The evil eye is a look that is believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike. The term also refers to the power attributed to certain persons of inflicting injury or bad luck by such an envious or ill-wishing look. The evil eye is usually given to others who remain unaware.
The "evil eye" is also known in Arabic as ʿayn al-ḥasūd (عين الحسود), in Hebrew as ʿayn ha-rʿa (עין הרע), in Turkish as Nazar, in Greek as "το μάτι," in Spanish as mal de ojo., in Italian as malocchio and in Hawaiian culture it is known as "stink eye."
The idea expressed by the term causes many cultures to pursue protective measures against it. The concept and its significance vary widely among different cultures, primarily the Middle East. The idea appears several times in translations of the Old Testament. It was a widely extended belief among many Mediterranean and Asian tribes and cultures. Charms and decorations featuring the eye are a common sight across Greece and Turkey and have become a popular choice of souvenir with tourists.
Read more about Evil Eye: Forms of Belief, History, Around The World, Protective Talismans and Cures, Names in Various Languages
Famous quotes containing the words evil and/or eye:
“Whereas the comic confronts simply logical contradictions, the tragic confronts a moral predicament. Not minor matters of true and false but crucial questions of right and wrong, good and evil face the tragic character in a tragic situation.”
—Marie Collins Swabey. Comic Laughter, ch. 7, Yale University Press (1961)
“The eye is the best of artists.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)