THE EVIL EYE

Mal De Ojo

الحسدعين

Saad SalimComm 645

The Evil Eye Defined “an irrational belief in an event that causes another

without any natural process or logical explanation linking the two events, especially as brining bad luck, harm, and sometimes death” (Schoeck 193).

Data CollectionScholarly SourcesPersonal Interviews

Wayne Brandy, 71, male, Native American

Abdullah Henedi, 25, male, Saudi Arabia

Lucia Victoria (Vicky), 28, female, Ecuador

Where does it come from? Envious look

Jealousy

- Social class status- Social injustice- Income inequality

The Evil Eye: A Casebook “a person’s envious gaze

or look carries with it a great deal of power that can be harmful” (Dundes 258).

Saudi ArabiaEcuador

“If someone improves his or her economic status or buys a new car, the person will become the center of attraction. This is very dangerous because people will give him Ayn [evil eye]” (Henedi).

“you dress up a baby and take him to the town and a woman, who has no children or cannot afford to buy the same clothes, sees the baby. In this case, the baby is most likely to be harmed by ojo [the evil eye]” (Victoria).

United Sates of America“Possessors of the evil eye

are envious. Why should I envy someone when I, and most of the Americans, have the same opportunity to succeed in life. There is wealth equality [in America] where everyone can get almost everything through a hard working” (Brandy).

The Evil Eye Culture Victims Children Women (pregnant

women)

Evil eye possessor Old woman Differing eyes color Eyes too close together Eyes set deep in head

SymptomsAccording to scholars Severe headache High fever Anxiety Weeping (children)

Khalid Henedi (Saudi): “Sick, vomit without

obvious reason.”

Lucia Victoria (Ecuador): “Dizziness, powerless,

pale without any sign of disease.”

Saudi Arabia Ecuador Evil Eye can cause

death Quran-based treatment Blue amulets

Camel urine

Ojo is not fatal

No religious treatment Red ribbon and

amulets Guinea pig

Conclusion

Works Cited"Evil Eye." Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. Ed. Una McGovern. London: Chambers Harrap, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 20 July 2015.

Abu-Rabia, Aref. "The Evil Eye And Cultural Beliefs Among The Bedouin Tribes Of The Negev, Middle East [1]." Folklore 116.3 (2005): 241-254. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 July 2015.

Al-Awadhi, Dr Ahlam. “Wonders and Secrets of Treatment by Camel Urine.” Al-Da’wa Magazine.14 April 2004. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 2 August 2015.

Berger, Allan S. "The Evil Eye--an Ancient Superstition." Journal of Religion and Health 51.4 (2012): 1098-103. ProQuest. Web. 20 July 2015.

Brandy, Wayne. Personal Interview. 1 August 2015.

Dundes, Alan. The evil eye: A casebook. Vol. 2. Univ of Wisconsin Press, 1981. Print.

Farsoun, Samih K. "Class structure and social change in the Arab World." Arab Society: Class, Gender, Power, and Development (1997): 11-28. Web. 21 July 2015.

Gershman, Boris. "The Economic Origins Of The Evil Eye Belief." Journal Of Economic Behavior & Organization 110.(2015): 119-144. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 July 2015.

Henedi, Khalid. Personal Interview. 31 July 2015.

Schoeck, Helmut. "The evil eye: forms and dynamics of a universal superstition." The Evil Eye: A Folklore Casebook. Ed. by A. Dundes. New York: Garland Publishing Inc (1981): 192-200. PDF

Victoria, Lucia. Personal Interview. 31 July 2015.

Weller, Susan C., et al. "Variation And Persistence In Latin American Beliefs About Evil Eye." Cross-Cultural Research (2015): 174-203. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Aug. 2015.