03.06.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

CHAPTER II<br />

SYMPATHETIC MAGIC<br />

In further pursuing <strong>this</strong> subject, it must be borne in<br />

mind that besides the direct influences <strong>of</strong> fascination,<br />

including those <strong>of</strong> simple bodily presence, breathing,<br />

or touching, there is a whole class <strong>of</strong> operations<br />

directly connected with it, comprehended in the<br />

terms Magic, Enchantment, Witchcraft.<br />

A great authority,''" who has dealt exhaustively<br />

with the subject <strong>of</strong> the Occult Sciences, including<br />

Omens, Augury, <strong>and</strong> Astrology, does not even<br />

allude to the belief in the <strong>evil</strong> <strong>eye</strong>, which we<br />

take to be the basis <strong>and</strong> origin <strong>of</strong> the Magical<br />

Arts. About these the earliest known writings<br />

<strong>and</strong> the most <strong>ancient</strong> monuments give abundant<br />

evidence. Dr. Tylor calls the belief in magic<br />

"one <strong>of</strong> the most pernicious delusions that ever<br />

vexed mankind " ; <strong>and</strong> considering magic merely as<br />

the h<strong>and</strong>maid, or the tool, <strong>of</strong> envy, <strong>this</strong> description<br />

accords well with that <strong>of</strong> Bacon, as the vilest <strong>and</strong><br />

most depraved <strong>of</strong> all "affections."<br />

<strong>The</strong> practice <strong>of</strong> magic as defined by Littre,<br />

"Art pretendu de produire des effets contre I'ordre<br />

de la nature," began with the lowest known<br />

stages <strong>of</strong> civilisation ; <strong>and</strong> although amongst mo st<br />

63 Tylor, Primitive Culture, vol. i. p. loi.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!