Evil eye in the western HighlandsMaclagan, Robert Craig
Religion
Evil eye in the western Highlands
Maclagan, Robert Craig
Evil eye; Folklore; Superstition
Another woman who was present when this was told doubted it being in
anybody’s power to do harm in that way, whereupon the reciter declared
that she believed it to be quite true and had experienced it with the
same woman, and then detailed how she had caused the fowls to drop
soft-shelled eggs, already quoted.
A domestic servant, speaking of this churning difficulty, said that
when she went into houses where they were churning they would not mind
her. “Many a time,” she added, “they have asked me to give them help
with the churn.” She apparently had not appreciated the reason of her
assistance being asked.
The explanation suggested for this procedure is, that if one does not
want the churning to be successful they will not do anything to assist
it; and, _vice versâ_, if they do give their help it is considered as
evidence of their desire to bring it to a successful termination.
PREVENTION BY PECULIARITY IN CLOTHES
When speaking of the liability of nice-looking, well-dressed children
suffering injury, the prevention by turning an article of clothing
outside in was mentioned. The authorities in these cases are from
Harris and from Islay. To show further the extent of this belief, a
Ross-shire man says a thing he has often seen done for the prevention
of evil influences was to turn a child’s coat or other garment wrong
side out, because: “It is believed that a witch is rendered powerless
in respect of any person who happens at the time when they might be
injuriously affected to be wearing any article of clothing wrong side
out.”
Another preventative in connection with clothing also comes from
Harris. When a dress is put on for the first time a small burning peat
or burning stick is waved over it, inside and out, and this is believed
to be an efficient protection of the wearer from an attack by the Evil
Eye. This is evidently the purification by fire already alluded to.
Attracting the Evil Eye by a piece of cloth also appears in the
following from a farmer and office-bearer in the church, a man of about
seventy, but an undoubted believer in what we may call superstitions.
Where he was brought up a rag was put in a _bruchag_ (cranny) of the
wall at the head of every milk cow in the byre as a protection against
the Evil Eye.
TAR AS PREVENTATIVE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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