You may be familiar with the image of the evil eye: Its spherical cobalt blue form has increasingly been used on mainstream clothing and accessories to encourage positivity, with a “good vibes” phrase often explicitly written out alongside the symbol (as it is here and here).
The evil eye’s traditional meaning and usage, however, is somewhat different. Its traditional intention is not to bring about good vibes, but to keep bad ones away — to guard its owner from harm and misfortune, which can be triggered by the jealousy or envy of other people. In other words, the amulet supposedly neutralizes the “evil eyes” of malicious onlookers. This interpretation is backed by general West Asian (commonly known as Middle Eastern) tradition as well as by experts like Dr. George Bohigian.
Bohigian was an ophthalmologist who studied the influence of the evil eye on social customs and medicine. Based on his research, the “belief that the evil eye could be counteracted by a ‘good eye’” dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt. Also known as the nazar in Arabic or char atchk in Armenian, the evil eye has been used for thousands of years as a form of protection among West Asian communities.
I am Armenian; my family is indigenous to historic Western Armenia, now known as Turkey. I grew up incorporating the evil eye into my life and surroundings as part of second nature. Although the evil eye is mythology, keeping the evil eye around me has helped me feel secure even when difficulties do strike. I especially appreciate adding the evil eye to my home environment to symbolically protect my living space. I like to add an evil eye by entryways, like my bedroom and the foyer, either as a traditional wall hanging or as another thoughtful piece of decor.
We’ve rounded up some choice evil eye items for your home from Etsy.
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