Evil eye is an ancient tradition, dating back almost 5000 years, closely connected to feelings of envy and negativity.
As the word itself suggests, evil is cast through the eyes in a more or less involuntary manner. Behind a false compliment or a blessing, hide other feelings, bad luck or misfortune.
It is found in many cultures in the Mediterranean region, as well as Western Asia and Central Asia. The oldest recorded references to it appear in the cuneiform texts of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians, about 3000 B.C. The ancient Egyptians believed in the Evil Eye and used eye shadow and lipstick to prevent it from entering their eyes or mouths. The Bible makes references to it in both the Old and New Testaments. It is among ancient Hindu folk beliefs. Evil-eye superstitions have remained strong into modern times, especially in Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece, and in Mexico and Central America.
Belief in the evil eye is also found in the Islamic doctrine, based upon the statement of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, "The influence of an evil eye is a fact..." [Sahih Muslim, Book 26, Number 5427]
There are two kinds of evil eye: deliberate and involuntary. Most cases are believed to occur involuntarily; the person casting it does not mean to do it and probably isn’t even aware of it.
The involuntary evil eye typically occurs when someone, especially a stranger, admires one’s children, livestock or possessions, or casts a lingering look on anyone. Unless immediate precautions are taken, the children get sick, the animals die, the possessions are stolen or good fortune in business turns sour. If the evil eye cannot be warded off, the victim must turn to an initiate — usually an older woman in the family — who knows a secret cure.
In Italy, diagnosing the evil eye might mean placing some drops of olive oil into a bowl of water and observing their behaviour. If they disperse quickly, the person has been afflicted with the evil eye. Another way to diagnose is making the sign of the cross over the head of the inflicted while reciting a prayer (could be a Hail Mary, Our Father or other "personal" healing formula) - if the suspected victim yawns or sheds a tear during this procedure, they have been affected.
After praying and making the sign of the cross on the forehead of the victim, the olive oil drop test is repeated. If the drop still disperses, the curer goes through the procedure again, repeating it up to a dozen times or until the drops retain their shape. Variations on this ritual suggest that the oil will form ‘eyes’ when poured into the water. These should be cut with scissors. Others believe that the saucer filled with oil and water must be held over the victim’s head while the charms are recited, that the oil and water should be poured onto the victim’s head, or that the curing procedure must always involve three iron tools (usually scissors, screwdriver and knife.
Other ways of curing malocchio involve cutting through the oil slick on the surface of the diagnostic water with a knife or key three times. The knife or key may also be used to make the sign of the cross over the victim and to drop the olive oil into the water, or one can fashion a cross by inserting a needle through the eye of another needle. Then that should be floated in a saucer of water.
The simplest "cure" for malocchio could be anointing the victim's forehead or stomach with olive oil while reciting a prayer...
Malevolent, deliberate placing of the evil eye on someone is called “overlooking” and is a form of witchcraft that can bring about misfortune or catastrophe: illness, poverty, injury, loss of love, even death. Witches were said to give anyone who crossed them the evil eye and to use it to bewitch judges from convicting them.
Besides envious glances, the evil eye comes from strangers in town, or anyone who has unusual or different-coloured eyes — a blue-eyed stranger in a land of brown-eyed people, for example. Some unfortunate souls are said to be born with permanent Evil Eye, laying waste to everything they see. High-ranking people such as noblemen or clergy sometimes are believed to be afflicted like this. Pope Pius IX (1846-78) was branded as having the evil eye shortly after his investiture as Pope in 1869. Driving through Rome in an open car, he glanced at a nurse holding a child in an open window. Minutes later, the child fell to its death, and from then on, it seemed that everything the Pope blessed resulted in disaster. Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) was also said to possess the malocchio.
The Evil Eye is most likely to strike when one is happiest; good fortune, it seems, invites bad fortune. Small children and animals are especially vulnerable. In many villages, it is considered unwise to show children too much in public or to call attention to their beauty. Likewise, it is not advisable to display possessions or brag about successes.
In 19th-century Ireland, animals who were under the influence of the Evil Eye were said to have been “blinked.” In order to save such animals, local wise women were sought for ritual cures. In the Neapolitan dialect, "uocchie sicche" used to refer to the evil eye demonstrate the belief that it can cause plants or crops to shrivel and die.
To protect against the evil eye, different cultures use different amulets or talismans. Common shapes are frogs and horns, such as our cornicello, which suggests both the powerful Mother Goddess (a bull is her consort) and the phallus. Another popular amulet is the “fig,” (mano figa) a clenched fist with thumb thrust between the index and middle fingers, which also suggests a phallus.
The roots of the phallus amulet go back to the ancient Romans and their phallic god, Priapus. Another name for him was Fascinus, from fascinum, which means “witchcraft”; the evil eye is sometimes called “fascination.” Romans employed phallic symbols as their protection against the evil eye and the cornicello is still used today particularly in the south. It is also still common for men to grab their genitals as a defense against the Evil Eye or anything unlucky.
The ancient Egyptians used the udjat eye, also called the Eye of God and Eye of Horus, to fight the forces of the evil eye - it appears on amulets, pottery and in art.
Similarly, in Turkey, the Nazar charm or amulet can be found hung in houses or as jewellery to protect - it's a bright blue glass bead in the form of an eye, which probably originated in the Mediterranean (the Ancient Romans used glass tiles to decorate bathhouses, and Venice, in particular Murano, dominated the glassmaking industry in Europe during the early middle ages.)
Other defenses include bells and red ribbons tied to livestock, horse harnesses and the underwear of children, which divert the attention of the Evil Eye. Gardens are surrounded by protective jack beans. Other plants act as amulets — the shamrock in Ireland and garlic in Greece. In Hindu lore, barley, a universal remedy supplied by the gods and the symbol of the thunderbolt of Indra, god of war, thunder and storms, will avert the Evil Eye.
Without an amulet, quick action is important when the Evil Eye strikes. One should make gestures such as the “fig” or “horns” (holding up the index and little finger). Spitting is a powerful remedy, a hold-over from the ancient Romans and Greeks; in Greece it's still common to spit, or mimic spitting, three times (the Holy Trinity) to deter the "matiasma" and it's something Nonna used to do, too.
Authentic practices of warding off the evil eye are also commonly practiced by Muslims: rather than directly expressing appreciation of, for example, a child's beauty, it is customary to say Masha'Allah, that is, "God has willed it", or invoking God's blessings upon the object or person that is being admired. In Italy, again, if someone inadvertently admires or praises someone's looks or otherwise, they might avert placing the eye by adding, "Che Dio ti benedica!" or "God bless you!"