Indian subcontinent
India
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 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 "drishti" or "kannu",
the latter of which is Malayalam for "eye".
The people of Karnataka call it 'Drushti',
similar to other southern Indian languages. 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 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 called drishti bommai in their homes or vehicles, to
ward off the evil eye.
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.
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 الله) ("God 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.
Italy
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. A
tooth or tuft of fur of the Italian wolf was worn as a talisman against the
evil eye.
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.
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.
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.
In Brazil, a number of plants are traditionally said to
protect against the evil eye, most notably the rue (the Ruta family – arruda in
Portuguese).
Brazil
Brazilians generally will associate 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 mau-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 mau-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, who rather
fulfill the cultural ideals of good behavior quite 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) but yet 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
mau-olhado coming from parents of children whose behavior was not as admirable.
Amulets that protect against mau-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: arruda (Ruta
graveolens, the common rue), pimenteira (Capsicum annuum, the chili pepper),
comigo-ninguém-pode ("against-me-nobody-can"),
Dieffenbachia (the dumb cane); espada-de-são-jorge ("St. George's sword"), Sansevieria trifasciata (the
snake plant); and Guiné ("Guinea"),
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 manjericão (basil) and alecrim (rosemary). It is,
however, said that, when used in a home or any other place for protecting
against the evil eye, these plants should not also be used for their culinary
purposes.
Other popular amulets used in Brazilian folk traditions
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.
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.
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.
Mexico
Differently from other cultures, in Mexico it is believed
that the mal de ojo ("evil
eye"; literally, "evil of
the eye" or "ilness of the
eye") can be caused by someone's glance even without any jealousy,
envy or evil intention on said person's part. The idea of mal de ojo is
therefore connected to other traditional beliefs in the country regarding a
supposed underlying sense of insecurity and relative vulnerability to powerful,
hostile forces in the environment.
In a study of medical attitudes in the Santa Clara Valley of
California, which has many Mexican-descent inhabitants, 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, and 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".
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."
Puerto Rico
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 on
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.
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.
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.
Media and press
coverage
In some cultures, both over-complimenting and envy are said
to cast a curse. Since ancient times such maledictions have been collectively
called the evil eye. According to the book The Evil Eye by folklorist Alan
Dundes, 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.
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 Amharic of Ethiopia, is called buda ቡዳ.
In Arabic, ʿayn al-ḥasūd, عين الحسود, "the eye of the envier". ʿAyn ḥārrah (عين حارّة) is also
used, literally translating to "hot
eye".
In Assyrian Aramaic and Syriac, it is known as ʿaynā bīštā ܥܲܝܢܵܐ ܒܝܼܫܬܵܐ , “evil eye”, as it is referred to in Mark
7:22
In Armenian, char atchk (չար աչք) "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 惡魔之眼 (Traditional Chinese characters)
/ 恶魔之眼
(Simplified Chinese characters) (è mó zhī yǎn, means "evil eye") or to call it another way: 土耳其之眼
(tǔ ěr qí zhī yǎn, means "Turkish
evil eye").
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 Estonian, it's called "kuri
silm" (evil/angry eye) and "kaetis"
(covering)
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)
In Hebrew, ʿáyin hā-ráʿ (עַיִן 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 Indonesian the word ' 'dengki'
' refers to evil eye.
In Italian, the word malocchio (pronounced [maˈlɔkkjo])
refers to the evil eye.
In Japanese it is known as "邪視"
("jashi").
In Kazakh, it is called "Köz
tiiu" - an eye (evil eye) has touched. It is a widespread concept.
Apart from harming by an evil eye, one can harm another by an insincere word
(with bad intentions). Harming by an evil eye can explain everything from bad
luck and headache to death.
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, it is called mata jahat, meaning literally "bad/evil eye".
In Malayalam it is known as kanneru – 'the rising of an eye (upon one)'. 'Kanneru dosham' or 'drishti dosham' is the name for the
phenomenon.
In Maltese it is known as "l-għajn". It is a common symbol for warding off evil
intentions.
In Mandaic, it is known as "ayna bišta" (ࡀࡉࡍࡀ ࡁࡉࡔࡕࡀ), which means "evil
eye".
In Meitei language (alias Manipuri), evil eyes are known as “minu” (Meitei: ꯃꯤꯅꯨ,
romanized: /mí.nú/) and “being affected
with other's evil eye” is known as “minu
changba” (Meitei: ꯃꯤꯅꯨ ꯆꯪꯕ,
romanized: /mí.nú ~
cə́ŋ/). Hingchabi Changba (Meitei for 'evil eyes') of the Hingchabi (Meitei for
'evil spirits/possessors') are not uncommon in Meitei culture.
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 زخم" (injurious look/eyes causing injury) or "چشم شور" (omen eye)
"Cheshmeh Hasood", meaning Jealous eye, or "Cheshme Nazar" meaning evil eye.
In Polish it is known as "złe
oko" or "złe
spojrzenie" (evil eye/an evil glare).
In Portuguese, it is called "mau olhado", or "olho
gordo" (literally "fat
eye"). The first expression is used in Portugal and the second one is
more common in Brazil.
In Punjabi it is known as "ਨਜ਼ਰ" (evil
eye/an evil glare). When something goes wrong, the phrase "ਨਜ਼ਰ ਲੱਗ
ਗਈ"
(Nazzar lag gyi) is often said.
In Romanian, it is known as "deochi", meaning literally "by-eye": a curse put on you by a gaze with evil intentions/
jealousy.
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). 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 Slovene, it is known as "Zlobno oko", meaning "evil
eye".
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".
In Berber languages(Tamazight/Tamaziɣt/ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ/ⵜⵎⵣⵗⵜ) it is called Tafust (ⵜⴰⴼⵓⵙⵜ) which means little hand
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) means "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. Nazarlık refers in general to protections from the evil-eye, including
the nazar.
In Swahili, it is called jicho ("the eye"), or jicho baya, meaning literally "evil eye".
In Ukrainian, it is called "пристріт" (prystrit), "вроки" (vroky), "навроки"
(navroky), "призір"
(pryzir), "прозір"
(prozir), "зурочення"
(zurochennia), or "зочення"
(zochennia).
In Urdu, nazar (نظر) Chashm-é bad (چشمِ بد) or Nazar-é bad (نظرِبد);
nazar lagna means to be afflicted by the evil eye.
In Welsh y llygad drwg, y llygad mall, drwglygad
In Yiddish עין הרע (ayin hora עין הרע)
Amulets and other
protections
Azabache – Spanish and Latin American amulet used to ward
off the evil eye, especially in the form of a pin placed on infants
Eyespot (mimicry) – as found in living organisms
Fatima's hand – a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout
North Africa and in the Middle East and commonly used in jewelry and wall
hangings. Depicting the open right hand, an image recognized and used as a sign
of protection in many times throughout history, Fatima's hand (a.k.a. Hamsa)
has been traditionally believed to provide defence against the evil eye.
Harmal – plant used as protection against the evil eye
Mirror armour – believed to protect not from only cold steel
and arrows, but also from the evil eye
Red string (Kabbalah) – a bracelet in Judaism worn to ward
off the evil eye
Jumbie beads – poisonous seeds of the Rosary Pea tree which
are used to make jewelry that wards off maljo (bad eye) and evil spirits in
Trinbagonian tradition
The color blue – in Trinidad and Tobago is believed to ward
off the evil eye, particularly when worn as garments or accessories, as well as
in indigo dye
Creatures
Balor – a character in Irish legend
Basilisk – death glance/petrifying glance
Beholder (Dungeons & Dragons) – modern invention
Cockatrice – death glance/petrifying glance
Medusa and Gorgon – petrification glance, picture also used
as protection from the evil eye
Petrifaction in mythology and fiction
Concepts
Eye of Providence – a symbol showing an eye surrounded by
rays of light or a glory, and usually enclosed by a triangle
Lashon hara – Jewish concept of the "evil tongue"
Matthew 6:23 "If
thine eye be evil" – the evil eye as ungenerosity of spirit, hence
darkness/blindness/evil itself
Rule of Three
Scopophobia – fear of being stared at
Usog – a Filipino version
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