Thomas Aquinas on the Evil Eye

What did the Angelic Doctor believe about the power of people to harm you with a look?​

We all know that this is the traditional method of appreciating a fine performance of the heavy metal variety:


Ronnie James Dio

People wrongly assume this is some kind of Satanic salute, with the index and pinky fingers making little devil horns (hence “throwing up the horns”). In fact, it was popularized through the late, great singer Ronnie James Dio, of Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio. Ronnie was the proud grandson of a nonna from the old country, who would make the traditional gesture to ward off the malocchio, or “evil eye.” It wasn’t a salute to the devil: it was protection against him.

The gesture is found in multiple cultures and religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, and typically has a similar apotropaic function: removing negative energy. It was later adopted by wiccans and satanists as a “horn” gesture a symbolizing the goat, horned god, Satan, or evil in general (its exact opposite meaning in every other culture for thousands of years) because, as extensive scientific research has proven, they are idiots.

“Fascination,” or the evil look (from the latin fascinum, for “bewitching”), is one of the most ancient and widespread forms of folk belief. Every culture has some form of it: mal de ojo in Spain, mauvais oeil in France, boser blick in Germany, jettatura in Italy, isabat al-ayn in Arabic, kako mati in Greek, and on and on. I have volumes filled with lore about the evil eye from around the world, as well as the charms and gestures invoked against them.

Continued below.