20â â˘â Chapter One
the evil eye. In his book The Evil Eye, published in 1895, Frederick Thomas Elworthy described the amulets he saw on Neapolitan carthorses. These ranged from bells, ribbons, horns, and pheasantsâ feathers to horse brasses engraved with saints and angels.14 Special protection is necessary for children, as the forces of evil are always interested in the young, especially those who are intelligent and attractive. Protection had to be done as soon as someone praised a baby or child. In the East, the remedy was to say the opposite. A beautiful child would be described as ugly and an intelligent child would be labeled ignorant in an attempt to confuse the evil forces. Chinese parents would often comment on their children first, saying something along the lines of âMy miserable, wretched, and ugly offspringâ to avoid any possibility of the evil eye. In southern Russia, mothers would order their children to make a sign of the figa behind the back of the person who complimented them.15 In the Middle East, small boys were sometimes dressed in girlsâ clothes, again in an attempt to confuse the Devil. Various plants were used in different parts of the world to avert the evil eye. In England, people planted jack beans, believing they would protect their gardens. Garlic was popular in Greece, shamrock was used in Ireland, and barley was a popular remedy in