Middle East/Asia – Hamsa
A Jewish Hamsa pic1
In the Middle East the all-seeing eye has been known in the form of a hand-eye symbol called either Hamsa, Khamsa or Hamesh.
It’s the symbol of an eye in the palm of a hand, usually the right hand.
Again itis a symbol of protection against the evil eye (bad luck caused by jealousy from others) and danger in general and can been seen as a good luck charm in that way.
Detail from “The Divine World” by Kahil Gibran
It is also known as the hand of Fatima in Islam and the hand of Miriam in Judaism.
In India it is known as Humsa Hand.
The Jains also have a form of the Hamsa in their symbolism with the word ahimsa (meaning non-violence) inside a wheel instead of where the eye would be.
The Hamsa has been used for thousands of years and is still in use today as amulets, charms or wall hangings.
It would seem to have its origins from ancient Mesopotamia with the hand of Ishtar being a symbol of divine protection although it did not contain the eye in the palm.
A more Christian-themed representation of the Hamsa is an art work called “The Divine World” by Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese Maronite Catholic prominent in the early 20th century as a poet, painter, writer, philosopher, theologian.
A Nazar / Image credit: Alborz Fallah pic2
In Greece and Turkey they have something similar to the Hamsa which they call a “Nazar”.
It is just an eye without the hand but it is used in the same way and has the same meaning as the Hamsa, that is, to ward off the evil eye, in the form of amulets or hanging ornaments usually made from blue glass.
Similarly in Buddhism there is the “eye of Buddha” amulet to ward off the evil eye.
The enigmatic rattlesnake disc Image credit: Dennis Vesper pic3
The symbol of an eye in a hand also appears in Aztec and Mayan cultures and in Native American artworks although archaeologists are not sure what meaning it had for these cultures.
To the right is a Native American example referred to as “The Rattlesnake Disc” which was unearthed by a farmer in Moundville, Alabama in the 1800’s.
Some archaeologists think its symbolism may have represented a portal to spiritual dimensions.
It is the most elaborately decorated artwork found at Moundville giving rise to the belief it was of the most importance to its creators.
Other artworks found there also contain the hand-eye symbol.
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