ԱՉՔԻ ՀԱՏԿԱՆԻՇՆԵՐԸ ՀԱՎԱՏԱԼԻՔՆԵՐՈՒՄ ԵՎ ՈՉ ԱՎԱՆԴԱԿԱՆ ԲԺՇԿՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՄԵՋ / THE PROPERTIES OF EYES IN BELIEFS AND IN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Abstract

The eye, in folk cultures, may be terribly harmful. This ancient belief was a widespread one and is still alive among different peoples. It was considered that not only living people could harm but also the dead ones and even the animals as for instance the snakes. The power of the evil eye in popular traditions depended on people's location, nationality, social status, profession, the color of the eyes and the hair, etc. The harm caused by the evil eye was often supposed to have influence involuntary, and it was even considered that a person could harm himself. The terrible power of glance might harm the heavenly bodies and gods as well. Not only the glance but also the words might be of a precipitating cause of injury, especially when praising somebody or an evil thought, which comes out from the eyes may harm. More frequently, envy is thought to bring misfortune. In the works of different specialists we encounter the harmful properties of the evil eye: ethnographers, anthropologists, philologists, folklorists, culturologists, linguists, historians, poets, archaeologists, orientalists, clergymen, theologists, Medieval historians, Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, poets and so on. The idea of the evil eye is found in the Bible, in Avesta and elsewhere. In medicine the eye examination dates back to ancient times: iridology-diagnosis of diseases by changes in the structure and color of the iris was applied in Ancient Egypt, Babylon, Tibet, India, Indochina, and later – in Europe. As for protection from the evil eye, there are many ways – a huge number of amulets made of different materials, certain gestures, word formulas. Magic rituals are also some of means used to deflect the evil eye and to defend from it.