View source for Evil eye

{{Short description|Curse brought by a malevolent glare}}
{{Other uses|Evil Eye (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Kapadokya'dan Nazar Boncuğu.jpg|thumb|[[Nazar (amulet)|Eye beads]] are one of many popular [[amulet|amulets and talismans]] used to ward off the evil eye.]]
The '''evil eye''' is a [[supernatural]] belief in a [[curse]] brought about by a malevolent [[glaring|glare]], usually inspired by [[envy]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180216-the-strange-power-of-the-evil-eye|title=The strange power of the 'evil eye'|last=Hargitai|first=Quinn|date=19 February 2018|website=BBC|access-date=5 January 2021|archive-date=9 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209133801/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180216-the-strange-power-of-the-evil-eye|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Amulets]] to [[Apotropaic|protect against it]] have been found dating to around 5,000 years ago.<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Azabache Bracelet.png|thumb|A bracelet charm with a fist and protruding index finger knuckle, to protect a baby against the evil eye]]

It is found in many cultures in the [[Mediterranean region]], the [[Balkans]], [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], [[Central Asia]], [[South Asia]], [[Africa]], the [[Caribbean]], and [[Latin America]], with such cultures often believing that receiving the evil eye will cause misfortune or injury,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ross|first=C|title=Hypothesis:The Electrophysiological Basis of the Evil Eye Belief|journal=Anthropology of Consciousness|year=2010|doi=10.1111/j.1556-3537.2010.01020.x|volume=21|pages=47–57}}</ref> 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). The idea also appears multiple times in [[rabbinic literature|Jewish rabbinic literature]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Abarbanel |first=Isaac |title=nah'alat avot |year=2013 |edition=2nd |location=Ashkelon |page=93 |language=Hebrew |chapter=}}</ref><ref>[[Judah Loew ben Bezalel]], ''Netivot olam'', Israel 2014, p. 214</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ulmer |first1=Rivka |title=The Evil Eye in the Bible and in Rabbinic Literature |date=1994 |publisher=KTAV Publishing House, Inc. |isbn=9780881254631}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Neis |first1=Rafael Rachel |title=The Sense of Sight in Rabbinic Culture Jewish Ways of Seeing in Late Antiquity |date=2013 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107292536 |pages=29–40, 160–164, 242, 258–278}}</ref>

Different cultures have pursued measures to protect against the evil eye.<ref name="ulmer">{{cite book |title=The evil eye in the Bible and in rabbinic literature |author=Ulmer, Rivka |editor=KTAV Publishing House, Inc. |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-88125-463-1|page=176 |publisher=KTAV Publishing House |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cwB8Hfkjpx0C&pg=PA176}}</ref> Some of the most famous talismans against the evil eye include the [[Nazar (amulet)|nazar amulet]], itself a representation of an eye, and the [[hamsa]], a hand-shaped amulet. Older iterations of the symbol were often made of ceramic or clay; however, following the production of [[Glass beadmaking|glass beads]] in the Mediterranean region in approximately 1500 BC, evil eye beads were popularised with the [[Culture of India|Indians]], [[Phoenicia]]ns, [[Persians]], [[Arabs]], [[Greeks]], [[Roman people|Romans]] and [[Ottoman Turks|Ottomans]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Elaine |date=6 December 2019 |title=Beware the Evil Eye. Or Buy One, Just for Kicks (Published 2019) |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/fashion/jewelry-evil-eye-greece-turkey-israel.html |url-status=live |access-date=5 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114170613/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/fashion/jewelry-evil-eye-greece-turkey-israel.html |archive-date=14 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharifi |first=Maedeh |date=2021-03-04 |title=Reclaiming the Middle East's evil eye tradition with Sayran |url=https://www.newarab.com/features/reclaiming-middle-easts-evil-eye-tradition-sayran |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=newarab.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Illyrians]] used objects with the shape of [[phallus]], [[hand]], [[leg]], and animal [[teeth]] against the evil eye.<ref name=Stipčević/><ref name=Wilkes/> [[Culture of ancient Rome|Ancient Romans]] used representations of [[phallus]], such as the [[fascinus]], to protect against the evil eye, while in modern-day [[Southern Italy|Southern]] [[Italy]] a variety of amulets and gestures are used for protection, including the [[cornicello]], the [[cimaruta]], and the [[sign of the horns]].

In different cultures, the evil eye can be fought against with yet other methods – in [[Arab culture]], saying the phrase "''[[Masha'Allah]]''" ({{lang|ar|ما شاء الله}}) ("God has willed it") alongside a compliment prevents the compliment from attracting the evil eye,<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Migdadi |first1=Fathi |last2=Badarneh |first2=Muhammad A. |last3=Momani |first3=Kawakib |date=December 2010|title=Divine Will and its Extensions: Communicative Functions of maašaallah in Colloquial Jordanian Arabic |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03637751.2010.502539 |journal=Communication Monographs |language=en |volume=77 |issue=4 |pages=480–499 |doi=10.1080/03637751.2010.502539 |issn=0363-7751|url-access=subscription }}</ref> whereas in some countries, such as [[Iran]], certain specific plants – such as [[Ruta|rue]] – are considered prone to protecting against the evil eye.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Encyclopaedia Iranica |title=Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/casm-zakm-lit |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=iranicaonline.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:HorusEye.png|thumb|220x124px|right|Eye of Horus]]

==History==

The evil eye originated in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). The earliest evidence excavated from various ancient cities include:

Written documents: A Sumerian cuneiform mentions an "eye ad-gir" that afflicts people with evil<ref name="iupress.istanbul.edu.tr">{{cite journal | url=https://iupress.istanbul.edu.tr/en/journal/tjh/article/eski-yakindoguda-goz-sembolizmi-ve-dualizm-mezopotamya-misir-ve-israil#:~:text=Most%20experts%2C%20believe%20that%20the,continued%2C%20and%20extended%20this%20belief | doi=10.26650/iutd.756209 | title=Eski Yakındoğu'da Göz Sembolizmi ve Düalizm: Mezopotamya, Mısır ve İsrail | date=2021 | last1=Dilek | first1=Yeşim | journal=Tarih Dergisi | issue=74 | pages=1–30 }}</ref>

Archaeological data: Alabaster idols with incised eyes were found in Tell Brak, one of Mesopotamia's oldest cities<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180216-the-strange-power-of-the-evil-eye#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20amulets%20had%20been%20excavated,idols%20made%20with%20incised%20eyes.%E2%80%9D&text=While%20the%20alabaster%20idols%20of,the%20blue%20colour%20when%20baked.%E2%80%9D&text=Yildiran%20makes%20reference%20to%20several,and%20copper%20as%20a%20result | title=The strange power of the 'evil eye' | date=19 February 2018 }}</ref>

Amulets: Eye-shaped amulets were found in Mesopotamia<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forte-academy.co.uk/post/5-things-you-should-know-about-the-evil-eye-and-how-to-protect-yourself#:~:text=1.,ships%20to%20ensure%20safe%20travel%C2%B2 | title=5 things you should know about the "Evil Eye" (And how to protect yourself) | date=24 December 2022 }}</ref>

Most experts believe that the concept of the evil eye belief emerged from ancient Mesopotamia and spread to surrounding areas. Written documents and archaeological data reveal that the people of Sumer, who are believed to be the first inhabitants of the region, initiated, continued, and extended this belief.<ref name="iupress.istanbul.edu.tr"/>

Texts from ancient [[Ugarit]], a port city in what is now [[Syria]], attests to the concept of the 'evil eye' – the city existed until about 1180 BC, during the [[late Bronze Age collapse]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pardee|first=Dennis|title=Writings from the Ancient World: Ritual and Cult at Ugarit (vol. 10)|publisher=Society of Biblical Literature|year=2002|isbn=1-58983-026-1|location=Atlanta|pages=161–166|chapter=VIII. INCANTATIONS: RS 22.225: The Attack of the Evil Eye and a Counterattack}}</ref> In Greek [[Classical antiquity]], the 'evil eye' is referenced by [[Hesiod]], [[Callimachus]], [[Plato]], [[Diodorus Siculus]], [[Theocritus]], [[Plutarch]], [[Heliodorus of Emesa|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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=J. M. |title=The new Penguin history of the world |date=2004 |publisher=Penguin |location=London |isbn=9780141007236 |edition=4th rev.}}</ref> Ancient Greek authors frequently mentioned the {{lang|grc|ὀφθαλμὸς βάσκανος}} ({{Transliteration|grc|ophthalmòs báskanos}}; evil eye).<ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities">[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0063:id=fascinum-cn A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Fascinum]</ref>

As widely documented in archaeologic findings and in ancient literature, the [[Illyrians]] believed in the force of [[Spell (ritual)|spells]] and the evil eye, in the magic power of protective and beneficial amulets which could avert the evil eye or the bad intentions of enemies. Such amulets included objects with the shape of [[phallus]], [[hand]], [[leg]], and animal [[teeth]].<ref name=Stipčević>{{cite book|last=Stipčević|first=Aleksandar|title=The Illyrians: history and culture|year=1974|edition=1977|publisher=Noyes Press|isbn=978-0815550525|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLcWAQAAIAAJ|page=182}}</ref><ref name=Wilkes>{{Cite book|last=Wilkes|first=John J.|author-link=J. J. Wilkes|title=The Illyrians|location=Oxford, United Kingdom|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=1992|isbn=0-631-19807-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C|pages=243, 245}}</ref>

[[File:Eye-cup Staatliche Antikensammlungen 589.jpg|thumb|right|Kylix eye cup (530–520 BC), inscribed with Chalcidian text. It features an eye motif, likely to ward off the evil eye.]]

Classical authors attempted both to describe and to explain the function of the evil eye. [[Plutarch]] in his work entitled ''Symposium'' has a separate chapter describing such beliefs.<ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities"/> In his scientific explanation, he 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.{{efn|Plutarch, ''[[Moralia]]'', Book VII}} 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".{{efn|Pliny the Elder, ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'', VII.2}}

The idea of the evil eye appears in the poetry of [[Virgil]] in a conversation between the shepherds Menalcas and Damoetas.{{efn|Virgil, ''[[Eclogues]]'', III.1.103}} In the passage, Menalcas is lamenting the poor health of his stock: "What eye is it that has fascinated my tender lambs?". The Christian Gospels record the fact that Jesus warned against the evil eye in a list of evils (Mark 7:22).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark 7 Greek interlinear, parsed and per word translation, free online |url=https://www.abarim-publications.com/Interlinear-New-Testament/Mark/Mark-7-parsed.html |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=Abarim Publications |language=en}}</ref>

Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the evil eye could affect both humans and animals, for example cattle.<ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities"/>

===Protection from the eye===
{{further|Apotropaic magic}}

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 (region)|Pontus]] and [[Scythia]], were believed to be transmitters of the evil eye.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Elworthy |first=Frederick Thomas |title=The Evil Eye: An Account of this Ancient and Widespread Superstition |publisher=J. Murray |year=1895 |isbn=9780524066874 |page=11}}</ref>

Many different objects and charms were used for protection from fascination. The protective items referred to by the Greeks with a variety of names such as apotropaia, probaskania, periammata, periapta, profylaktika<ref>{{cite book| author = Lesley A. Beaumont | title = Childhood in Ancient Athens: Iconography and Social History| publisher = Routledge | year = 2013|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iXSmuBlH79QC| page = 62|isbn = 978-0415248747}}</ref> and phylaktiria.<ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Amuletum">[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0063%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DA%3Aentry+group%3D5%3Aentry%3Damuletum-cn A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Amuletum]</ref> Greeks placed talismans in their houses and wore amulets to protect them from the evil eye,<ref>{{cite book |author= Alan Dundes |date=1992 |title=The Evil Eye: A Casebook |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |page=182 |isbn=9780299133344 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gUDnzAfDleEC}}</ref> in addition they attached charms on the animals.<ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Amuletum"/> [[Peisistratus]] hung the figure of a kind of grasshopper before the [[Acropolis of Athens]] for protection.<ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities"/>
 
The ''[[fascinus]]'' or ''fascinum'', from the Latin verb ''fascinare'' "to cast a spell" (the origin of the English word "[[wikt:fascinate|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]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=Whitmore, A. |date=2017 |chapter=Fascinating ''fascina'': apotropaic magic and how to wear a penis |editor1=Cifarelli, M. |editor2=Gawlinkski, L. |title=What shall I say of clothes? Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to the Study of Dress in Antiquity |place=Boston, MA |publisher=[[American Institute of Archaeology]] |pages=47–65}}</ref> The phallic charms were often objects of personal adornment (such as pendants and finger rings), but also appeared as stone carvings on buildings,<ref name="BAR">{{cite book |author1=Parker, A. |date=2017 |chapter=Protecting the Troops? Phallic Carvings in the North of Roman Britain |editor1=Parker, A |title=''Ad Vallum'': Papers on the Roman Army and Frontiers in celebration of Dr Brian Dobson |series=BAR British Series 631 |place=Oxford |publisher=British Archaeological Report |pages=117–130|title-link=Brian Dobson (archaeologist) }}</ref> mosaics, and wind-chimes (''[[Tintinnabulum (Ancient Rome)|tintinnabula]]'').<ref name="TRAC">{{Cite book |author1=Parker, A. |date=2018 |chapter=The Bells! The Bells! Approaching ''tintinnabula'' in Roman Britain and Beyond |editor1=Parker, A. |editor2=Mckie, S. |title=Material Approaches to Roman Magic: Occult Objects and Supernatural Substances |series=[[Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference|TRAC]] Themes in Roman Archaeology 2 |place=Oxford |publisher=Oxbow |pages=57–68}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1=[[Catherine Johns|Johns, C.]] |date=1989 |chapter=The Phallus and the Evil Eye |title=Sex or Symbol? Erotic Images of Greece and Rome |publisher=British Museum Press |place=London}}</ref> Examples of stone phallic carvings, such as from [[Leptis Magna]], depict a disembodied phallus attacking an evil eye by ejaculating towards it.<ref name="BAR"/>
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".<ref>{{cite book |author1=Merrifield, R. |date=1969 |title=Roman London |place=London |publisher=Cassell |page=170}}</ref>

Another way for protection from fascination used by the ancient Greeks and Romans was by spitting into the folds of the clothes.<ref name="A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities"/>

Ancient Greeks also had an old custom of dressing boys as girls in order to avert the evil eye.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022:text=Library:book=3:chapter=4&highlight=evil%2Ceye Apollodorus, Library, note 10]</ref>

==Around the world==
[[File:Votive tree cappadocia.jpg|thumb|right|Tree with nazars in [[Cappadocia]], [[Turkey]]]]
[[File:John Phillip - The Evil Eye (1859).jpg|thumb|upright|[[John Phillip]], ''The Evil Eye'' (1859), a self-portrait depicting the artist sketching a [[Gitanos|Spanish Romani]] woman who thinks she is being given the evil eye.]]

Belief in the evil eye likely originated within Indo-European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cultures. Probably starting in Sumeria, it spread through the Greco-Roman world, India, Portugal, Spain, northern Europe and North Africa. It has, however, not been found in the original folklore traditions of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Native America. Only with the arrival of Spanish colonies in the New World, did the belief spread there in particular.<ref>{{Cite book |last=DeMello |first=Margo |title=Faces around the World: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the Human Face. |publisher=Bloomsbury Digital Resources |date=27 November 2023 |isbn=979-8-4006-4938-7 |edition= |location=Santa Barbara |pages=87}}</ref>

Belief in the evil eye is found in the [[Islam]]ic 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].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/026.smt.html#026.5427 |title=USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts |publisher=Usc.edu |access-date=2007-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903081746/http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/026.smt.html#026.5427 |archive-date=2007-09-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://makedua.com/display_dua.php?sectionid=118 |title=Du'a – What to say when in fear of afflicting something or someone with one?s eye |publisher=Makedua.com |access-date=2007-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006220146/http://www.makedua.com/display_dua.php?sectionid=118 |archive-date=2007-10-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A number of beliefs about the evil eye are also found in [[folk religion]], typically revolving around the use of [[amulet]]s or [[talisman]]s as a means of protection.

In the [[Aegean Region]] and other areas where light-colored eyes are relatively rare, people with [[eye color|green eyes]], and especially blue eyes, are thought to bestow the curse, intentionally or unintentionally.<ref>Cora Lynn Daniels, et al., eds, ''Encyclopædia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World'' (Volume III), p. 1273, Univ. Press of the Pacific, Honolulu, {{ISBN|1-4102-0916-4}}</ref> Thus, in Greece and Turkey amulets against the evil eye take the form of eyes looking back at someone. These amulets are known as Greek eyes or Turkish eyes, depending on the region.

In the painting ''The Evil Eye'' by Scottish painter [[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|date=November 2019}}

==Protective talismans and cures==
[[File:WPVA-khamsa.svg|upright|thumb|left|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 [[amulet|talismans]] in many cultures. As a class, they are called "''apotropaic''" (Greek for "prophylactic", "apotraiptic" / προφυλακτικός, αποτρεπτικός or "protective" or "determent", 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 and the [[Balkans]], found on the [[prow]]s of [[boat]]s and elsewhere; in some forms of the folklore, the staring eyes are supposed to bend the malicious gaze back to the [[magician (paranormal)|sorcerer]].

Known as ''[[Evil eye in Turkish Culture|nazar]]'' ({{langx|tr|nazar boncuğu}} or {{lang|tr|nazarlık}}), this talisman is most frequently seen in [[Turkey]], found in or on houses and vehicles or worn as beads.

[[File:Hotamis Kilim.jpg|thumb|upright|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<ref name=Erbek/>]]

The word hamsa, also spelled khamsa, means "five" referring to the fingers of the hand. In the [[Christianity in the Middle East|Levantine Christian culture]] is called the [[hamsa|Hand of Mary]],<ref name=Perennialp186>Perennial Books, 1970, [https://books.google.com/books?id=s3Y4AAAAIAAJ&q=to+the+little-+known+fact+that+the+amulet+designated+as+the+%22hand+of+Fatima%22+is+called+by+Levantine+Christians+the+%22hand+of+Mary%22 p. 186].</ref><ref name=Trumballp77>Trumball, 1896, [https://archive.org/details/thresholdcovena00trumgoog <!-- quote="kef miryam". --> p. 77].</ref> in some Muslim and Balkan cultures, the [[hamsa|Hand of Fatima]]. It is condemned as superstition by doctrinaire Muslims.<ref>{{cite news |last= Wilks |first= Andrew |title= Turkey's religious authority denounces 'evil-eye' charms |website= [[Al Jazeera English]] |date= 2021-01-23 |access-date= 2021-01-30 |url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/23/turkeys-religious-authority-bans-on-evil-eye-charms |archive-date= 2021-01-30 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210130034648/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/23/turkeys-religious-authority-bans-on-evil-eye-charms |url-status= live }}</ref> To many individuals, though, the hamsa or nazar are simply used as decoration.

A [[Kilim motifs|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.<ref name=Erbek>{{cite book |author=Erbek, Güran |title=Kilim Catalogue No. 1 |publisher =May Selçuk A. S. Edition=1st |date=1998}}</ref>

While the Egyptian [[Eye of Horus]] is a similar symbol of protection and good health and luck, the Greek evil eye talisman specifically protects against malevolent gazes. Similarly, the Eye-Idols ({{circa|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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rakic |first1=Yelena |title=Discovering the Art of the Ancient Near East: Archaeological Excavations Supported by The Metropolitan Museum of Art |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324155 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128143743/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324155 |archive-date=28 November 2020 |access-date=16 February 2021 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Cooper |first=Arabella |date=2016 |title=The Eyes Have It: An In-Depth Study of the Tell Brak Eye Idols in the 4th Millennium BCE: with a primary focus on function and meaning |publisher=The University of Sydney |url=https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/handle/2123/17957/Arabella_Cooper-Arabella_Cooper_Thesis_2016.pdf}}</ref>

===By religion===

====In Judaism====
[[File:Jüdisches Halsgezeig.jpg|thumb|Pink protective neckband with a heart-shaped pendant and coins designed to distract the evil eye, 1944, [[Basel]]. In the [[Jewish Museum of Switzerland]]'s collection.]]
[[File:One of the masterpieces of the Kurd's Heritage Museum, Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. A tiny lead scroll inscribed with a Hebrew text, for prayer and warding off evils.jpg|thumb|A tiny lead scroll about 200 years old inscribed with a Hebrew text for prayer and warding off evils. The scroll was inserted into some form of silver accessory ({{langx|ku|لوله و زه نجير}}; bar and chain), wrapped with a piece of cotton, to be hung on the chest. Kurd's Heritage Museum, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.]]

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]] [[Exegesis|exegete]], [[Rashi]], says in the wake of the words of [[Chazal|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.<ref>[[Rashi]]'s commentary on Genesis 42:5; cf. [[Midrash Rabba]] (Genesis Rabba, section 91:6); [[Midrash Tanhuma]] (Warsaw edition), ''P. [[Miketz]]'', section 6; [[Targum Pseudo-Jonathan]] on Genesis 42:5</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Issues/Magic_and_the_Supernatural/Practices_and_Beliefs/Amulets/Evil_Eye.shtml |title=Evil Eye in Judaism |publisher=My Jewish Learning |access-date=2013-03-24 |archive-date=2013-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430001550/http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Issues/Magic_and_the_Supernatural/Practices_and_Beliefs/Amulets/Evil_Eye.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 moral purity, according to some Jews.<ref>Chapters of the Fathers, Translation & Commentary by Samson Raphael Hirsch, Feldheim Publishers, {{ISBN|0-87306-182-9}} pg. 32</ref>

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."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Morrison |first1=Chanan |last2=Kook |first2=Abraham Isaac Kook|title=Gold from the Land of Israel: A New Light on the Weekly Torah Portion - From the Writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook' |date=2006 |publisher=Urim Publications |isbn=978-965-7108-92-5 |page=88}}</ref>

In Jewish religious law, it is forbidden for a person to stand and gaze at another's field of ripening grain, for fear that his stares will do harm to that field and its produce.<ref name="Meiri2017">{{Cite book |author-last=HaMeiri |author-first=Menachem |author-link=Menachem HaMeiri |title=Chidushei HaMeiri (חידושי המאירי) |publisher=ha-Makhon le-hotsaʼat sefarim ṿe-khitve yad shele-yad ha-Merkaz le-ḥinukh Torani  |year=2017 |oclc=31293669 |location=Zikhron Yaʻaḳov |page=164 (''Baba Metzia'' 107a) |language=he}}</ref> Likewise, the rabbis caution a person not to buy a field that borders a city, unless he were to first build a fence around the field, in order to prevent the bad affects of the evil eye of passers-by.<ref name="Meiri2017"/>

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 {{Transliteration|he|b'li ayin hara}} ({{langx|he|בלי עין הרע}}), meaning "without an evil eye", or {{Transliteration|yi|keyn eyn-hore}} ({{langx|yi|קיין עין־הרע}}; often shortened to {{Transliteration|yi|kinehore}}, {{lang|yi|קינעהאָרע}}), "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.<ref>Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic. "The Whole Spiel: Funny essays about digital nudniks, seder selfies and chicken soup memories", Incompra Press, {{ISBN|978-0-692-72625-9}} pg. 153</ref>

Rituals surrounding birth and young children are often centred around protection from the evil eye. An example of this is the textile neckbands worn by boys for their [[brit milah]], especially in the regions of [[Alsace]], Southern [[Germany]] and [[Switzerland]]. The neckbands often had a central coin or colourful coral, designed to draw the evil eye away from the boy and thus protect him during circumcision.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Birth Culture. Jewish Testimonies from Rural Switzerland and Environs |publisher=Naomi Lubrich |year=2022 |isbn=978-3796546075 |location=Basel |pages=35–37 |language=de, en}}</ref>

====In Islam====
In [[Islam]], the evil eye, or ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-{{ayin}}ayn}}'' ({{langx|ar|العين}}, also {{lang|ar|عين الحسودة}}), is a common belief that individuals have the power to cause harm to people, animals or objects, by looking at them in a way that indicates jealousy.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e597|title=Evil Eye - Oxford Islamic Studies Online|website=www.oxfordislamicstudies.com|language=en|access-date=2018-08-25|quote=Popular belief that a person can glance or stare at someone else's favorite possession and, if envious of the other person's good fortune, hurt, damage, or destroy it.|archive-date=2018-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825110529/http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e597|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although envy activates the evil eye, this happens (or usually happens) unconsciously, and the person who casts it is not responsible (or usually not responsible) for it.<ref name=kruk-2005>{{cite journal |journal=British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies |volume=32 |issue= 1 |date=May 2005 | pages=47–73 |last1=Kruk |first1=Remke |title=Harry Potter in the Gulf: Contemporary Islam and the Occult |doi=10.1080/13530190500081626 |jstor=30037661 |s2cid=159793466 |ref=RKHPitG2005}}</ref> In addition to being looked at, astrology may play a part. Someone may become a victim of the evil eye by virtue of an "unfavorable celestial configuration" at the time of victim's birth, "according to some scholars".<ref name=kruk-2005/>

The evil eye causes its victim to become unwell the next day, unless a protective phrase such as "with the will of God" (''[[mashallah]]'' in Arabic) or “May Allah Bless You” (Alhumma Barik) is recited.<ref name="Giger2016">{{cite book |last=Giger |first=Joyce Newman |title=Transcultural Nursing |date=29 January 2016 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=9780323400046 |page=351 |language=en}}</ref>

Among the rituals to ward off the evil eye are to say "''TabarakAllah''" ({{lang|ar|تبارك الله}}) ("Blessings of God")<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date= 15 July 2024|title=Tabarakallah Meaning in English and Arabic Text |url=https://imanupdates.com/tabarakallah-meaning/ |access-date= |website=Iman Update |language=en-US}}</ref> or "''[[Masha'Allah]]''" ({{lang|ar|ما شاء الله}}) ("God has willed it") if a compliment is to be made.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/mashallah-what-it-means-when-to-say-it-and-why-you-should-1.264001|title=Mashallah: what it means, when to say it and why you should|work=The National|access-date=2018-08-25|language=en|archive-date=2018-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825143233/https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/mashallah-what-it-means-when-to-say-it-and-why-you-should-1.264001|url-status=live}}</ref>

====In Hinduism====

Although [[Śrauta]] traditions do not have a concept of evil, it has been incorporated as a mainstream practice within modern [[Hinduism]]. For example, when a mother observes that her child is being excessively complimented, it is common for the mother to attempt to neutralize the effects of the evil eye (''nazar utarna'', ''drshti teeta'' or ''drushti tegeyodu''). A common example of a neutralizing ritual involves holding red chilies in one hand and circling the child's head a few times, then burning the chilies.<ref name="Shankar2014">{{cite book |last=Shankar |first=Vijay N. |title=Shadow Boxing with the Gods |date=20 August 2014 |publisher=Leadstart Publishing |isbn=9789381836804 |page=43 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Valsiner2000">{{cite book |last=Valsiner |first=Jaan |title=Culture and Human Development |date=2 February 2000 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=9780761956846 |page=182 |language=en |quote=In Rajastan (India) the treatment of the 'evil eye' includes seven red chilis and some salt circled over the head of the sick child before these are thrown into the hearth.}}</ref>

===By geographic region===
====Albania====
The evil eye ({{langx|sq|syri i keq}}) is a [[Albanian folk beliefs|folk belief]] widespread among all [[Albanians]]. Objects that are traditionally used by Albanians for prevention, protection, and healing from the evil eye are: [[fire]] ([[Zjarri (Albanian paganism)|zjarri]]), smoke, ashes and embers, and fire related metallic objects; serpent/snake ([[Serpent symbolism|symbolism]], as well as amulets with [[snakeskin]] and snake head); [[garlic]]; house carvings and house dolls (''dordolec'' in human shape or ''kukull'' in animal shape); amulets or pendants made with [[Thunderstone (folklore)|thunderstones]] ([[Zojz (deity)#Sky and lightning|''kokrra e rrufesë'' or ''guri i rejës'']]), wolf teeth, seashells; etc.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tirta|first=Mark|title=Mitologjia ndër shqiptarë|language=sq|editor=Petrit Bezhani|publisher=Mësonjëtorja|year=2004|place=Tirana|isbn=99927-938-9-9}} pp. 26, 66, 82, 156–157, 279–281, 290–291, 309, 316, 324–326.</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Hysi|first=Shyqyri|title=Kulte tradicionale shqiptare|trans-title=Albanian Traditional Cults|journal=Gjurmime Albanologjike - Folklor Dhe Etnologji|publisher=Instituti Albanologjik i Prishtinës|year=2006|issue=36|language=sq|pages=349–361|url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=275246}}</ref>

In order to contrast or avert the evil eye, [[Zjarri (Albanian paganism)#Purification|several rituals with fire]], smoke, ashes and embers are practiced.{{sfn|Tirta|2004|pp=26, 279–281, 326}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Qafleshi|first=Muharrem|title=Opoja dhe Gora ndër shekuj|trans-title=Opoja and Gora During Centuries|publisher=[[Albanological Institute of Pristina]]|year=2011|isbn=978-9951-596-51-0}} p. 50.</ref> A typical ritual performed by the oldest woman of the family consists in taking a bunch of dry grass and burning it somewhere near the cloth that is being woven, so that the smoke goes towards it. If the grass crackled during the burning, even the evil eye would explode and not be able to do any harm, granting the good luck of the cloth.{{sfn|Tirta|2004|p=326}} Ashes and embers are believed to have protective and healing properties, especially for children.{{sfn|Tirta|2004|pp=26}}{{sfn|Qafleshi|2011|p=50}} In order to get protection against the evil eye, the face of a child is covered with ashes.{{sfn|Tirta|2004|pp=26}} When children have been taken by the evil eye, they are washed on the ashes.{{sfn|Qafleshi|2011|p=50}} Other Albanian rituals to avert evil, illness and harm in general are performed with fire ([[Zjarri (Albanian paganism)|zjarri]]), seeking assistance from its supernatural power.{{sfn|Tirta|2004|pp=82, 279–281, 309, 327}}

Albanians traditionally believed in the supreme powers of thunder-stones, which were believed to be formed during [[lightning|lightning strikes]] and to be fallen from the [[sky]] ([[Qielli (Albanian paganism)|qielli]]). Thunder-stones were preserved in family life as important [[cult object]]s. It was believed that bringing them inside the house could bring [[good fortune]], prosperity and progress in people, in livestock and in agriculture, or that rifle bullets would not hit the owners of the thunder-stones.{{sfn|Tirta|2004|pp=82, 406}} A common practice was to hung a thunder-stone pendant on the body of the cattle or on the pregnant woman for good luck and to contrast the evil eye.{{sfn|Tirta|2004|p=101}}

====Caribbean/West Indies====
In [[Trinidad and Tobago]], the evil eye is called ''bad eye'', ''maljo'' (from [[Antillean Creole|French Creole]] {{lang|fr|mal yeux}}, literally meaning 'bad eye') and ''najar'' by the [[Indo-Trinidadian]]s. 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, "[t]he general belief is that doctors cannot cure maljo—only people who know prayers can 'cut' the maljo and thus cure the victim".<ref name="Aho 349–355">{{Cite journal|last1=Aho|first1=William R.|last2=Minott|first2=Kimlan|date=1977-03-01|title=Creole and doctor medicine: Folk beliefs, practices, and orientations to modern medicine in a rural and an industrial suburban setting in Trinidad and Tobago, the West Indies|url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0037-7856%2877%2990193-7|journal=Social Science & Medicine|language=en|volume=11|issue=5|pages=349–355|doi=10.1016/0037-7856(77)90193-7|pmid=905845|issn=0037-7856|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

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

In non-religious respects, there is a strong cultural association between the evil eye and the color 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 [[Charles Henry Phillips|blue bottles from Milk of Magnesia]] have been hung on trees or placed in the yard surrounding a property.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Magic and Folklore of Bottle Trees |url=https://www.learnreligions.com/bottle-trees-2562508 |website=Learn Religions |access-date=22 December 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

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 bead]]s 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 (action)|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.’<ref name="Aho 349–355"/> 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".’<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Simpson|first=George E.|date=October 1962|title=Folk Medicine in Trinidad|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/538368|journal=The Journal of American Folklore|volume=75|issue=298|pages=326–340|doi=10.2307/538368|jstor=538368|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Bracelets made of [[Jet (gemstone)|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 Hindu influence, a [[Tilaka|tikka]] of a black dot (made from [[Kohl (cosmetics)|kajar]]) is placed on a baby's forehead and black eyeliner is applied and is thought to distract the attention of the evil eye and protect the child as such.

The most common najar remedy comes in the form of a Hindu ritual called a jharay. It may be practiced at home (usually by parents or elders) or by a [[Pandit]] 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 najar.

The main implement in a jharay is either a [[peacock feather]] or a [[Cocoyea|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 najar 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 [[Sanskrit]], but may also be said in [[Caribbean Hindustani|Hindustani]] or 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 najar 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.’<ref name="Aho 349–355"/>

Another Hindu ritual called the ''oucchay'' is also employed to heal najar, though this might also be incorrectly interchangeably called a jharay. Ingredients such as onion skin, salt, cobweb, hot pepper or mustard seeds, piece of a [[Cocoyea|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 najar. At the end of the ritual, the victim may be asked to walk away without looking back while the objects burn.

In the Afro-Caribbean [[Spiritual Baptist]] and [[Trinidad Orisha|Orisha-Shango]] traditions, 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====
{{For|the customs of Ancient Greece|#History}}

In modern Greece, the evil eye is known as {{Transliteration|el|kako mati}} ({{langx|el|κακό μάτι}}) or simply as {{Transliteration|el|mati}} ({{lang|el|μάτι}}), "eye".
It is cast away through the process of {{Transliteration|el|xematiasma}} ({{lang|el|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: "[[Mary (mother of Jesus)|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 [[tradition|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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Petropoulos |first1=John |title=Greek Magic: Ancient, Medieval and Modern |date=2008 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |pages=107–117 |chapter=Ritual Word and Symbolic Movement in Spells Against the Evil Eye}}</ref> 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 [[experiment|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 an evil eye. If the drops remain separated from water in a form of a small circle there is not. The first drops are the most important and the number of drops that dissolve in water indicates 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 practiced and can only be passed from man to woman, or woman to man.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

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|reason=this paragraph, the preceding paragraph, and the following paragraph appear to be original research, or at least suspiciously informal|date=July 2017}} As the clove explodes, the evil eye is released from the afflicted. Cloves that burn with some noise are considered to be ''words'' ({{lang|el|λόγια}}) 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 "I spit so that I won't give you the evil eye" ({{lang|el|φτου να μη σε ματιάξω!}}). 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.{{Citation needed |date=June 2024}}

The [[Church Fathers|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'' ({{lang|el|βασκανία}}) is considered harmful for the one whose envy inflicts it on others as well as for the sufferer. The [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Church]] has an ancient prayer against vaskania from the ''Megan Hieron Synekdemon'' ({{lang|el|Μέγαν Ιερόν Συνέκδημον}}) book of prayers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dabilis |first1=Andy |title=I Put a Spell on You: Most Greeks Believe in Evil Eye |url=https://www.thenationalherald.com/archive_general_news_community/arthro/i_put_a_spell_on_you_most_greeks_believe_in_evil_eye-23676/ |access-date=16 February 2021 |work=The National Herald |language=en}}</ref>

====Assyrians====
[[File:Ruby Eye Pendant.jpg|thumb|right|A ruby eye pendant from an ancient civilization in Mesopotamia was possibly used as an amulet to protect against the evil eyes. Adilnor Collection.]]

The belief of the evil eye is strong in [[Assyrian culture|Assyrians]]. A blue/turquoise bead with two, seven or nine small holes<ref name="Ergil 2021">{{cite web | last=Ergil | first=Leyla Yvonne | title=Turkey's talisman superstitions: Evil eyes, pomegranates and more | website=Daily Sabah | date=2021-06-10 | url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/expat-corner/turkeys-talisman-superstitions-evil-eyes-pomegranates-and-more | access-date=2023-04-05}}</ref> resembling eyes around a necklace is often worn and is said to be protection from the evil eye. Some may also spit three times without saliva. It is said that people with green or blue eyes are more prone to the evil eye effect.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lykiardopoulos |first1=Amica |title=The Evil Eye: Towards an Exhaustive Study |journal=Folklore |date=1981 |volume=92 |issue=2 |pages=221–230 |doi=10.1080/0015587X.1981.9716210 |jstor=1259477 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1259477 |access-date=22 December 2023 |issn=0015-587X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{Citation needed|reason=What is the source for this statement? Was it racially motivated in any way? A citation from actual Assyrian antiquity would be more authoritative on this point than modern secondary or tertiary sources.|date=May 2012}}{{Clarify|reason=Are people with green and blue eyes supposedly more likely to cast the evil curse on other people, or are they more likely to fall under the spell from someone else?|date=May 2012}}

====Turkey====
[[File:Nazars.jpg|thumb|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.<ref name="LonelyPlanet" /> Each color of the nazar has a specific meaning, symbolizing various aspects of protection and luck.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.evileyegallery.com/blogs/evil-eye/what-do-the-different-colors-of-the-evil-eye-mean|title=What Do the Different Colors of the Evil Eye Mean?|date=10 May 2023 |access-date=2023-12-18}}</ref>

Cultures that have nazars or some variation include [[Turkey]], [[Romania]], [[Albania]], [[North Macedonia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Greece]], [[Cyprus]], [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], [[Jordan]], [[Israel]], [[Palestine]], [[Egypt]], [[Armenia]], [[Iran]], [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Türkmenistan]], [[Iraq]] and [[Azerbaijan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dustinstoltz.com/blog/2012/05/26/the-evil-eye-and-mountain-karma|title=The Evil Eye and Mountain Karma in Azerbaijan|last=Stoltz|first=Dustin|date=May 26, 2012|work=www.dustinstoltz.com|access-date=November 22, 2016|archive-date=November 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123054716/http://www.dustinstoltz.com/blog/2012/05/26/the-evil-eye-and-mountain-karma|url-status=dead}}</ref> where the nazar is often hung in homes, offices, cars, children's clothing, or incorporated in jewellery and ornaments.<ref name="LonelyPlanet">''Lonely Planet Middle East''. Lonely Planet; 6 edition, 2009, p. 559.</ref>

They are a popular choice of souvenir with tourists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://madeinturkeytours.com/history-meaning-turkish-evil-eye/|title=The History and the meaning of the Turkish Evil Eye|date=5 May 2020|access-date=2020-05-16|archive-date=2020-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525133150/https://madeinturkeytours.com/history-meaning-turkish-evil-eye/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Ethiopia====
{{Main|Buda (folk religion)}}

Belief in the evil eye, also known as ''[[Buda (folk religion)|buda]]'' or ''bouda'', is widespread in [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="turner">Turner, John W. "Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity: Faith and practices". ''[http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/ettoc.html A Country Study: Ethiopia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910150848/http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/ettoc.html |date=2012-09-10 }}''. Thomas P. Ofcansky and LaVerle Berry, eds. Washington: Library of Congress Federal Research Division, 1991.</ref> 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.<ref name="kemp">Kemp, Charles. "[http://bearspace.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/www/ethiopian_refugees.htm Ethiopians & Eritreans.] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121210192345/http://bearspace.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/www/ethiopian_refugees.htm |date=2012-12-10 }}" ''Refugee Health – Immigrant Health''. Waco, TX: Baylor University.</ref> A [[debtera]], who is either an unordained priest or educated layperson, will create these protective amulets or talismans.<ref name="finneran">Finneran, Niall. "[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2386/is_3_114/ai_n6118470/ Ethiopian Evil Eye Belief and the Magical Symbolism of Iron Working.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712022240/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2386/is_3_114/ai_n6118470/ |date=2012-07-12 }}" ''Folklore'', Vol. 114, 2003.</ref><ref name="geleta">Geleta, Amsalu Tadesse. "[http://www.lausanne.org/all-documents/ethiopian-case-study.html Case Study: Demonization and the Practice of Exorcism in Ethiopian Churches] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101104543/http://www.lausanne.org/all-documents/ethiopian-case-study.html |date=2010-01-01 }}". Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, Nairobi, August 2000.</ref>

==== 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 (talisman)|"gris-gris"]] made by a marabouts to avoid misfortune.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Radia |first=Piya |title=Piya Radia on the Religious Landscape in Senegal |url=https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/piya-radia-on-the-religious-landscape-in-senegal |access-date= |website=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs |language=en}}</ref>

==== Indian subcontinent ====

===== India =====
{{Main|Nazar battu}}

In the northern states of India, such as 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'' (formally ''kan'', meaning "the 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.<ref>{{cite web | author1=Kannan, Shalini | title=Surprises And Superstitions In Rural Tamil Nadu | url=https://milaap.org/stories/surprises-and-superstitions-in-rural-tamil-nadu | year=2016 | access-date=2019-11-06 | archive-date=2019-11-06 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106055841/https://milaap.org/stories/surprises-and-superstitions-in-rural-tamil-nadu | url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref name="JackStephen2013">{{cite book |author1=Amariglio, Jack |author2=Cullenberg, Stephen E |author3=Ruccio, David F | title=Post-Modernism, Economics and Knowledge | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8-LqpYBnDOkC&pg=PA217 |year= 2013 | publisher=Routledge | isbn=978-1-134-83668-0 | pages=217–}}</ref>

=====Pakistan=====
{{See also|Pakistani folklore}}
In [[Pakistan]], the evil eye is called ''Nazar'' ({{lang|ur|نظر}}). People usually may resort to reading the last three chapters of the Quran, namely [[Al-Ikhlas|Sura Ikhlas]], [[Al-Falaq|Sura Al-Falaq]] and [[Al-Nas|Sura Al-Nas]]. The phrase ''[[masha'Allah]]'' ({{langx|ar|ما شاء الله}}, meaning "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 [[ta'awiz]] 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.<ref>Ghilzai, S.A., and Kanwal, A. (2016) Semiotic Analysis of Evil Eye Beliefs among Pakistani Cultures and their Predetermined Behaviour. Research Issues in social sciences, 47–67.</ref>

====Italy====
[[File:Fig._81_-_The_Evil_Eye_-_Elworthy.jpg|thumb|Various evil eye amulets from Italy such as the [[cornicello]], [[cimaruta]], and [[lunula (amulet)|lunula]] (1895)]]

The {{lang|it|[[cornicello]]|italic=no}} ("little horn"), also called the {{lang|it|cornetto}} ("little horn", plural {{lang|it|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 [[Taurotragus|eland]] or a chili pepper.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Corno (Italian Horn Amulet)|url=http://www.luckymojo.com/corno.html|author=Lucky Mojo|access-date=9 February 2015|archive-date=1 September 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130901221333/http://www.luckymojo.com/corno.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A tooth or tuft of fur of the [[Italian wolf]] was worn as a [[talisman]] against the evil eye.<ref name=altobello1921>{{in lang|it}} Altobello, G. (1921), ''[http://www.storiadellafauna.it/scaffale/testi/alto/Carnivo.htm Fauna dell'Abruzzo e del Molise. Mammiferi. IV. I Carnivori (Carnivora)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504133849/http://www.storiadellafauna.it/scaffale/testi/alto/Carnivo.htm |date=2016-05-04 }}'', Colitti e Figlio, Campobasso, pp. 38–45</ref>

One idea that the [[ribaldry|ribald]] suggestions made by sexual [[symbol]]s 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 [[gesture]]s to avoid the eye. Such gestures include scratching one's testicles (for men), as well as the {{lang|it|[[mano cornuta]]}} gesture and [[List of gestures#Fig sign|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, [[statue]]s of hands in these gestures, or covered with magical symbols, were carried by the Romans as talismans.

[[File:Onda-ogat.jpg|thumb|left|Two handsigns ([[fig sign]] and [[Sign of the horns|horned sign]]) used in Italy against the evil eye (1914)]]

The wielder of the evil eye, called the {{lang|it|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.<ref>Maloney, Clarence. ''The Evil Eye''. New York: Columbia UP, 1976. p. 29. {{ISBN|0-231-04006-7}}.</ref>

====Malta====
The symbol of the eye, known as {{lang|mt|l-għajn}}, is common on traditional fishing boats which are known as {{lang|mt|[[luzzu]]}}. They are said to protect fishermen from storms and malicious intentions.<ref>{{cite web |title=A traditional seacraft gradually on the decline |date=30 July 2016 |url=https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/il-qoxra-tradizzjona-traa-traditional-seacraft-gradually-on-the-declineditional-seacraft-gradually-on-the-declineali-li-kulma-tmur-qed-tonqos/ |access-date=2018-12-01 |archive-date=2018-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201180950/https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/il-qoxra-tradizzjona-traa-traditional-seacraft-gradually-on-the-declineditional-seacraft-gradually-on-the-declineali-li-kulma-tmur-qed-tonqos/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Ruta chalepensis11.jpg|thumb|In Brazil, a number of plants are traditionally said to protect against the evil eye, most notably the [[Ruta|rue]] (the [[Ruta]] family – ''arruda'' in Portuguese).]]

====Brazil====
Brazilian people generally associate {{lang|pt|mau-olhado}} ("act of giving a bad look") or ''{{lang|it|olho gordo}}'' ({{lit|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 {{lang|pt|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 {{lang|pt|bruxas}} (witches), that have malignant intention themselves rather than just {{lang|pt|mau-olhado}}. It probably reflects the Galician folktales about the {{lang|pt|[[Galician mythology#Meigas|meigas]]}} (witches), as Colonial Brazil was primarily settled by [[Portuguese people]], in numbers greater than all Europeans to settle pre-independence United States. These witches 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 {{lang|pt|mau-olhado}} coming from parents of children whose behavior was not as admirable.

Amulets that protect against {{lang|pt|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: the [[Ruta graveolens|common rue]], [[Capsicum annuum|chili peppers]], ''[[Dieffenbachia seguine]]'', ''[[Sansevieria trifasciata]]'', and ''[[Petiveria alliacea]]''. For those lacking in space or wanting to "sanitize" specific places, they may all be planted together in a single {{lang|pt|sete ervas}} ("seven [lucky] herbs") pot, that will also include [[basil]] and [[rosemary]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=altoastral |title=Faça 5 simpatias com arruda para abrir caminhos e proteção |url=https://www.terra.com.br/vida-e-estilo/horoscopo/esoterico/faca-5-simpatias-com-arruda-para-abrir-caminhos-e-protecao,77d6be358d385690ff9767f581b1f99dn25iyfi9.html |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Terra |language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://vidaeestilo.terra.com.br/esoterico/interna/0,,OI4880508-EI14322,00-Conheca+o+poder+e+a+protecao+das+sete+ervas.html |title=Conheça o poder e a proteção das sete ervas |author=Guizetti, Franco |language=pt |access-date=Jan 19, 2012 |archive-date=December 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212073511/http://vidaeestilo.terra.com.br/esoterico/interna/0,,OI4880508-EI14322,00-Conheca+o+poder+e+a+protecao+das+sete+ervas.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://revista.zap.com.br/imoveis/proteja-sua-casa-do-mau-olhado/|title=Proteja sua casa do mau olhado|last=Caires|first=Olivia|language=pt|access-date=February 22, 2015|archive-date=February 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223073047/http://revista.zap.com.br/imoveis/proteja-sua-casa-do-mau-olhado/|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Spain and Latin America====
The evil eye ({{langx|es|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 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 {{lang|es|[[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 an evil eye. Somehow the evil eye 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 an evil eye 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 evil eye energy is released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://anthro.palomar.edu/medical/med_1.htm |title=Medical Anthropology: Explanations of Illness |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817130521/http://anthro.palomar.edu/medical/med_1.htm |archive-date=2012-08-17 }}</ref>

In some parts of [[South America]] the act of {{lang|es|ojear}} ('to give someone the evil eye') is an involuntary act. Someone may {{lang|es|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 is 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.revistatabularasa.org/numero_dos/florez.pdf |title=El ''Mal de Ojo'' de la Etnografía Clásica y ''La Limpia'' Posmoderna |author=Flórez, Franz |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727213519/http://www.revistatabularasa.org/numero_dos/florez.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-27 }}</ref>

=====Mexico=====
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2011}}
Evidence from the colonial period in Mexico is lackluster, causing contrary details of origins and roots. For example, historian Alfredo López Austin notes that it appears nonviable to determine if there are Indigenous or Spanish influences to ''mal de ojo.'' The Spanish, possibly out of unfamiliarity with Nahua beliefs or a dismissive attitude toward them, misunderstood and misrepresented Indigenous rituals related to witchcraft. Of all these practices, the only one that bears a faint resemblance to the European idea of the evil eye is the notion of envy and the damage it can cause.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=08 Mal de ojo y otras hechicerías. Brujería y curanderismo en Europa y América.pdf |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ImryJPcTmhCqIXtDSZij2tMg_XDyhIv3/view |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Google Docs |doi=10.35197/rx.13.01.2017.08.mp|doi-access=free }}</ref> Differently from other cultures, in Mexico it is believed that the ''mal de ojo'' ("evil eye"; literally, "evil of the eye" or "illness 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. {{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

In a study of medical attitudes in the Santa Clara Valley of California, which has many Mexican-descent inhabitants, [[M. Margaret Clark|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".

Another aspect of the ''mal de 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."

As stated by ethnologist and historian Noemí Quezada, adolescents are prioritized when treating ''mal de ojo.'' In records from the Mexican and Spanish Inquisitions, it is noted that healers, or ''curanderos'', often focused their treatments on children, as their fragile and still-developing bodies were seen as particularly vulnerable to this affliction.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=08 Mal de ojo y otras hechicerías. Brujería y curanderismo en Europa y América.pdf |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ImryJPcTmhCqIXtDSZij2tMg_XDyhIv3/view |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Google Docs |doi=10.35197/rx.13.01.2017.08.mp|doi-access=free }}</ref>

=====Puerto Rico=====
{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2020}}
In Puerto Rico, ''mal de ojo'' 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. 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''. {{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

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. Methods to indicate whether a child has been affected by ''mal de ojo'' in Puerto Rico include the use of oil dripped into warm water. A positive sign that the child has fallen victim to ''mal de ojo'' includes the oil dissolving.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chinchilla Sánchez |first=Kattia |date=2015-08-30 |title=Entre el ver y ser visto: El simbolismo del ojo |url=https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/filyling/article/view/20583/20781 |journal=Revista de Filología y Lingüística de la Universidad de Costa Rica |language=Spanish |volume=25 |issue=2 |doi=10.15517/rfl.v25i2.20583 |doi-broken-date=April 25, 2025}}</ref>

While ''mal de ojo'' is associated with physical symptoms that are often treated with traditional remedies, there is limited scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of these treatments from a biomedical perspective. However, the use of ethnomedicine—such as addressing symptoms like phlegm in children with asthma—may offer both cultural relevance and perceived physical relief.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pachter |first=Lee M. |date=1995-09-01 |title=Ethnomedical (Folk) Remedies for Childhood Asthma in a Mainland Puerto Rican Community |url=https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/67115256/Ethnomedical_folk_remedies_for_childho20210505-31710-180rt85.pdf?1738414381=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DEthnomedical_Folk_Remedies_for_Childhood.pdf&Expires=1746464474&Signature=Ha-xiWm~vHLhhrssXWg79g9obFdhT~OlP3h1p2X3MBkh85vijrJwmBKUZ0fQnvB89OKlWgTbsdW9ycl0p5GQWrTyjEkmc1chLSiBJTBZlGYG7jpxXBlSHh9ePuUEN55MyqoaJCNuyLItDWmLesg0V8JyW77ea5Gpw7yjga-oBKxTdYuUcM3P36rMkMdnCH39lZgMbN3p4-BgXOzH0nsrV9tU2wNCozNDUAX-P1GhEjiVPT6sJ5Y8sRcHBz117W8o7px212IBpxbgotPkVr3i2Gh-zfqGxpV-LD06R6-Je1BmHVXKfd~gHDizRwBf2SK0qgJmBCRRrrrY-RnfghteFA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA |journal=Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine |volume=149 |issue=9 |pages=982–988 |doi=10.1001/archpedi.1995.02170220048007 |pmid=7655603 |issn=1072-4710}}</ref>

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 [[occult]]ist [[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.<ref>Gamache, Henri (1946) ''Terrors of the Evil Eye Exposed'' Raymond Publishing, New York, {{OCLC|9989883}}; reprinted in 1969 as ''Protection Against Evil'' Dorene, Dallas, Texas, {{OCLC|39132235}}</ref>

== See also ==<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->

===Amulets and other protections===
* [[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 jewellery 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 only from cold steel and arrows, but also from the evil eye
* [[Red string (Kabbalah)]] – a bracelet in Judaism worn to ward off the evil eye
* [[Abrus precatorius|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
* [[Blue|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 (Wicca)|Rule of Three]]
* [[Scopophobia]] – fear of being stared at
* [[Tall poppy syndrome]] – aversion to the success of one's peers
* [[Usog]] – a Filipino version

== Explanatory notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|}}
* Berger, Allan S. "The evil eye: a cautious look." ''Journal of religion and health'' 52, no. 3 (2013): 785–788.
* Borthwick, E. Kerr (2001). "Socrates, Socratics, and the Word ΒΛΕΠΕΔΑΙΜΩΝ". ''The Classical Quarterly'' New Series, 51(1): pp.&nbsp;297–301
* Dickie, Mathew W. (January 1991). "Heliodorus and Plutarch on the Evil Eye". ''Classical Philology'' 86(1): pp.&nbsp;17–29
* {{Cite book|title=The Evil Eye: A Casebook|last=Dundes|first=Alan|publisher=The University of Wisconsin Press|year=1992|isbn=0-299-13334-6|location=Madison, WI}}
* Elliott, John H. (2015). ''Beware the Evil Eye: The Evil Eye in the Bible and the Ancient World: Volume 1: Introduction, Mesopotamia, and Egypt''. Eugene, OR: Cascade.
* Elliott, John H. (2016). ''Beware the Evil Eye: The Evil Eye in the Bible and the Ancient World: Volume 2: Greece and Rome''. Eugene, OR: Cascade.
* Elworthy, Frederick Thomas (1895). [https://archive.org/details/b24849984 ''The Evil Eye: An Account of this Ancient & Widespread Superstition'']. John Murray, London, {{OCLC|2079005}}; reprinted in 2004 as: ''The Evil Eye: The Classic Account of an Ancient Superstition'' Dover Publications, Mineola, New York, {{ISBN|0-486-43437-0|}} ([http://www.sacred-texts.com/evil/tee/index.htm online text] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310171431/http://www.sacred-texts.com/evil/tee/index.htm |date=2005-03-10 }})
* Gifford, Edward S. (1958). ''The Evil Eye: Studies in the Folklore of Vision''. Macmillan, New York, {{OCLC|527256}}
*Halsted L. Seeking refuge from the envious: The material culture of the evil eye from late antiquity to Islam. PhD Dissertation. New York University; 2022.
* Jones, Louis C. (1951). "The Evil Eye among European-Americans". ''Western Folklore'' 10(1): pp.&nbsp;11–25
* Limberis, Vasiliki (April 1991). "The Eyes Infected by Evil: Basil of Caesarea's Homily". ''The Harvard Theological Review'' 84(2): pp.&nbsp;163–184.
* Lykiardopoulos, Amica (1981). "The Evil Eye: Towards an Exhaustive Study". ''Folklore'' 92(2): pp.&nbsp;221–230
* Meerloo, Joost Abraham Maurits (1971.) ''Intuition and the Evil Eye: The Natural History of a Superstition''. Servire, Wassenaar, Netherlands, {{OCLC|415660}}.
* Shamash, Jack (2020). ''The Evil Eye: The Magic of Envy and Destruction''. Foxy Books, London. {{ISBN|978-1-5272-5860-0}}.
* Slone, Kathleen Warner and Dickie, M. W. (1993). "A Knidian Phallic Vase from Corinth". ''Hesperia'' 62(4): pp.&nbsp;483–505. {{doi|10.2307/148191}}. {{JSTOR|148191}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Evil eye}}
{{Wiktionary|evil eye}}
{{EB1911 poster|Evil Eye}}

*[http://www.sacred-texts.com/evil/tee/index.htm ''The Evil Eye''] by [[Frederick Thomas Elworthy]]

{{Superstitions}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Amulets]]
[[Category:Curses]]
[[Category:Eyes in culture]]
[[Category:Folklore]]
[[Category:Mediterranean]]
[[Category:Objects believed to protect from evil|Eye]]
[[Category:Occultism (Islam)]]
[[Category:Superstitions of Iran]]
[[Category:Superstitions of Italy]]
[[Category:Superstitions]]
[[Category:Talismans]]
[[Category:Romani folklore]]