The
history and culture of good luck charms is fascinating -
If
someone really believes they have good luck, whether it is a necklace,
a bracelet, or something they carry in their pocket, it helps
their performance in certain situations. This can happen even
if the good luck and the event are not linked. What people believe are
good luck charms is as different as the cultures they emerged from.
Have you
ever seen someone wearing a blue and white eye shaped talisman and wondered why?
In many
cultures it is believed that a person can harm adults, children, livestock or
possessions, simply by looking at them with envy or dislike – this is regarded
as the “Evil Eye.”
The word
“evil” is somewhat misleading in this context, because it suggests an
intentional “curse” on the victim. A better understanding of the term “evil
eye” can be gained from the old English word for casting the evil eye,
“overlooking”, implying that the gaze has remained focused on the coveted or
disdained object, person, or animal for too long.
The
effects on victims vary. Some cultures report afflictions with bad luck, others
believe the evil eye may cause disease, or even death. In most cultures, the
primary victims are thought to be babies and young children, because they are
so often praised and commented upon by strangers or childless women.
This is a
widely extended belief among many Mediterranean tribes and cultures. The
concept of the Evil Eye started in Classical Greece and later passed to ancient
Rome.
Belief in
the evil eye is strongest in the Middle East, East and West Africa, Central
America, South Asia, Central Asia, and Europe, especially the Mediterranean
region; it has also spread to other areas, including northern Europe,
particularly in the Celtic regions, and the Americas, where it was brought by
European colonists and Middle Eastern immigrants.
Many
cultures pursue protective measures against this Evil Eye.
The most
common talisman to protect yourself against the effects of the Evil Eye is a
Turkish “nazar.” Usually taking the form of disks or balls, consisting of
concentric blue and white circles representing an evil eye, Nazars are made
into jewelry, hung in homes and trees to protect property, placed in forms of
transportation, and woven into clothing designs. The staring eyes are supposed
to bend the malicious gaze back to the sorcerer.In Mexico and Central America,
infants are considered at special risk for the evil eye and are often
given an amulet bracelet with a nazar as protection.
In Islam
however, the belief is that God is the only one who can protect against the
evil eye; no object or symbol can. Muhammad prohibited the use of talismans as
protection against the evil eye because it is idolatry, the only form of
protection allowed is supplication to Allah. It is tradition among many Muslims
that if a compliment is to be made one should say “Masha’Allah” (“God has
willed it.”) and also “Tabarakallah” (“Blessings of God”) to ward off the evil
eye.
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