Evil Eye in Mediterranean Cultures

BY NICOLE LAU

The Mediterranean basin serves as the epicenter of evil eye belief and practice, where ancient traditions have evolved into living cultural systems that permeate daily life. From Greek fishing villages to Italian grandmothers' kitchens, the evil eye—known by many names across the region—remains a vital force in social dynamics and spiritual protection.

Greece: Matiasma and the Blue Bead

In Greece, the evil eye is called matiasma (μάτιασμα) or simply mati (eye). Greek culture treats the evil eye not as superstition but as observable social reality. The belief is so embedded that even educated, urban Greeks routinely take protective measures.

The iconic blue glass eye bead adorns everything from baby cribs to fishing boats, cars to doorways. Greek mothers pin blue beads to infants' clothing, believing newborns are especially vulnerable to envious glances. The color blue—specifically the deep azure of the Aegean—is considered the most powerful protective shade.

Greek Orthodox priests perform xematiasma, a ritual prayer to remove the evil eye's effects. The ceremony involves making the sign of the cross over the afflicted person while reciting specific prayers, often accompanied by spitting three times (a symbolic gesture of rejection). Olive oil divination—dropping oil into water to diagnose the evil eye—remains common practice in rural and island communities.

Italy: Malocchio and the Cornicello

Italians call it malocchio (bad eye) or mal'occhio, with regional variations like jettatura in Naples. Southern Italy, particularly Sicily and Campania, maintains the strongest evil eye traditions, blending pre-Christian beliefs with Catholic practice.

The cornicello—a twisted horn-shaped amulet—serves as the primary Italian defense against malocchio. Traditionally carved from red coral or cast in gold, the horn represents ancient fertility symbolism repurposed for protection. Italians also use the mano cornuta (horned hand gesture) and the mano fica (fig hand) as immediate protective signs.

Italian grandmothers (nonnas) hold specialized knowledge of evil eye removal rituals, passed down through female lineages. These ceremonies often involve olive oil, water, scissors, and secret prayers that can only be transmitted on Christmas Eve. The rituals remain closely guarded family secrets, with practitioners believing that revealing the prayers diminishes their power.

Turkey: Nazar and Glass Bead Mastery

Turkey elevated evil eye protection to an art form through the nazar boncuğu—the blue glass eye bead that has become globally synonymous with evil eye protection. Turkish artisans in the Aegean region, particularly around Izmir, have perfected glass-blowing techniques passed down through generations.

The Turkish approach treats nazar beads as both spiritual tools and aesthetic objects. They appear everywhere: hanging in homes and businesses, dangling from rearview mirrors, woven into jewelry, embedded in architecture. When a nazar bead cracks or breaks, Turks believe it has absorbed harmful energy and fulfilled its protective purpose.

Turkish culture distinguishes between intentional and unintentional evil eye. Even compliments can carry harmful energy if not followed by maşallah (God has willed it) to neutralize potential envy. This linguistic protection demonstrates how deeply the belief integrates into everyday communication.

Spain: Mal de Ojo and Catholic Syncretism

Spanish mal de ojo traditions blend Moorish, Jewish, and Catholic influences, creating a unique Mediterranean-Iberian synthesis. While less visually prominent than in Greece or Turkey, the belief remains strong, especially in rural areas and among older generations.

Spanish protection emphasizes Catholic imagery: saints' medals, blessed objects, and religious prayers. The higa amulet—a closed fist with thumb between fingers—serves as the primary secular protection. Spanish mothers use azabache (jet stone) bracelets on babies, believing the black stone absorbs negative energy.

Spanish evil eye removal involves limpias (cleansings) performed by curanderas (healers) using eggs, herbs, and prayers. The egg ritual—passing a raw egg over the body then cracking it into water—serves as both diagnostic and curative, with the egg's appearance revealing the evil eye's presence and severity.

Cyprus: Crossroads of Traditions

Cyprus, positioned between Greece and Turkey, maintains evil eye practices from both cultures plus unique local variations. Cypriot Greeks use vaskania (similar to Greek matiasma), while Turkish Cypriots follow nazar traditions, creating a fascinating cultural overlap.

Cypriot villages preserve ancient practices like burying protective amulets at property corners and painting blue on doors and window frames. The island's strategic position historically exposed it to multiple cultural influences, resulting in layered protection systems that combine Greek, Turkish, Arab, and Phoenician elements.

Malta: Għajn and Island Isolation

Maltese għajn (eye) beliefs reflect the island's unique position as a Mediterranean crossroads. Maltese protection combines Catholic devotion with pre-Christian practices, creating distinctly local traditions.

Maltese fishermen paint eyes on boat prows—a practice dating to Phoenician times—to watch for danger and deflect envy. The għajnejn (little eyes) serve both practical navigation purposes and spiritual protection. Maltese grandmothers perform secret rituals involving salt, water, and prayers in Maltese dialect, maintaining traditions that predate Arabic and Italian influences.

Shared Mediterranean Patterns

Despite regional variations, Mediterranean evil eye cultures share core elements:

• Vulnerability of success: Prosperity, beauty, and good fortune attract dangerous attention
• Unintentional harm: Even well-meaning admiration can cause damage
• Visible protection: Amulets serve as both defense and social signal
• Female transmission: Women typically hold and pass down protective knowledge
• Ritual removal: Specialized ceremonies cure evil eye effects
• Preventive language: Specific phrases neutralize compliments

Social Function and Community Cohesion

Mediterranean evil eye beliefs serve crucial social functions beyond spiritual protection. The system regulates envy, encourages humility, and provides explanations for misfortune that preserve social harmony. Rather than blaming individuals for bad luck, the evil eye offers an external cause that doesn't fracture community relationships.

The belief also creates shared cultural identity. Wearing a nazar bead or cornicello signals membership in a cultural tradition, connecting diaspora communities to ancestral homelands. Mediterranean immigrants worldwide maintain evil eye practices as tangible links to heritage.

Modern Mediterranean Practice

Contemporary Mediterranean societies navigate tension between modernity and tradition regarding evil eye beliefs. Urban, educated populations may intellectually dismiss the concept while emotionally maintaining protective practices—wearing amulets "just in case" or following rituals to honor family tradition.

Tourism has commercialized evil eye symbols, particularly in Greece and Turkey, where nazar beads have become ubiquitous souvenirs. This commercialization paradoxically strengthens and dilutes the tradition: spreading awareness globally while potentially reducing sacred symbols to mere decoration.

The Mediterranean as Living Laboratory

The Mediterranean region offers unparalleled insight into how ancient beliefs adapt to modern contexts while maintaining core functions. Evil eye practices here aren't museum pieces but living traditions that continue evolving, demonstrating humanity's enduring need for symbolic protection against social and spiritual threats.

Understanding Mediterranean evil eye cultures reveals sophisticated systems for managing envy, protecting vulnerable individuals, and maintaining social equilibrium—wisdom that transcends any single culture and speaks to universal human experiences of visibility, vulnerability, and the need for energetic boundaries.