. When this happens it means that the patient
did have Mal de Ojo. Somehow the Mal de Ojo has transferred to the egg and the
patient immediately gets well. (Fever, pain and diarrhea, nausea/vomiting goes away
instantly) In the traditional Hispanic culture of the Southwestern United States
and some parts of Latin America, the egg may be passed over the patient in a cross-
shaped pattern all over the body, while reciting The Lord's Prayer. The egg is also
placed in a glass with water, under the bed and near the head, sometimes it is
examined right away or in the morning and if the egg looks like it has been cooked
then it means that they did have Mal de Ojo and the patient will start feeling
better. Sometimes if the patient starts getting ill and someone knows that they had
stared at the patient, usually a child, if the person who stared goes to the child
and touches them, the child's illness goes away immediately so the Mal de Ojo
energy is released.[53]

In some parts of South America the act of ojear, which could be translated as to
give someone the evil eye, is an involuntary act. Someone may ojear babies, animals
and inanimate objects just by staring and admiring them. This may produce illness,
discomfort or possibly death on babies or animals and failures on inanimate objects
like cars or houses. It's a common belief that since this is an involuntary act
made by people with the heavy look, the proper way of protection is by attaching a
red ribbon to the animal, baby or object, in order to attract the gaze to the
ribbon rather than to the object intended to be protected.[54]

Mexico

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Mal de ojo (Mal: Illness - de ojo: Of eye. "To be made ill by an eye's gaze") often
occurs without the dimension of envy, but insofar as envy is a part of ojo, it is a
variant of this underlying sense of insecurity and relative vulnerability to
powerful, hostile forces in the environment. In her study of medical attitudes in
the Santa Clara Valley of California, Margaret Clark arrives at essentially the
same conclusion: "Among the Spanish-speaking folk of Sal si Puedes, the patient is
regarded as a passive and innocent victim of malevolent forces in his environment.
These forces may be witches, evil spirits, the consequences of poverty, or virulent
bacteria that invade his body. The scapegoat may be a visiting social worker who
unwittingly 'cast the evil eye' ... Mexican folk concepts of disease are based in
part on the notion that people can be victimized by the careless or malicious
behavior of others".[citation needed]

Another aspect of the mal ojo syndrome in Ixtepeji is a disturbance of the hot-cold
equilibrium in the victim. According to folk belief, the bad effects of an attack
result from the "hot" force of the aggressor entering the child's body and throwing
it out of balance. Currier has shown how the Mexican hot-cold system is an
unconscious folk model of social relations upon which social anxieties are
projected. According to Currier, "the nature of Mexican peasant society is such
that each individual must continuously attempt to achieve a balance between two
opposing social forces: the tendency toward intimacy and that toward withdrawal.
[It is therefore proposed] that the individual's continuous preoccupation with
achieving a balance between 'heat' and 'cold' is a way of reenacting, in symbolic
terms, a fundamental activity in social relations."[55]

Puerto Rico

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In Puerto Rico, Mal de Ojo or "Evil Eye" is believed to be caused when someone
gives a wicked glare of jealousy to someone, usually when the person receiving the
glare is unaware. The jealousy can be disguised into a positive aspect such as
compliments or admiration. Mal de Ojo is considered a curse and illness. It is
believed that without proper protection, bad luck, injury, and illness are expected
to follow. Mal de Ojo impact is believed to affect speech, relationships, work,
family and most notably, health. Since Mal de Ojo centers around envy and
compliments, it creates fear of interacting with people that are outside of their
culture. Indirect harm could be brought to them or their family. When it comes to
children, they are considered to be more susceptible to Mal de Ojo and it is
believed that it can weaken them, leading to illness. As a child grows every effort
is taken to protect them. When diagnosing Mal de Ojo, it is important to notice the
symptoms. Physical symptoms can include: loss of appetite, body weakness, stomach
ache, insomnia, fever, nausea, eye infections, lack of energy, and temperament.

Environmental symptoms can include financial, family, and personal problems as

simple as a car breaking down. It is important for those who believe to be aware of
anything that has gone wrong because it may be linked to Mal de Ojo. Puerto Ricans
are protected through the use of Azabache bracelets. Mal de Ojo can also be avoided
by touching an infant when giving admiration. The most common practice of
protection in Puerto Rico is the use of Azabache bracelets. These bracelets
traditionally have a black or red coral amulet attached. The amulet is in the shape
of a fist with a protruding index finger knuckle.

Azabache bracelet charm with a fist and protruding index finger knuckle
Eggs are the most common method to cure Mal De Ojo. The red string and oils also
used are more common in other cultures but still used in Puerto Rico depending on
the Healer, or the person who is believed to have the ability to cure those who
have been targeted. Ultimately, the act of giving someone the "Evil Eye" is a
rather simple process and is practiced throughout the world.

India
Main article: Nazar Battu
In the northern states of India, like the Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the evil eye is called "nazar" (meaning
gaze or vision) or more commonly as Buri Nazar. A charm bracelet, tattoo or other
object (Nazar battu), or a slogan (Chashme Baddoor (slogan)), may be used to ward-
off the evil eye. Some truck owners write the slogan to ward off the evil eye:
"buri nazar wale tera muh kala" ("O evil-eyed one, may your face turn black").

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, people call it as 'Disti' or 'Drusti', while

people of Tamil Nadu call it 'drishti' or 'kannu' (translated, means evil eye). The
people of Kerala also call it “kannu”, which translates to “eye”. To remove
Drishti, people follow several methods based on their culture/area. Items often
used are either rock salt, red chilies, white pumpkins, oiled cloth, or lemons
coated with kumkuma. People remove Drishti by rotating any one of these items and
around the affected person. The person who removes it will then burn the item, or
discard it in a place where others are not likely to stamp on these items. People
hang pictures of fierce and scary ogres in their homes or vehicles, to ward off the
evil eye.[56]

In India, babies and newborn infants will usually have their eye adorned with
kajal, or eyeliner. This would be black, as it is believed in India that black
wards off the evil eye or any evil auras. The umbilical cord of babies is often
preserved and cast into a metal pendant, and tied to a black string — babies can
wear this as a chain, bracelet or belt — the belief, once more, is that this
protects the infant from drishti. This is a practice that has been followed right
from historical times. People usually remove drishti on full-moon or new-moon days,
since these days are considered to be auspicious in India.

Indians often leave small patches of rock salt outside their homes, and hang
arrangements of green chilies, neem leaves, and lemons on their stoop. The belief
is that this will ward away the evil eye cast on families by detractors.[57]

United States
In 1946, the American occultist Henri Gamache published a text called Terrors of
the Evil Eye Exposed! (later reprinted as Protection against Evil), which offers
directions to defend oneself against the evil eye.[58]

Media and press coverage

In some cultures over-complimenting is said to cast a curse. So does envy. Since
ancient times such maledictions have been collectively called the evil eye.
According to the book The Evil Eye by folklorist Alan Dundes,[59] the belief's
premise is that an individual can cause harm simply by looking at another's person
or property. However, protection is easy to come by with talismans that can be
worn, carried, or hung in homes, most often incorporating the contours of a human
eye. In Aegean countries, people with light-colored eyes are thought to be
particularly powerful, and amulets in Greece and Turkey are usually blue orbs.
Indians and Jews use charms with palm-forward hands with an eye in the center;
Italians employ horns, phallic shapes meant to distract spell casters.[60]

Names in various languages

In most languages, the name translates literally into English as "bad eye", "evil
eye", "evil look", or just "the Eye". Some variants on this general pattern from
around the world are:

In Albanian it is known as "syri i keq" (Standard and Tosk), or as "syni keq"

(Gheg) meaning "bad eye". Also "mësysh" is used commonly, meaning "cast an evil
eye".
In Arabic, ʿayn al-ḥasūd, ‫عين الحسود‬, "the eye of envy". ʿAyn ḥārrah (‫حارة‬
ّ ‫ )عين‬is also
used, literally translating to "hot eye".
In Armenian, char atchk (չար աչքն) "evil eye" or "bad eye". Regarding the act of
giving an evil gaze, it is said (directly translated), "to give with the eye" or in
Armenian, "atchkov tal".
In Azerbaijani, "Göz dəyməsi" – translating as being struck by an eye
In Chinese it is called 邪惡之眼 (Traditional Chinese characters) / 邪恶之眼
(Simplified Chinese characters) (xié è zhī yǎn, literally "evil eye") or simply 邪
眼 (xié yǎn).
In Corsican it is called "l'Ochju" (The Eye).
In Dutch it is called "het boze oog", literally "the malicious eye" or "the angry
eye".
In Esperanto, it is called "malica okulo" (malicious eye).
In Finnish, it's called "paha silmä" (evil/bad eye)
In French, it is named "le mauvais Œil" (The bad eye)
In Galician, it is called "meigallo", from meiga, "witch" (and maybe -allo,
diminutive or aumentative suffix; or contracted with either ollo, "eye"; or allo,
"garlic").
In German, it is called "böser Blick", literally "evil gaze".
In Greek, to matiasma (μάτιασμα) or mati (μάτι) someone refers to the act of
casting the evil eye (mati being the Greek word for eye); also: vaskania (βασκανία,
the Greek word for jinx)[61]
In Hebrew, ʿáyin hā-ráʿ (‫עִַין הָרַע‬, "eye of evil")
In Hindi and other languages of South Asia, (Hindi: nazar (नज़र); nazar lagna (नज़र
लगना)) means to be afflicted by the evil eye. (However, it generally has no evil
connotations because a doting mother's eye can supposedly also cause harm.)
In Hungarian, gonosz szem means "evil eye", but more widespread is the expression
szemmelverés (lit. "beating with eye"), which refers to the supposed/alleged act of
harming one by an evil look
In Irish, the term drochshúil is used for the 'evil eye', being a compound of
'droch' (bad, poor, evil, ill) and 'súil (eye). This can also be used to refer to
someone with weak eyesight.
In Italian, the word malocchio (pronounced [maˈlɔkkjo]) refers to the evil eye.
In Japanese it is known as "邪視" ("jashi").
In Kurdish, it is called "Çav pîs/Chaw pis/ ‫"چاو پیس‬
In Lithuanian evil eye is known as "pikta akis", while act of evil watching is
called "nužiūrėjimas" (noun), "nužiūrėti" (verb).
In Malay as well as Indonesian, it is called mata jahat, meaning literally
"bad/evil eye".
In Malayalam it is known as kannu veykkuka – to cast an evil eye while "kannu
peduka" means to be on the receiving end of the malefic influence. "kannu dosham"
refers to a bad effect caused by an evil eye.
In Maltese it is known as "l-għajn". It is a common symbol for warding off evil
intentions.
In Neapolitan it is known as "'o mma'uocchje" which translates literally into "the
evil/bad/maleficent eye", which afflicts people, especially women and children who
are supposedly the most vulnerable, with multiple issues and problems, stemming
from pre-natal issues, miscarriages, early childhood death or sickness or death of
a mother during birth, as well as afflicting women with infertility, sexual
problems, early widowhood, etc., while afflicted men suffer from cancer, laziness,
greed, gluttony, and other diseases, disabilities and ailments.
In Persian it is known as "‫( "چشم‌ زخم‬injurious look/eyes causing injury) or "‫"چشم شور‬
(omen eye)[62] "Cheshmeh Hasood", meaning Jealous eye, or "Cheshme Nazar" meaning
evil eye.
In Polish it is known as "złe oko" or "złe spojrzenie".
In Portuguese, it is called "mau olhado", ou "olho gordo" (literally "fat eye").
The first expression is used in Portugal and the second one is more common in
Brazil.
In Romanian, it is known as "deochi", meaning literally "un-eye".
In Russian, "дурной глаз" (durnoy glaz) means "bad/evil eye"; "сглаз" (sglaz)
literally means "from eye".
In Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language, it is called "drishti dosha" (दृष्टि दोष)
meaning malice caused by evil eye. (But cf. "drishti (yoga)".)
In Serbo-Croatian (Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin), it is called
Urokljivo oko (Cyr. Урокљиво око).[63] The first word is an adjective of the word
urok/урок, which means spell or curse, and the second word means eye.
In Slovak, it is known as "z očí", meaning "(coming) from eyes".
In Somali, it is called "il", or "ilaaco" or "sixir" (the first two words literally
meaning "eye" and the other word meaning 'black magic')
In Sinhala it is known as "ඇස්වහ" (æsvaha).
In Spanish, mal de ojo literally means "evil from the Eye" as the name does not
refer to the actual eye but to the evil that supposedly comes from it. Casting the
evil eye is then echar mal de ojo, i.e. "to cast evil from the Eye".[64]
In Berber languages(Tamazight/Tamaziɣt/ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ/ⵜⵎⵣⵗⵜ) it is called Tafust (ⵜⴰⴼⵓⵙⵜ)
which means little hand[65]
In Tagalog, it is known as ohiya or usog, which is a culture-bound syndrome where a
visit by a stranger afflicts a child with sudden illness and convulsions.
In Tamil, "கண் படுதல்" (kan padudhal) literally means "casting an eye" (with an
intention to cause harm). "கண்ணூறு" (kannooru) "harm from the eye"
In Trinidadian Creole it is called 'maljo', derived from the French 'mal yeux'
meaning "bad eye"
In Turkish kem göz means evil eye and the cure is having a "nazar boncuğu", the
nazar amulet.
In Urdu, nazar (‫ )نظر‬Chashm-é bad (‫ )چش ِم بد‬or Nazar-é bad (‫;)نظربد‬
ِ nazar lagna means to
be afflicted by the evil eye.
In Welsh y llygad drwg, y llygad mall, drwglygad[66]
In Yiddish ‫( עין הרע‬ayin hora ‫)עין הרע‬