HISTORY OF THE EVIL EYE

Born in primitive communities and survives still within the high technology societies. Equally welcomed by wearers from different religious, cultural, social and economic backgrounds, amulet is believed to guard any wearer against any evil associated with envious or covetous eyes.

Human being either live in Turkey, or Japan or America, either live in any part of the world are afraid in similar ways of the similar things. “Stroke by an evil eye/Touch of an evil eye” is just one of such superstitions. Belief in the evil eye is also popular in many countries in the Mediterranean area though people in other quarters of the world wear evil eye charms, amulets, and the like as a precaution against “evil thinking.”

Literally, “nazar”(Originally Arabic word means sight or glance or eye in English). It is also used as “strike of evil eye” and refers to a special meaning. The respective entry in the dictionary of Idioms describes it as follows: Being struck negatively by enthusiastic or jealous looks of others which are believed to do evil or bring bad luck.
Encyclopedia Britannica entry for evil eye is as follows: Glance believed to have the ability to cause injury or death to those on whom it falls.

Belief in the evil eye is ancient and ubiquitous: it occurred in ancient Greece and Rome; is found in Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions and in folk cultures and preliterate societies. In some societies, like the Turkish society, blue eyed people are believed to bring bad luck. Other societies, however believe that one might unintentionally cause his or her evil eye strike to others. There is a tragic Slav tale describing a father who blinded himself to avoid his evil eyes strike to his children. There is a popular belief that the humanly feeling of “envy” gives way to evil eye. That’s why Turkish people usually express their compliments on a favorable situation with the phase “Allah nazardan saklasin” which literally means “May God protect it from the evil eyes.”

According to the Turkish culture, evil eye strike might be caused not only by a negative feeling like envy but also due to excessive love and care for the loved one. Children are believed to be highly susceptive to the effects of evil eye, and families usually protect their children with a blue bead inscribed with the word “Mashaalah” which is said to ward off evil eye. Additionally, new born babies are not introduced until after they are forth days old to people who are believed to have “evil eyes”. Sultans and princess in many Turkish fables are supposed to suffer from evil eye struck because of their natural born beauty and are kept away from public for years. Asian societies protect their children from evil eye strike by painting their faces in black.

These beliefs gave way to birth of many amulets and charms as well as blue-colored evil eye beads. “Evil eye” was the name for eye pictures, eye shaped beans or any other charms supposed to provide protection against evil eye strike. It was in the sixth century BC that ancient Greeks manufactured black-figure wine drinking vessels (literally known as “eye vessels”) with exaggerated eye figures on them, which were believed to prevent evil spirits enter the drinker’s body by mouth while drinking wine.

In short, evil eye might be defined as an object supposed to have magical power to ward off danger or to bring good luck.

The evil eye amulet is a blue bead/eye bead or most often a stone or a piece of metal with either an inscription or figures engraved on it. Such amulets usually were suspended from the neck and warn as a guard against sickness or witchcraft. Ancient Egyptians wore amulets in the form of necklaces. The amulets of the Jews were slips of parchment on which passages of the Law were written. They were worn as badges of piety but were also regarded as protection from evil spirits and from other harm.

The use of amulets was inherited by the Christian church. Amulets became so common among Christians that in the fourth century the clergy were forbidden to make or sell them on pain of deprivation of holy orders. In 721 the wearing of amulets was solemnly condemned by the church.

However, amulets never lost popularity until today. Our ancestors used amulet and charms for centuries to break the spells cast on them. Currently we are in the technological age but we failed to give up our habits. Nazar bonjuk is just one of them. Modern people still wear nazar bonjuk or use it as the most common article in houses or cars. We still squeeze into the protective track of nazar bonjuk which is highly familiar to most of us with its vivid and blue color.

Glass has been a symbol of purity for centuries with its transparency and elegance, and glazy is one of the most ancient crafts in the history of the world. Glazier’s work and skills shape the dance of sand and fire. Nazar bonjuk is a glass-based special object

Its know that the first “eye bead” workshops in Turkey was run by an Arabian nazar bonjuk manufacturer in Arap Han in Izmir two hundred years ago. Bonjuk workshops were first moved to Kadifekale and then to Görece village of Menders in 1930’s. Eye bead manufacture developed until then and 50 more workshops were launched. 1970s were the golden years of the eye bead manufacture, which survived as a family business, though bead manufacture suffered a gradual decrease shortly afterwards.

Today, production figures are well below the golden years but eye beads are still available in various kinds.

How would it be in the other way? Belief in evil eye is a humanly superstition. And this belief can not be restricted in terms of religions, ages, education backgrounds and economic status.