Evil Eye
Evil Eye
Belief in the malevolent effects of the evil eye is ancient and universal. A common form of this belief held that people with unusual eyes could cause harm by looking at other people, and such defects as squinting, a cast, or even cataracts were thought to be signs of an evil eye. Others attributed the evil eye to conscious malice on the part of witches or magicians.
The evil eye could, it was believed, bring about illness, poverty, or other afflictions and even death. An outgrowth of the evil eye notion was the belief that praise of children could have an adverse effect; hence, parents discouraged praise of their children's appearance or talents. Traditional ways of averting the evil eye were by wearing amulets or charms, or reciting counterspells.
Sources:
DiStasi, Lawrence. Mal Occhio (Evil Eye): The Underside Vision. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1981.
Elworthy, F. T. The Evil Eye. London, 1894. Reprint, New York: Julian Press, 1958.
MacLaglan, R. C. The Evil Eye in the Western Highlands. London: David Nutt, 1902.
Maloney, Clarence, ed. The Evil Eye. New York: Columbia University Press, 1976.