Copyright 1995 by Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc.
evil eye

The evil eye, the ability of certain people to convey misfortune through their gaze, is a feature of traditional belief in many regions of the world.  Associated since antiquity with the Mediterranean area and the Muslim peoples of the Middle East, it also occurs among the Yucatan MAYA and the Ugandan Lugbara.  Individuals in these societies often wear protective AMULETS to ward off its ill effects.  The possessor of the evil eye may unintentionally cause harm to others, although he or she is usually said to be motivated by envy.  A belief in the evil eye may thus serve to discourage the provocation of envy and to underline boundaries of acceptable behavior, both for those suspected of possessing the evil eye and for their potential victims. 

Bibliography:  Elworthy, Frederick, Evil Eye:  An Account of This Ancient and Widespread Superstition (1895;  repr.  1986); Maloney, Clarence, ed., The Evil Eye (1976).