New-York tribune., 1908-08-30
EVIL EYE BELIEF
an ancient Superstition Still 4cfaUs
an Most Countries.

| IN constant dread of persons supposed 10 be en-
iooks Where and when did this Superstition orig.
mate? Does it also prevail IN % otneF Gquhfrt % bs,t
in the banefII influence of the eye? II how can
are there to avert the threatening dansers
La tettatura in the superstitious belief Of tho
| Italians, is the supposed power of certain per-
sons of bewitching or harming others by their
look The person endowed with this strange
faculty is called 'jettatore." La jettatura is
not an invention Of yesterday, as the behef IN
the "eviI eye'' was widespread among the an
clients and stin prevails in ASIA Africa ana
Eastern Europe and to certain extent In
Western Europe also. The Greeks called IL
"alexiana" the Latins "fascinum." the Jews
zen ha-ra" The ancients, avert the evil in
fuence made use Of various kinds of amulets,
worn in the form of bracelets and necklaces
They believed that children, or those enjoying
great prosperity, favored with run of good
luck and those on whom exalted praise and adj
ulation were lavished, were in particular sus-
ceptible to the effects of the evil eye For this
reason the Romans when praising a person
were wont to add "pr@fscini'' or 'prefscins
d,xerim'' in order to avert any possible charm
and to prove that their praise extended in
good faith. This custom is still to be found
among the Russian and Polish Jews. who on
like occasions never fail to add the phrase
ken en-hara," or. in the Yiddish jarson, ken
n'hore" which means mo evil eye
In our own days there are few countries where
the superstition does not prevail In Great
Britain principally in the northern part and
in Ireland it is known ''the evil eye" and in
Spain is the "nal de ojo" In Greece 1t is called
"kako-uatf" and it's effects are avsrted by
splitting as did the ancients against all kinds of
| bad omens. Among the Hndus the 'kan-nurar"
evil eye, of people is believed to have
most barefu1 effect upon whatsoever it shall
be fixed, and those who are reputed to have
such eyes are always avoided, and none except
near relations will invite them to feast In
. Egypt nothing distresses parent more than
that which in other countries is considered to
convey a compInent-admiration Of the child
II any cne is seen TO stare at the offspring, the
mother hastily snatches it away to perform
some superstitious rite a charm against the
supposed evil eye. The Turks who more than
any other people are in dread of the evil eye,
believe IN counteracting its effects by inscrib-
ing certain verses Of the Koran on the entrance
door of their houses. In Slavic lands old women
throw live Goals into water. with which they
sprinkle the four corners OF the room, reciting
the while certain formulas a safeguard
against the evil eye Adults rings beads
of amber a string around the neck a pro-
lection against it The bridegroom. whose con-
tugaI happiness is envied by some one, IS sspe-
cfay susceptible TO the influence of the evil eye
He may protect himself by walking backward.
In Italy. and in particular at Naples where the
superstition under the name of "iettatura"
reigns supreme they believe that anything in
the shape of a horn is a safeguard against it's
effects. Besides the large horns which they
hang In conspicuous place In their homes. they
wear Httle horns Of coral jet around ths
neck. on the finger or the watchchain- Another
expedierit in counteractins the evil influence OF
the '.jettatore" consists in stretching out toward
him the middle finger while holding the index
and ring finger closed. the closed fist with
the thumb between the index and middle fingers
According to the belief of the Italians. the Jet
tatura" is something dreadful The person
dowed with this faculty does not always pur-
posely cause accidents. but his presencs
calls them forth. If he looks attentively AZ your
house il will not he long before IT will be de-
stroyed by fire: If he fixes his eyes upon
slater the unfortunate is sure to fall from the
roof. In his presence you cannot help dropping
and breaking some precious object. getting en-
tangled in a wonlan's dress tunlbling down
the stairs. II is sufficient to have met him to bs
pursued the whole day by bad luck; on that day
no enterprise will succeed; you'll break your last
$40 bill, only TO get false money in exchange; .
policeman will take you for criminal and ar
rest you: you will miss the appointment with
YOUR girl or get the collie at the very moment
when about TO go to long craved meeting No
wonder that the '.jettatore' is stunned like the
pest, fortunately. he be easily known.
and like the rattlesnake. he reveals himself by
certain signs. The '.jetratore" is. rule. thin
and pale: he has a like a ravens BILL large
eyes that remind of the toad, and which hs
generally conceals under pair af eyeglasses
The 'jettatura' is incurable; is born Jet
tatore" and dies ''jettatore.'
Many prominent men enjoy the reputation
of being 'jettatOres'': among others. the fa-
nous violin virtuoso Paganini. the composer
Offenbach and the great italian statesman
Crispi. Even Pope Plus TX regarded
as a "jettatOre." The Romans avoided his
presence but when they happened
him they piously knelt down while making the
cabastic sign behind their backs The most
cent case is that of GioIitti. the head OF tho
Italian government, of whom the common peo-
pie believe that he exerts the "jettatura'' upon
all his colleag gues of the ministry Indeed 1t il
a remarkable fact that many statesmen who
formed part of his Cabinet died suddenly.
after short and fatal sickness The Minister
of Public Works who died November 10,
1907. is said to he the seventeenth of these sup
posed victims of the '.jettatura" The first time
Giotti was president of the ministry four min
isters died, and when called the second and third
time to form Cabinet six more deaths occurred
among his colleagues. Things have come 70
such pass that to-day few dare to accept .
portfolio under GiOlitti
II is not known when how the superstition
of the evil eve originated IL seems TO have pre-
vailed from time immemorial and according to
some il refers to the story of the Medusa, whose
eyes caused immediate destruction
~
TESTED.