Every story begins somewhere; even the baseless ones. What we understand, we narrate, and what we hear, we spread, sometimes without fact checking.
Folklore has always been an intriguing subject. And, in Goan folklore, some stories are whispered while others told out loud and clear. Such is the belief of the ‘evil eye’.
Taking us to the mysterious village of Anjuna through his book, Village Anjuna, Vignettes from Goa, Dominic PF Fernandes sheds light on how the idea of the evil eye goes way back.
The concept of the evil eye stems from the belief that a person’s eyes are considered to be one of the most precious parts of the body, and also its most dangerous weapon.
While eyes are beautiful and enchanting, there are some people in society who are considered to have an evil gaze because whatever they looked at or complimented would mysteriously get ruined. This included material things such as houses and wealth as well as health, especially that of children who were somehow more vulnerable to it.
In Goa, the evil eye was, and still is, known as nodor in Konkani and the term used for repelling the evil eye was called dixtt kaddop.
According to the book, Goans in the 1950s and 1960s would often adorn their children in a multicoloured necklace of beads around their necks and waists. These beads were supposed to ward off the evil eye.
In Goa, the evil eye was, and still is, known as nodor in Konkani and the term used for repelling the evil eye was called dixtt kaddop.
Aside from this, people would also put a small black tikli (dot) on the forehead of their child before leaving the house.
In that era, there was also a designated woman who would be called to drive away the evil eye. This woman was locally known as a voijinn maim (traditional female doctor) and would use large, dried chillies, salt and candy sugar as her tools.
Naturally, over time, people learnt the tricks of the trade and took matters into their own hands as the voijinn maim disappeared into the books.
One way to get rid of this problem was using medicinal leaves locally known as dixttiche paan, (leaves used to take away the evil eye).
But our beliefs hardly ever leave us; as even today, several Goans narrate their experiences and all the eerie stories that they’ve heard and experienced.
“I remember listening to stories from village folk that said that one sign of being affected by the evil eye was babies getting black water-filled boils all over the body,” a lady from Panjim shared her insight on condition of anonymity.
One way to get rid of this problem was using medicinal leaves locally known as dixttiche paan, (leaves used to take away the evil eye).
When suspected of being affected by the evil eye, people would tie a black string with a small cloth pouch and an alum stone (a mineral that is said to absorb negative energy) around the waist of the child and apply a paste of the dixtiche paan to the boils. Once this was done, they would then throw the leaves and stone into the fire dhumpel to ward off the evil eye.
“I once saw it burn and form the shape of an eye,” she recalls, horrified.
Apart from this, black tavizes (protective amulets) were tied to arms of the victim to ward off evil as the tavizes are said to have magical powers that absorb evil energy.
Kelly Fernandes (name changed) remembers, “My mother used to tell me stories of how, in the olden days, when babies cried uncontrollably and for no apparent reason, the mother used to make the sign of the cross, say the I believe and give the child holy water. After that, the child used to seem surprisingly calmer.”
Using another method to achieve similar results, Goan historian, Prajal Sakhardande explains, “In Goa, people would contact a ghadi (sorcerer) or a tantrik (black magician) to cast off the evil eye. People believed that the tantrik had the capacity to control the evil eye through his tantra -- that is the techniques, mantras and chants.”
Apart from this, black tavizes (protective amulets) were tied to arms of the victim to ward off evil as the tavizes are said to have magical powers that absorb evil energy.
In other cases, Muslims and tribal sorcerers are also contacted to ward off evil by tying lemon and chillies together.
“In Goan belief, if a house is thought to be afflicted by the evil eye, a common remedy involves tying a pair of slippers to a papaya tree. This practice is meant to confuse or repel the malevolent energy, diverting it away from the home," he continues.
"Similarly, when a new vehicle is purchased, people often tie a string of lemons and chillies to the car which is also seen hanging at the entrance doors of newly constructed homes, serving as a talisman to keep negative energy away,” he adds.
Alternately, people also visit temples to pray for protection and get rid of negative energy that may have befallen their loved ones.
Going full circle, this practice is now openly spoken off and has even taken a digital angle in the form of an emoji that is supposedly to ward off the evil eye.
A common sight on social media platforms, Gen Z uses this emoticon in their captions, pictures and sometimes, hidden away in the corner of a picture in hopes of protecting themselves and their possessions from the evil eye, but not looking too superstitious while doing it.
Aside from this, people also wear nazar suraksha kavach (evil eye repellent) bracelets, rings, earrings and neck jewellery.
Despite there being no concrete evidence about the untoward incidents and their connection with the evil eye, sometimes superstition is the only answer to the inexplicable.
And at other times, we must accept that there are lurking forces that we do not understand that are greater than our knowledge of the unknown.