Are you fascinated by the symbolism and meaning of the evil eye and are planning to get a tattoo? ThoughtfulTattoos will help you decide by providing a brief explanation of the evil eye.
Celebrity style!
Famous celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Kesha have sported an evil eye tattoo on their hands. Other celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Vanessa Hudgens have been spotted wearing evil eye jewelry.
“When we started, the crowd round the inn door, which had by this time swelled to a considerable size, all made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers towards me. With some difficulty, I got a fellow passenger to tell me what they meant. He would not answer at first, but on learning that I was English, he explained that it was a charm or guard against the evil eye.” ― Jonathan Harker, Dracula.
The journey of Jonathan Harker towards Dracula’s castle starts with warding off an evil eye. But, what does the evil eye mean? It is believed that the evil eye is a kind of curse cast by an individual staring with malicious intent. For example, it is generally perceived that if someone appreciates something with malicious intent, that thing or object may not prove beneficial to its owner.
To explain it in a simpler way, say, someone appreciates your new car and it breaks down the very next day. Leaving rationality aside, suspicion about the intent of the individual praising your car will definitely cross your mind. Many cultures across the world believe that some individuals possess the ability to cause misfortune or an injury just be staring or looking at you. But wait, is it really true?
✦ The idea of an evil eye causing bad luck is prevalent in parts of the world. This belief is at its strongest in some Western, Middle, and Eastern cultures.
✦ Of course, there are ways to protect oneself against an evil eye. One option is to wear a talisman, charm, or an amulet. It is created to protect the wearer or bearer from the negative powers of the evil eye. Such charms are usually in a form of an eye, and frequently called “evil eye” themselves.
✦ Wearing these evil eye talismans in various forms like rings, pendant, etc., to protect the wearer from malicious intent is pursued in several cultures. A new addition to wearing a talisman is getting a tattoo of the evil eye inked on one’s body. An evil eye can be tattooed using various designs. However, the eye is the prominent part of that tattoo design.
Though the tattoo serves both purposes of warding off evil and enhancing appearance, the purpose of the tattoo has led to a debate about the symbolism and nature―good or bad―of the evil eye tattoo.
✦ The name “evil eye” gives a negative connotation to the image. The “evil” in the name might make it seem an evil rather than good symbol. Several people believe that getting the evil eye inked on their skin might bring bad luck. People are advised against using the eye in the tattoo design. There is a controversial side to this debate too―it is superstition.
✦ However, not everyone concurs with this opinion. In some countries like Greece and Egypt, the use of evil eye as a symbol to ward off evil dates back centuries.
Greek Evil Eye Meaning
In Greece, the evil eye is known as “matiasma”. It is said the concept of the evil eye was conceived here, and its earliest mention can be traced back to the 6th century BCE. Greek authors like Socrates, Pluto, and Theocritus have mentioned the evil eye in their works.
There are other methods to cast off the curse of the evil eye than wearing amulets. The “healer” recites the payers silently, which are passed over to him from older relatives of a person said to be affected by the curse. Wearing blue beads is another way to protect against the evil eye.
Egyptian Evil Eye Meaning
The ancient eye symbol from Egypt is known as the Eye of Horus or the Eye of Ra. The symbol is associated with the ancient Egyptian sky god Horus as well as Wadjet, the Goddess of Lower Egypt.
One myth narrates the loss of Horus’s left eye in a fight between him and Seth, the God of Desert. After the eye was restored, Horus is said to have offered it to his father Osiris to restore his life. Thus, rather than evil, it is a symbol of protection, good health, sacrifice, healing, and power.
✦ The several references about evil eye and variations of the symbol that can be found Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, and Latin American cultures. The eye symbol is used to ward off any evil thoughts, intentions, or a curse aimed at a person.
The debate still continues about the benefits of inking an evil eye tattoo on one’s body. People from various cultures around the world use the eye symbol because they believe it protects their family, possessions, and loved ones from any malevolent glare. Having such symbol around you can definitely be a reassuring thought.
