The Origins of 10 Ancient Superstitions We Still Follow Today

The Evil Eye

The evil eye is one of the most common cross-cultural beliefs in the world. Ancient in origin, it is still a term used and believed in today. For some, especially in the west, it is just a figure of speech, where the phrase ‘the evil eye’ is a way of referring a black or jealous look. However, elsewhere across the globe, there are still people who genuinely believe that the wrong sort of look can harm- or even kill.

Alan Dundes, a Professor of Folklore, obvious believed that the superstition originated in the Middle East. From there, it spread to Africa and Europe- especially the Mediterranean regions where people still take precautions against baleful looks today. Belief in the evil eye seems to have grown up as a way of understanding why people caught- and often died from diseases. This explains why children, who are particularly susceptible to illness, are also believed to be the most common victims of the evil eye.

Dehydration often accompanies many ailments- and its symptoms correspond precisely with those attributed to the evil eye. Vomiting, wasting and shriveling- even death are all taken of signs that the evil eye has struck- especially if the disease was not apparent. Jealousy is often believed to be the motive behind the curse- especially if a child became subject to too much praise or admiration. So, in particular cultures, it is common to touch a child after praising them to remove the effect of any, particularly baleful glances. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, mothers of particularly attractive daughters still mark the backs of their ears with dark kohl to counteract the curse.

However, while children were believed to be a prime target, older people are also considered to be susceptible to the evil eye. Protection, however, is always at hand. Common repellents include rude hand gestures, spitting, red thread or, as in the Middle East, glass amulets with a blue eye which are hung over doorways to repel any evil intent from the household. Green and specifically blue eyes are particularly associated with the evil eye in cultures where they are not typical indigenous eye color. Thus the superstition of the evil eye becomes associated with another human trait: the fear of the other in society and how those different to the majority of people are somehow deemed harmful and suspect.

Where do we get this stuff? Here are our sources:

10 Historical superstitions we carry on today, Karen Maitland, History Extra, October 13, 2017.

Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Adrian Room, Cassell, 2000

Chambers Dictionary of Beliefs and religions, Ed Mark Vernon, Chambers Harrap Publishers, 2009

The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion, ed. Simon Price and Emily Kearns. Oxford University Press, 2003

Who’s Who in the Greek World, John Hazel, Routledge. 2006.

One in Four Americans Superstitious, David W. Moore, Gallup, October 13, 2000

Venus of Laussel, Part II, Steven Schimmrich, Hudson Valley Geologist, December 7, 2013.

Why is Friday the 13^th Considered Unlucky? Sean Hutchinson, Mental Floss. July 13, 2018

The thirteenth Number: then, there/ here and now, Tok Thompson, Studia Mythologica Slavika V, 2002

The Ritual Mutilation of Coins on Romano British Sites, Philip Kiernan, Britnumsoc.org.

Rediscovered/Restored: Exeter’s St Sidwell Well, Pixyled Publications, Holy and Healing Wells