The evil eye. An account of this ancient and wide spread superstition

THE EVIL EYE CHAP,
If we would now finally settle the proper meaning of these
animals, the fact is distinctly proved that in all those allied religious
representations which display the richest arsenal of superstitions
and witchcraft, a signification is given to those animals, which
makes them serve forthwith as amulets.^^^
He winds up his treatise with a description of
six different magic nails. One of these, now in the
Collegio Romano, is here re-
produced (Fig. 159).^^*^ Jahn
remarks that nails have much
to do with human superstitions ;
that the well-known ancient
Etruscan custom of clav2Lin
figere was not merely intended
to mark the date, but, as Livy
relates, it is said over and over
again by tradition of the
IPC
u
lj^"
"YJ
^1
^hI
"^
(llU
^^^
^^^
Jahn, Ahcrglauben, etc., p.
"It has on one side the
106.
inscription
lAflCABAflQ {Jao-Sabaoth),\.ogz\}a^x with
two signs, obscure to me, and three stars."
One of the doubtful objects is, we suggest,
— ;
the pincers seen upon many Gnostic amulets,
and especially in the three plaques (Figs.
181, 182, 183). "The other three sides
are inscribed with cursorily drawn animals
amongst these are (a) two serpents, two birds,
a bee, a frog, then an unknown creature
(/') a long serpent, then a ^ ; (r) a stag, a
lizard, a scorpion, and a hare, with another
unknown, doubtful animal— besides these
there are placed on either side three stars and a little indistinct sign." The
object next to the stag, " unknown," is certainly like one upon the tablet
of Isis (Fig. 185), whatever it may be intended to represent.
On this large nail are the same objects and animals with which we have
been dealing already. The only new one is the hare. Even this we see on
the insignia of jhe Constantia Legion (Fig. 64), jumping over the sun's disc.
Moreover, we know that hares were held in much esteem among the ancient
Britons as magic-working animals. Cresar says that they made use of hares
for the purpose of divination. They were never killed by them for food.
Queen Boadicea is said to have had a hare concealed in her bosom, and after
haranguing her soldiers to raise their courage, she let go the hare so that her
augurs might divine whether the omens were good or evil from the turnings
and windings made by the frightened animal. The omen was favourable, and