The national forum., 1910-07-30


fluenae Of the "evil eye" upon human
beings, animals, and even plants. A
person with an evli eye was, and is
still in some quarters, supposed to be
gifted with the power of eXerttng an
| evil influence or fascination on any
one by glance from the eyes. BY
| the ancient Romans it was called fas-
cinum, and by the Greeks baskania,
| and to both it was an integral part oil
the popular belief,
Even in these modern days the
''evil eye" fallacy is to be found IN
every country on the face of the
globe. Here it is especially prevalent
among the immigrants who flock to
our shores in such countless num-
bers. Many of them have certain
persons among their friends whom
they suspect of having an evil eye If
the child of an Italian or Polish
mother begins to cry suddenly she
will at once attribute it to the evil
eye of some one who has looked at
the youngster.
It is not children alone that the
evil eye threatens. 1t affects grown
up people, animals, and even the
crops in the field.
But it is to lovers or newly married
couples that the evil eye is most dam
gerous. An evil eye will make the
sweetheart faithless. 1t will trans
form the best husband. 1t brings dis
cord into the homes where love and
harmony reigned. That is what the
superstitious ones believe.
Many and varied are the means
adopted to counteract the effects of
the evil eye. Amulets of various
forms - the most common those
shaped like horns, like frog or like
a hand-are worn, and such devices
adopted by way OF safeguard as eX-
pectorating on the ground or on the
breast showing something ridiculous
to the fascinator, dissimulating good
fortune or doing something unpleas-
ant by way of counter penance.
The Italians, who are inveterate be-
levers in this foolish superstition, are
partial to a charm in the shape of a
tiny hand, the index and little fingers
being pointed out and the third and
fourth fingers being held down by
the thumb. This little charm is made
of various materials, coral, tortoise
shell, silver and gold being the ones
in highest favor.
The following are a few of the
many charms against the evil eye:
The kernel of the fruit of the palm
tree, a sprig of rue, sweeping a child's
face with the branch of pine tree,
hanging around a child's neck fennel
seed or bread and cheese.
In The Gentlemen's Magazine, of
England (January, 173D, appears
the following account of curious
trial of certain persons charged with
bewitching cattle belonging to neigh
bors, Which throws an interesting
light upon the superstitions prevail
ing among our own ancestors in the
early days of the existence of the
American colonies:
From Burlington, in Pennsylva-
MIA New Jersey was doubtless
meant), tits advised that the owners
of several cattle, believing them to be
bewitched, caused some suspected
men and women to be taken up and
trials to be made for detecting 'em.
About three hundred people assem-
bled near the Governors house, and,
a pair of scales being erected, the
suspected persons were each weighed
against large Bible; but all of them
vastly outweighed it. The accused
were then to be tied head and feet
together, and put into a river Cthe
Delaware) on supposition that il they
SWAN not they must be guilty. This
they offered to undergo in case their
accusers should be served in like
manner, which being done, they all
swan very buoyantly and cleared the
accused"
A most extraordinary belief, and
yet one which has had a worldwide
currency, Is that of the ability of GER
tain persons to accomplish the death
of others by various magical pro-
cesses In Europe and America the
persons so gifted were commonly
known as witches, and in the early
days, when they were caught at their
nefarious practices, death was their
portion. The march of civilization
has uprooted this superstition from
the minds of most civilized peoples,
but it is still in vogue among the ig-
norant, while in the islands of the
Pacific and in Asia it flourishes in
many queer forms.
Even to this day the older Ha-
waiian's blood will run cold and he
will take to his bed in very horror as
soon as the thought strikes him that
some one is attempting to pray
him to death This is an ancient su-
perstition in the islands, and it is
only within recent years that implicit
faith in the ability of the "kahuna,'
or priest, to accomplish his nefarious
purpose in this manner, has been
broken.
Formerly person who felt that
he had been injured by another would
go to a certain "kakuna," and by CIV
ing him presents procure his aid in
praying" his enemy to death. The
inhabitants of the South Pacific isl
ands, who are offshoots of the Malay
race, are very superstitious, and many
authentic instances are reported BY
the missionaries Of Hawaiians taking
to their beds as soon as they heard
that they were being "anaanaed," as
it was termed, and dying in very
few days.
In the stirring times of the revolu