You have probably heard of the term “giving another person the evil eye.” Well, did you know that this term is a much deeper concept in other cultures? “He gave him a look like daggers” has much more meaning than we had previously thought.
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Evil Eye Meaning
There are two common meanings for “evil eye” in popular culture. One is the actual evil eye, which is the curse that can be bestowed by anyone with evil intentions. If you are a believer in mysticism and other New Age concepts, you will understand this immediately. The “evil eye” can manifest anger, hatred, sadness, or even vengefulness. It is a malicious way of looking at people, and evil powers can amplify the evil eye’s effect.
This is where the evil eye necklace comes in. The evil eye is often a result of greed and envy, and you wouldn’t know if someone gave you the evil eye secretly. The solution is to wear an amulet or talisman. An evil eye necklace or amulet doesn’t give people the evil eye. It is a mode of defense when someone is trying to give you the malevolent stare. Many people, including famous Hollywood celebrities, are known for wearing jewelry and other personal accessories that refer to the evil eye.
Why does belief in the evil eye fall naturally to people?
Even if you aren’t Turkish, you would know what an evil eye might mean. It is universally accepted that having any wealth, abundance, or success can attract the jealousy, envy, or even anger of those around you.
Personal experiences with envious people who resort to trickery and malice are widespread in any culture. So it makes perfect sense for the evil eye’s concept to have settled in Western culture as well.
What’s the oldest version of the evil eye?
The oldest reference to the evil eye can be found in ancient Greek writings, particularly in the work of Heliodorus of Emesa. According to Heliodorus of Emesa, an envious person would look negatively or evilly upon an object or person that represents wealth and abundance. The space around him will fill with harmful or damaging energy that is bad for anyone. The very breath of that person, according to Heliodorus, will be filled with evil and venom. Again, it appears that envious people have always been notable in history. Their so-called venom can sometimes be so intense that people found it necessary to wear a talisman against the venom of envy.
Evil Eye: Turkey
In Turkish folklore, the evil eye or the “nazar” is so old that we can trace it to ancient Mesopotamia, to the fertile valleys and rivers that helped establish European antiquity. The word “nazar” is of Arabic origin, and it merely means “to look.” This shouldn’t mislead anyone into thinking that all kinds of look are evil. A distinction has to be made here: only when there is the malice that a look is deemed “nazar” or evil. Malice comes in many forms, and back in the day, several standards of virtuousness were considered life ideals by people.
It is said that the evil eye, by some cosmic or evil energy, fixes itself upon people who are succeeding or are experiencing abundance and causes them to experience misfortune and evil. “Evil” in this term can refer to all the bad things that can happen to a person, such as getting sick with the disease, losing money, experiencing a collapsing business, experiencing disharmony in the domestic setting, and so on. Failure and conflict are particularly painful effects of the evil eye, so it widely believed that one should be mindful of people who might be envious of one’s success.
Since the evil eye is a malevolent and magical form of attack, the ancient Turks found it necessary to combat it with something equally magical – the amulet of the evil eye. Why would anyone wear something that resembles a malevolent and evil glare?
The principle is called similia similibus. If you want to counteract something magical, you should do so with a talisman similar to the curse you are trying to fight. Through the similarity, the curse is negated or canceled (like cancels like), and the person is kept safe from the adverse effects of the evil eye.
The concept of the evil eye is so old that it occurs way before the Biblical texts, and it’s challenging to link it with any pagan tradition because even before paganism was in full swing, people already believed in it. The concept of this scourge is as old as human history itself, and human civilization, too.
But what makes the evil eye so fascinating and terrifying at the same time? If we look at the concept, it’s not that complicated; if someone is experiencing envy, then that person may not have the best intentions for you at all. It’s not as if people always go out of their way to curse people. Only mystics and other practitioners can do this.
However, such evil energies can combine in a single space. They may end up forming an unconscious curse, which is then projected to people who are experiencing success and happiness.
Motifs like the evil eye are perhaps reminders to be gentler and kinder and never take anyone’s fortunes and successes against them.
Evil Eye Souvenir?
People often purchase evil eye souvenirs for good measure. Whether you wholeheartedly believe in the concept or not, it might be good to have your method warding off evil. Mind you; not everyone wears amulets against the evil eye. Some people wear red clothing or any other object, and these act as barriers against the evil eye. Admittedly, defenses against the evil eye don’t necessarily have to resemble it. Much of this is connected to the culture of the person, as well as what he truly believes in. Sometimes, artifacts like colors can be used as protection, too.
