In one interesting situation, we were shopping together in Vietnam when a shopkeeper told me that I looked very pretty. As soon as we walked away, the MIL went "quick, do this PUI PUI PUI". I thought only Asians do that... but research shows that Jews may spit threee times or say "peh-peh-peh", throw salt, or mutter "kein ayin hara" ("no evil eye") when they feel threatened by the evil eye (not that the MIL was a Jew).
And whilst I was in Egypt, I came across these amulets everywhere. The MIL loves them and buys A LOT. I thought they were fascinating and I bought them both as souvenirs and as decoratives for my house.
I was told that it is good to hang them around the house to ward off evils, especially when friends came around to visit.
So, what exactly is the Evil Eye?
In some forms, it is the belief that some people can bestow a curse on victims by the malevolent gaze of their magical eye. The most common form, however, attributes the cause to envy, with the envious person casting the evil eye doing so unintentionally. Also the effects on victims vary. Some cultures report afflictions with bad luck; others believe the evil eye can cause disease, wasting away, and 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 by childless women.
In many forms of the evil eye belief, a person — otherwise not malefic in any way — can harm adults, children, livestock, or a possession, simply by looking at them with envy. The word "evil" can be seen as somewhat misleading in this context, because it suggests that someone has intentionally "cursed" the victim. A better understanding of the erm "evil eye" can be gained from the old English word for casting the evil eye, namely "overlooking," implying that the gaze has remained focused on the coveted object, person, or animal for too long.
Belief in the evil eye is strongest in the Middle East, East and West Africa, 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.
In another incident, V was attributing Amaira's taking ill to the evil eye. She believes that Amaira was exposed to soooo many people who were cooing and praising her on her 1st birthday celebration (where she invited almost a hundred guests) and that the evil eye made Amaira sick after. Being quite protective of her baby, she also always says/chants something in her head whenever someone (mostly strangers) praises Amaira (to counter it off).
APOTROPAIC CHARMS Against the Evil Eye
In Greece and Turkey, the most common form of apotropaic charm is the blue glass eye charm, which "mirrors back" the blue of the evil eye and thus "confounds" it.
Turks make beautiful blue blown glass charms in the all-seeing eye and eye-in-hand patterns, as well as in regionally-specific forms i call the horseshoe-and-eyes and eyes-all-over styles. Modern Turkish women -- and Americans who like the "look" -- wear jewelry-quality sterling silver evil eye bracelets, made not only in the traditional shades of blue, but in ultra-hip fahiona colours.
In India, Israel, and the Arab countries the eye-in-hand charm is common. It may be carved of bone or cast in metal, with an engraved image of an eye in the palm or a cabachon-cut stone standing in for the eye.
The Middle East is home to the hamsa hand or hamesh hand charm (also known as the hand of Fatima among Arabs and the Hand of Miriam among Jews). This hand-shaped apotropaic charm may be cast in metal and worn as jewelry, but larger ones, inscribed with prayers of magical protection are often made of blue-glazed ceramics and hung on a wall.
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