Evil Eye Beads

The Hamsa evil eye is a palm-shaped amulet that is worn in many countries, but its popularity is mostly in the Middle East and North Africa. Hamsa is a derivation from a Semitic root meaning ‘five’. The Hamsa is worn to fight the evil eye and it is usually incorporated in necklaces, earrings, rings, and other accessories. The picture below shows a Hamsa that is made as a necklace.

According to archaeological evidence, it is believed that the Hamsa hand that points down predates its use by the Muslims. Hamsa evil eyes are believed to have originated in ancient practices of the Phoenicians of Carthage.

Another name for Hamsa is the hand of Fatima – this commemorates Fatima Zahra who was a daughter of Prophet Muhammad.

Since the Jews have been the neighbors to the Muslims for thousands of years, it is not surprising that Hamsa evil eye found its path into the Jewish culture. However, for the Jews, the Hand of Fatima is referred to as the hand of Miriam – the sister to Aaron and Moses. Many Jews, especially Sephardic Jews, believe the five fingers of Hamsas are meant to remind people who wear them to use all their senses in praising God.

The style of Hamsa hand used depends on where the hand is made, but two main styles are generally used. These styles are Hamsa hands with two symmetrical thumbs, and Hamsa hands that are not shaped like actual hands.

The Hamsa evil eye is so popular that celebrities such as Madonna and Brittany Spears have been spotted wearing them.

Greek evil eye beads such as the ones in the necklace shown below are very popular in Greece and elsewhere.

Evil eye beads from Greece are also worn in the form of silver and gold pendants, bracelets, earrings, rings, traditional charms, and amulets.

The main reason for this is that evil eye beads, according to the Greek tradition, are believed to protect people from such things as bad luck and envy of others. People wear them when they have just had a new baby, when they have bought a new car, when they are building a house, or when they are staring a new job.

The fact that these evil eye beads are accepted by the Greek Orthodox Christian Church, which is the main religious denomination in Greece, makes the beads very popular.

Greek women love accessorizing their outfits and this has led to the popularity of the evil eye beads. This started a long time ago and although the style of dressing has changed, the love for accessorizing has not changed.

Outside the country, Greece holds a very sacred place in the heart of many people due to its contribution to the human history and women buy these beads to feel closer to the Greeks. Other people buy these eye beads, especially the old beads, for commercial purposes – like all antiques, evil eye antique beads from Greece appreciate in value with the passage of time.

Evil eye beads from Greece come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and even the material making them is different – it all depends on the manufacturer, the time they were made, and the part of Greece where they are/were manufactured.