The evil eye (Turkish: Nazar boncuğu; Ancient Greek: ὀφθαλμὸς βάσκανος; Greek: μάτι; Hebrew: עַיִן הָרָע; Romanian: Deochi; Italian: malocchio; Spanish: mal de ojo; Arabic: عين الحسد, ayn al-hasad; Persian: چشم زخم, Cheshm Zakhm; Dari: چشم مهره Cheshem Mohra; Kazakh: Көз) is a supernatural belief in a curse, brought about by a malevolent glare, usually given to a person when one is unaware. The evil eye dates back about 5,000 years. This iconic symbol is present across various religions and cultures, but most importantly Witchcraft. The earliest known belief in the power of the evil eye predates ancient Roman and Greek times classical antiquity, there has been literature that mentions at 6th century BC it appeared on Chalcidian drinking vessels, known as eye-cups, as a type of apotropaic magic. It is found in many cultures in the Mediterranean region, with such cultures often believing that receiving the evil eye will cause misfortune or injury, while others believe it to be a kind of supernatural force that casts or reflects a malevolent gaze back-upon those who wish harm upon others (especially innocents). Older iterations of the symbol were often made of ceramic or clay; however, following the production of glass beads in the Mediterranean region in approximately 1500 BC, evil eye beads were popularised with the Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans.The idea expressed by the term causes many different cultures to pursue protective measures against it, with around 40% of the worlds population believing in the evil eye.
Truck owners and other public transport vehicles may commonly be seen using a small black cloth on the bumpers to prevent the evil eye. Italy
The cornicello, "little horn", also called the cornetto ("little horn", plural cornetti), is a long, gently twisted horn-shaped amulet. Cornicelli are usually carved out of red coral or made from gold or silver. The type of horn they are intended to copy is not a curled-over sheep horn or goat horn but rather like the twisted horn of an African eland or a chili pepper. A tooth or tuft of fur of the Italian wolf was worn as a talisman against the evil eye.One idea that the ribald suggestions made by sexual symbols distract the witch from the mental effort needed to successfully bestow the curse. Another is that since the effect of the eye was to dry up liquids, the drying of the phallus (resulting in male impotence) would be averted by seeking refuge in the moist female genitals. Among the ancient Romans and their cultural descendants in the Mediterranean nations, those who were not fortified with phallic charms had to make use of sexual gestures to avoid the eye. Such gestures include scratching ones testicles (for men), as well as the mano cornuta gesture and the fig sign; a fist with the thumb pressed between the index and middle fingers, representing the phallus within the vagina. In addition to the phallic talismans, statues of hands in these gestures, or covered with magical symbols, were carried by the Romans as talismans.