According to legend, green eyes can protect the wearer by absorbing all bad omens and breaking curses to ward off misfortune from their owner.
Causing Great Disasters
The people of Mexico still whisper about the strange story of a girl named Chita. Chita was a well-behaved, healthy, and lovely little girl. One day, while Chita was out in the city with her mother, a petite Mexican woman approached her. The woman stared at Chita, touched her head, and exclaimed, “What a cute little girl. May I touch her and her eyes?” The woman then vanished into the crowd. Just a day later, little Chita suddenly fell ill, suffering from a high fever. Her mother took her to the hospital, but the doctors could not find any cause for her illness. While her family was deeply worried, a shaman appeared and told Chita’s mother that “the girl is afflicted by the evil eye.” With the family’s consent, the shaman sought a way to lift the curse from the girl…
Chita’s story is just one among countless tales related to the “evil eye” that have been passed down around the world.
“Evil eye” in Spanish is el ojo, in Italian it is occhio, meaning eyes filled with envy. Legends of the evil eye have existed in the Middle East for thousands of years and have spread to many regions worldwide, from Italy and Greece to Mexico, Brazil, India, and China, among others. The evil eye is present in many religions, including Judaism and Buddhism, and is found in various cultures.
It is believed that the evil eye arises from feelings of envy, jealousy, and spite. It can enter someone and spread, causing illnesses similar to an unexplained epidemic. These seeds of misfortune tend to manifest as diseases, particularly affecting children and pregnant women. It can also wilt fruit trees or kill household pets. When the evil eye targets someone, accompanied by curses, that person may face ruin, bankruptcy, and the loss of their good fortune, plunging them into an incomprehensible “bad luck.”
Amulets to Ward Off Misfortune
To avoid being afflicted by the evil eye, different cultures have various methods primarily involving protective amulets.
Evil eye amulet.
Dr. Nese Yildiran at Bahcesehir University in Turkey states that the oldest amulets shaped like an eye date back to 3,300 BC: “These amulets were excavated in the region of Tell Brak, one of the oldest cities in Mesopotamia, now part of Syria. They were made from limestone with raised eyes.”
He noted that many turquoise Eye of Horus pendants have been excavated from Egypt, and blue evil eye beads were used by the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans. These were bronze amulets shaped like hands, intricately carved. The hand gesture features the thumb, index, and middle fingers extended, while the ring and little fingers are curled in. It is adorned with various strange symbols, including a snake wrapped around it.
Evil eye amulets in the 19th century often took the form of red objects shaped like an eye or a horseshoe, or a combination of both.
In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus, famously known as the Wadjet pendant, was buried with pharaohs to protect them in the afterlife. The Hasam amulet, shaped like a hand with an eye in the center, was used by Jews, Christians, and Muslims in North Africa and the Middle East. The ancient Phoenicians strung eye symbols together to create necklaces.
Mano fico amulet. (Photo: Tween-the-shadows)
In Italy, the most popular amulets are known as Mano fico and Mano cornuto. These amulets are often made of silver for wearing around the neck. The Mano fico is shaped like a fist, with the thumb passing between the index and middle fingers. This amulet is specifically used by women to counteract sexual evil eyes. The Mano cornuto is shaped like a hand making a gesture, with the thumb placed next to the two middle fingers and the ring finger curled, while the index and little fingers extend outward like horns. These protective amulets are often given to children on their birthdays or before they travel to ward off the evil eye and bring good luck.
In Greece and Turkey, protective amulets are often made in the shape of a blue glass eye, designed to reflect evil eyes and prevent them from afflicting the wearer. Sometimes, they are made from intricately carved gemstones shaped like a hand with an eye in the center, known as the Hansa hand.
Blue glass eye amulet from Greece and Turkey.
In India, protective amulets against the evil eye are braided threads adorned with blue stones. These are worn by newborns. Once the thread breaks or the blue color fades, it signifies that the child has grown and no longer needs the protection of the amulet. In regions like Nepal and China, a popular amulet is the Buddha Eye made of silver or bronze. This circular amulet features intricate patterns, with a large eye in the center surrounded by many smaller eyes.
Stories of the evil eye continue to persist in many areas today. Protective amulets against the evil eye have become popular jewelry in Europe. In the past, the evil eye was associated with many mythical colors. Nevertheless, ultimately, the need for people to find ways to eliminate the “bullet-shaped” gazes of hatred, jealousy, and spite remains essential, although the methods may differ.
Today, evil eye amulets are distinctive souvenirs that can easily be found in many countries around the world, especially in Mediterranean regions. Here, visitors can easily spot the evil eye symbol on bracelets, earrings, and necklaces worn by women; in local homes, offices, and even cars; and on children’s clothing. Evil eye symbols are often ocean blue in various sizes, primarily circular.
The amulet follows its owner and protects them from misfortune. If the amulet breaks, it signifies that you have just avoided a bad situation, and you should immediately find a new one to replace it.
The land of Cappadocia, with its famous valleys in Turkey, is a place where visitors can admire unique evil eye amulets. Here, locals hang evil eye amulets on dense branches to attract good luck.
