May 28, 2009

Egyptian Bedouin Evil Eye Custom
Nuweiba, Egypt

Tatiana was speaking with a local Bedouin this afternoon and shared with me an interested piece of culture pertaining to the (ancient) superstitious notion of protection from the evil eye.

The right eye of Horus, who was the ancient Egyptian sky god (usually depicted as a falcon).

The evil eye is either involuntary or deliberate. The deliberate or malevolent use of the evil eye is called 'overlooking,' and is thought to produce such misfortunes as illness, poverty, injury, loss of love, or even death.

In ancient Egyptian culture the Eye of Horus was associated with regeneration, health and prosperity. When worn as jewelry the eye served to ensure safety, protect health, and provide the wearer with wisdom and prosperity.

Although contemporary Egyptians have generally switched over to the hamsa for protection, the Bedouin still have their own thoughts on the subject.

How to Rid Yourself of the Evil Eye

According to the local Bedouin, the afflicted individual must follow this procedure to free themselves of any evil eye influence:

  1. Walk the shore to find and collect seven white stones and seven black stones.
  2. Place the 14 stones in a container (such as a glass) with water.
  3. Swirl the stones and water in the container and hold your ear to it until the sound has stopped.

That's it. No raw chicken eggs to absorb this or that. Just stones and water. Nice.

Recently in this country...

Comments:

Greece

Anastassia

September 14th, 2010

The same superstitious notion about the evil eye is prevelant in Greece, too!
We use to wear blue eyed ornaments or hang them on the walls of our houses or on the doors or walls of our shops for protection against evil eye.
It is believed that people born on Saturday or those with blue eyes can give you an evil eye spell easier.
To rid yourself of the evil eye in Greece, you must be blessed by people who know the mystic and secret prayer which passes from older women, more usually, to their daughters or other relatives before they die. Usually mothers and grandmothers know the prayer and can even do the ritual over the phone.

Note: Comments are open to everyone. To reduce spam and reward regular contributors, only submissions from first-time commenters and/or those containing hyperlinks are moderated, and will appear after approval. Hateful or off-topic remarks are subject to pruning. Your e-mail address will never be publicly disclosed or abused.