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Apotropaic magic (from Greek αποτρέπω, apotrépō 'to ward off') or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye.
There are many theories as to the origin of Toi toi toi as an idiom. In folklore it was used to ward off a spell or hex, often accompanied by knocking on wood or spitting. One origin theory sees "toi toi toi" as the onomatopoeic rendition of spitting three times, a common practice in many parts of the world to ward off evil spirits.
A nazar, an amulet to ward off the evil eye. An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny's Natural History describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble". Anything can function as an amulet ...
In India and Pakistan, the Hindi-Urdu slogan chashm-e-baddoor (چشم بدور, '[may the evil] eye keep away') is used to ward off the evil eye. [4] In the Indian subcontinent, the phrase nazar lag gai is used to indicate that one has been affected by the evil eye. [5] [6] [7] The nazar was added to Unicode as U+1F9FF 刺 NAZAR AMULET in 2018. [8]
It is also used traditionally to counter or ward off the "evil eye" (Italian: malocchio). In Italy specifically, the gesture is known as the corna ('horns'). With fingers pointing down, it is a common Mediterranean apotropaic gesture, by which people seek protection in unlucky situations (a Mediterranean equivalent of knocking on wood ).
Omamori are also used to ward off bad luck and are often spotted on bags, hung on cellphone straps, in cars, etc. Omamori have changed over the years from being made mostly of paper and/or wood to being made out of a wide variety of materials (i.e. bumper decals, bicycle reflectors, credit cards, etc.). [2]
The phrase masha'Allah (Arabic: ما شاء الله, meaning "God has willed it") is commonly said to ward off the evil eye. Understanding of the evil eye varies by the level of education. Some perceive the use of black color to be useful in protecting from the evil eye. Others use ta'awiz to ward off the evil eye. Truck owners and other ...
Among early Christians, it was known as the manus obscena, or 'obscene hand'. [1]In ancient Rome, the fig sign, or manu fica, was made by the pater familias to ward off the evil spirits of the dead as a part of the Lemuria ritual.