The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-09-22
CHARMS AGAINST THE EVIL EYE.

The supposed liability of the inno-
cent multitude to the maievolence Of
the evil eye caused the superstitious
to have recourse to many charms, in
carnations, and ceremonies to avert
ul-consequences and render the poi
soned glance innocuous; among
which, as just recorded, prayer and the
use Of saliva were conspicuous. The
wearing of coral brooches, beads, and
earrings is still a popular charm in
Naples against the evil eye 'Tn
Scotland" says Mr.. Graham Dalzell,
in his addenda, ga red thread tied
about child's neck, OF rowan cross,
(cross of mountain ash,) are believed
to be equally efiicacious in preventing
the influence Of evil spirits, evil eyes,
and other calamities." In the Middle
marked with the mystic letters A B r
A G A d A B r A, was worn in the
bosom as a certain specific. A cross
formed Of the wood Of the elder tree,
affixed to cow-houSes and stables, was
supposed to protect the cattle from
all possible harm. A branch Of the
rowan tree was also in great favor,
and to hold up but a branch or a twig
In presence of an eye-biter was suffi-
cient to render her deadliest wishes of
no avail. A four-leaved shamrock,
which is excessively rare, and all the
more highly priced for that reason,
was sovereign antidote. InPocock's
Travels in the East he says that the
Arabs OF Egypt threw salt into the fire
as a charm against the effect Of an evil
eye, or before loading their camels for
ajourney through the desert, conclud-
ing, as the blue flame arises, that every
evil genius is banished. The election of
saliva was also considered a charm Of
peculiar efficacy. Pliny speaks Of it
as certain antidote to fascination"
as well as q preservatfve from conta-
gion, and in pugilistic encounters as
certain to aggravate the violence Of a
blow. "At the present day, as Of old"
says Mr.. Dalzell, "a Greek mother, as
II commemorating the words Of Theo-
critus and Tibullus, spits in her bosom
to repel fascinating glances directed
toward herself, and dreading the gaze
OF the sterile on her child, spits in its
face" But the most common OF all
the charms in use against the evil eye
Is that very vulgar gesture Of applying
the thumb to the nose, stretching out
the fingers, and ''twiddling" them
with q rapid motion for few seconds,
commonly practiced by London street
boys, without the slightest knowledge
Of its origin OF meaning, and known
In slang parlance as taking a sight"
The Slang Dictionary says that "to
take sight" is vulgar action EN-.
ployed by boys and others to denote
incredulity or contempt for authority;
but the real meaning in ancient times,
forgotten and wholly unsuspected in
our own, was to show contempt and
defiance Of the Vaccinations Of witch.
craft, and to render the evil eye power
less. This is the action that SO Of
fends the good-natured Pho Mono, not
for itself, but as a manifestation of
the public opinion, that he possesses,
independently Of his will, a power that
he would be the last to exercise de-
signedly. This vulgar sign, modern
as it looks, is Us old as Egyptian civili-
zation, and was known, as tracings up-
on the unearthed walls Of Pompeii
and Herculaneum abundantly prove.
to the street boys and other vulgar in
habitants of those ancient cities.
the Year Round.