Evil eye?

[~Anastasia~]

Something kind of funny happened at Church yesterday. I wish I had known about this ...

My friend in Dallas gave me a bracelet made of beads that looked like these:

and I wear it sometimes. Early on Father mentioned "evil eye" and superstitions when I asked him about something unrelated. But yesterday after Bible study, since I had noticed these beads looked like eyes, I mentioned it to one of the ladies.

She almost had a fit! She said Father doesn't like us to wear those, and said to someone else I had a matiasma (?). What followed was a long discussion about superstitions, curses, and so on, and they insisted I speak to Father about it later.

I'm not superstitious. Really - pretty much not at all. I answered their questions - no, I won't walk under a ladder - not because it's bad luck but because something could fall off on you! But I really give pretty much zero attention to such things. I can probably recite a dozen or more superstitions, but don't subscribe to them.

This is really a big deal in Greek culture, isn't it?

Anyway, they knew I'd been sick, and asked when I started wearing that bracelet. And as it happens, she gave it to me before I left Dallas, and right after that is when I got so sick, and haven't been able to completely shake it.

So ... I took the bracelet off and put it in my purse. It means something to my friend that she gave it to me, so unless I can explain the reason to her, I need to keep it and wear it when I visit her sometime.

But maybe I have to explain myself to Father, if he has noticed it.

I had no idea it was such a big deal, or really what it was. I thought at first they were just pretty beads, though I did notice later that they do resemble eyes.

 

[Kristos]

Don't want to scandalize anyone...even if it's just superstition.

 

[xenia]

Kind of a mixed message, isn't it?

If you wear the bracelet, it's giving in to superstition.
Yet claiming you got sick because of the bracelet sounds just as superstitious.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Don't want to scandalize anyone...even if it's just superstition.

I think the best thing is for it to just disappear as far as the Church is concerned. I won't wear it again.

I was just surprised how strong a reaction I got and I'm afraid I didn't know what it was.

FWIW, I don't believe I got sick because of it. I seem to have a greatly depressed immune system - I got sick for a few months last year too, which was the reason I found the Orthodox Church. Nothing else to do for a couple months but lie on my back, and I don't care for TV much so I got online - and ended up here.

But no, I will put it away. I can't see any reason not to wear it when I visit my friend, for her sake. I don't put any stock in the whole thing anyway.

I do feel badly for having scandalized the Church though. I wish someone there had told me, if they noticed it. I've probably worn it to Church a good many times, since I don't have any other bracelet.

It has magnetic beads too, which I just find kind of cool.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Kind of a mixed message, isn't it?

If you wear the bracelet, it's giving in to superstition.
Yet claiming you got sick because of the bracelet sounds just as superstitious.

From what I can tell, it IS some kind of mixed message? If I believed in such things, I'd be just as confused.

The idea is that people wear them to ward off curses? And yet you can be cursed because of wearing it?

Anyway. I don't mess around with things like that, just to avoid "appearance of evil". Like I said, it's going to disappear as far as the Church is concerned.

Ugh, I may have worn it to Church in Dallas as well - I don't remember.

 

[Dylan Michael]

Near where I live there is a city with a large Greek population. (It's like Chinatown, but with Greek sponge divers)
I always found it interesting how prevalent the eye is. You can buy the tapestry-type icons with large eyes attached to the bottom.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Near where I live there is a city with a large Greek population. (It's like Chinatown, but with Greek sponge divers)
I always found it interesting how prevalent the eye is. You can buy the tapestry-type icons with large eyes attached to the bottom.

I guess that kind of goes in line with what surprised me about this - how big a deal it was.

I'm trying to think of another "good luck charm" people might carry. We all used to have colored rabbit's feet when we were kids, because the fair and many other places sold them. But no one ever reacted strongly at anyone having it, nor was anyone ever very upset to lose one or not have one.

I guess I just don't get it?

 

[buzuxi02]

Evil eye was a big deal in near east society, it predates christianity and obviously never died out.. Its still popular in Greece and Turkey where in certain circles its taken seriously, while by others its just a superstition where the blue eye beads are just souvenirs.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Evil eye was a big deal in near east society, it predates christianity and obviously never died out.. Its still popular in Greece and Turkey where in certain circles its taken seriously, while by others its just a superstition where the blue eye beads are just souvenirs.

Thank you for the info. If it is still taken seriously by some, that's probably why Father has spoken against it. I do think I should let him know that I didn't know what it was but won't wear it anymore, except maybe when I see my friend.

 

[buzuxi02]

The beads are supposed to be an amulet against the evil eye not that is the source of it . The evil eye suppisedly is when one puts a curse on you by glancing at you enviously. In italian its called malocchio. In Judaism they wear a red string bracelet to ward off evil eye. Perhaps you seen some celebrity who does kaballah and is wearing a red string. In Turkey the Goreme museum are the monastery caves of Cappadocia, the caves have icons and frescos. But most of the icons have had the eyes of the Saints gouged out because the Turks thought the images would give them the evil eye.


Its even mentioned in scripture Mark 7.21-22 and Matt 20.15

 

[~Anastasia~]

The beads are supposed to be an amulet against the evil eye not that is the source of it . The evil eye suppisedly is when one puts a curse on you by glancing at you enviously. In italian its called malocchio. In Judaism they wear a red string bracelet to ward off evil eye. Perhaps you seen some celebrity who does kaballah and is wearing a red string. In Turkey the Goreme museum are the monastery caves of Cappadocia, the caves have icons and frescos. But most of the icons have had the eyes of the Saints gouged out because the Turks thought the images would give them the evil eye.


Its even mentioned in scripture Mark 7.21-22 and Matt 20.15

That's very interesting. I admit I was a bit shocked when I got to the part about the icons having their eyes gouged out though!

Though I don't know, in looking at icons ... I'm not sure I'd want to be surrounded by them if I were somehow at complete odds to them. I never thought of it before.

As far as the Scripture, I had gathered Matt had to do with envy, but to be honest, I never was sue what Mark meant. I hadn't ever put that together.

One lady said that maybe the beads made me sick because the person who made the bracelet might have had some evil intent? It does seem odd that something meant to be a good luck amulet of sorts could also be thought of as bringing calamity of some sort - unless it is something like the belief that such things are not true and are evil in themselves because of superstition could cause it?

I don't know. I really, really don't worry much about superstitions and such things.

As far as objects, I wouldn't have an ouija board or any actual artifact or tool used in any pagan or satanic ritual around, but other objects I just pretty much put no stock in at all.

It's been rather educational, I must say, hearing what the ladies at Church said, and getting responses here as well. It's just not something I think much on.

But I am especially glad to know what those Scriptures refer to then. And it's sad, about the icons.

Thanks very much for the reply.

 

[buzuxi02]

You can look at the icons online, the frescoes are still very beautiful and is now a museum for tourists. When you zoom in though you see the eyes and faces are smite. Google, "Goreme open air museum".

No the amulets have no powers either way. The Italians have that italian horn gold pendant, the greeks and Turks have the blue eye pendant, jews have the red string.

Yeah, it's just envy. In the evil eye superstition theory, that envy can be projected by some hypnotic way onto the person your envying. I think that's where the expression, 'if looks could kill" Comes from.

 

[ArmyMatt]

if it really causes a scandal, I would let Father know and just not wear it in Church. like St Paul giving up meat offered to idols if it would scandalize someone.

 

[gzt]

The only reason to take it off or get rid of it is if it scandalizes others. You know and we all know that it has no power.

 

[Joseph Hazen]

I was sitting in on a class on Orthodoxy in a Greek parish once and the priest asked the people what an example of a "Big T Tradition" was and someone said "You mean like the mati?" ("evil eye" in Greek). I just mention it to confirm that yeah, this can be a very deeply ingrained idea, especially in the Greek communities.

(Father is being very patient in moving this parish more towards their faith lol. They have come a long way - when he arrived on Good Friday the first year they welcomed him with their annual Good Friday Bar-B-Que.)

 

[buzuxi02]

Please tell me the good Friday barbeque consisted of corn on the cobb and roasted peppers

 

[~Anastasia~]

Wow, on the parish with the "big T" Tradition and good Friday barbecue. I'm guessing it wasn't corn and peppers.

I really had no idea it was such a big deal. I know Father did mention it in one of our first conversations, but only in passing and at the time I had no idea what he was talking about. I thought he meant the curse (evil eye) part but no idea about the talismans.

But it's important enough to many folks that it seems it would likely scandalize them. (It seemed to scandalize the women I was talking to!) So I won't be wearing it to Church again - ever. For their sakes and others who might take it seriously. Of course, I don't.

My best friend as a teen had one of those Italian horns she wore, and she told me it was a good-luck charm.

But yes, I can see some ladies in the Church take these - and other superstitions - quite seriously!

 

[~Anastasia~]

You can look at the icons online, the frescoes are still very beautiful and is now a museum for tourists. When you zoom in though you see the eyes and faces are smite. Google, "Goreme open air museum".

I spent a good bit of time googling and reading about the Churches and museums over there, and a few travel blogs. I haven't been able to find good photos of the icons, but I suppose it's just as well, as it would probably just make me sad.

Thanks for the info though - that area seems very interesting, and it was a good read. I never envy for much, but I must admit, those articles make me wish I could travel.

If I could, I'd go to Greece someday. And second on my list would be to visit Hagia Sophia. Or maybe it would be first, and Greece second.

Beautiful iconography!

 

[GoingByzantine]

I was very off put to see evil eye necklaces/bracelets being sold at a Greek Orthodox Festival 2 summers ago. Clearly the whole thing is just superstitious mumbo jumbo, but I personally do not like the idea of owning these talismans...they date to antiquated pagan belief systems, and certain people have tried to affix "christian" traits to them...which is ridiculous.

My own sister owns evil eye jewelry and tried to tell me it was Christian, hah yeah right.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I was very off put to see evil eye necklaces/bracelets being sold at a Greek Orthodox Festival 2 summers ago. Clearly the whole thing is just superstitious mumbo jumbo, but I personally do not like the idea of owning these talismans...they date to antiquated pagan belief systems, and certain people have tried to affix "christian" traits to them...which is ridiculous.

My own sister owns evil eye jewelry and tried to tell me it was Christian, hah yeah right.

That's part of what is a bit confusing to me, is that some seem to see it as part of the Church?

Probably that is why it upsets Father M so much, so I am going to mention to him that I have been told about it now, and let him know I won't wear it to Church anymore.