Evil Eye
As a teenager, I recklessly blasted evil stares at athletic opponents, ex-boyfriends, and clicks of girls referring to the look as giving someone ‘the evil eye’. Have any idea where this concept originated?
Over the New Year, I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, where the” evil eye” is a prominent symbol. Every taxi driver has one dangling from their rear view mirror; local artisans carve evil eyes into ceramics and beads and the duty free stores are stocked in “evil eye” paraphernalia.
The cardinal sin of envy is heavily written about in the books of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The evil eye seen all over Turkey is an apotropaic talismans, an object that wards off evil, similar to the act of knocking on wood. It is believed that a person who resents another’s attribute or material possession they themselves are lacking, can wish the other person to be deprived of it by casting a jinx or curse through their evil eye. The token evil eye is hung in hopes of warding off these stares, gazes, and looks of envy. Some people believe the effects of jealousy can manifest into illness, death, and misfortune.
I did pick up one evil eye while in Turkey and have since noticed them in fashion and home decor. Nothing wrong with warding off evil!
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