Apotropaic and Other Magic Devices in Greek ... - Triceratops Home

100 JOURNAL OF THE HELLENIC DIASPORA
In some villages and small towns it is still customary a few
days before the wedding for the bride, with the help of her
mother and other female relatives and friends, to display her
proika,'2 or trousseau, at her house. The time and manner vary
from region to region, and the amount of her proika also varies,
depending on her social and economic status. It usually consists
of a mattress for the bridal bed, and items such as linens, blankets,
embroidered tablecloths, couch covers, and rugs. Previously, all
of these items were handmade by the bride and her mother and
were accumulated over the years, though, given the economic
growth and mobility in Greece in recent years, most of these
items are now bought from stores. Other articles include personal
clothing, such as lingerie, dresses, overcoats, and shoes, as well
as household items and kitchen utensils. Everything is arranged
in a conpicuous place inside the house so that the number of
articles and their value can easily be seen and appreciated. Such a
conscious exhibition of the prosperity and labor, however, could
provoke the envy of neighbors who come to inspect and admire
the dowry.
Since the evil eye is believed to indiscriminately attack people
as well as their property, an anxious bride or her mother often
resorts to various prophylactic measures. Some of these include
the use of amulets and charms. Traditionally, blue charms are
believed to be the most effective against evil eye attacks. Thus,
in the rooms where the bride's trousseau is displayed, blue beads,
strung with silver or golden threads, and blue ribbons are often
seen hanging conspicuously from the walls or furniture. Other
objects may include small icons or wooden crosses; their direct
association with religion reinforces their efficacy as apotropaic
amulets.
It is believed that, as a symbol of marriage and conjugal union,
the wedding mattress often becomes an object of envy and arouses
feelings of jealousy in those who come to admire the dowry.
Protective measures, therefore, are taken before the mattress is
displayed. For instance, in the village of Arahova, near Delphi,
and on the island of Lefkas in the Ionian Sea, the bride's mother
or a very close relative puts bay or myrtle leaves, dried nuts and
raisins, rice, salt, a silver coin or a small ring-shaped bread inside
121n Greek, the term proika applies to both the dowry and the trousseau.