The Blue Eye Amulet

Blue Eye Amulet Choker/Necklace by Lynne Dee for Spiral Happy

I got curious about the blue eye amulet.

I have to admit I didn’t know that much about it before googling the term. 

Here are some excerpts from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The evil eye is a look that is believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike. The term also refers to the “power” attributed to certain persons of inflicting injury or bad luck by such an envious or ill-wishing look.

The idea expressed by the term causes many cultures to pursue protective measures against it. The concept and its significance vary widely among different cultures, primarily the Middle East. The idea appears several times in translations (of the Old Testament). It was a widely extended belief between many Mediterranean tribes and cultures: It started in Classical Greece and later passed to ancient Rome.

Attempts to ward off the curse of the evil eye have resulted in a number of talismans in many cultures. As a class, they are called "apotropaic" (Greek for "prophylactic" or "protective," literally: "turns away") talismans, meaning that they turn away or turn back harm.

Disks or balls, consisting of concentric blue and white circles (usually, from inside to outside, dark blue, light blue, white, dark blue) representing an evil eye are common apotropaic talismans in the Middle East, found on the prows of Mediterranean boats and elsewhere; in some forms of the folklore, the staring eyes are supposed to bend the malicious gaze back to the sorcerer.

A blue eye can also be found on some forms of the hamsa hand, an apotropaic hand-shaped talisman against the evil eye found in the Middle East. The word hamsa, also spelled khamsa and hamesh, means "five" referring to the fingers of the hand. In Jewish culture, the hamsa is called the Hand of Miriam; in some Muslim populated cultures, the Hand of Fatima. However, it is considered a superstition to practicing or religious Muslims that any symbol or object protects against the evil eye. In Islam, only God can protect against the evil eye.

In Brazil, the equivalent for the evil eye is called olho gordo or "mau olhado" (loosely translated as "fat eye"). It is said that, when a person compliments something that someone else has, the owner should be cautious about who the other person is. That means, if the compliment is sincere, there's no harm done; if it's not, then the other person intends that thing to be either theirs or gone. Usually, it is believed that a future damage to the thing complimented comes from the envious person who complimented it.

In closing,

May all your compliments, given and received, be sincere. (-: