The Hamsa Hand
You may have heard of the Evil Eye, but have you heard of the Hamsa Hand? It has been around for thousands of years and is primarily depicted in art and jewelry throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It is one of the oldest and most pervasive talismans and is worn for protection.
In addition to protection, the Hamsa Hand is also said to be a symbol of health, fertility, good fortune, and general abundance to those who wear it or display in their homes. It also suggested that people wear it to keep the evil eye off of them and avoid negativity.
The Hamsa Hand is usually depicted as a hand (either displayed upside down or rightside up), usually with five fingers with the pinky and thumb facing outwards. If you wear the Hamsa Hand facing up, it is said to be especially powerful against negativity. If you wear a Hamsa Hand facing down it is said to further attract good fortune and abundance. Either way it is worn, it is meant to bring good fortune into one’s life and avoid negative energy. Additionally, there is sometimes an eye in the middle of the palm.
‘Hamsa’ in Arabic translates to ‘five’, and the Hebrew version shares the same root word. Five is an important number in many spiritual beliefs because they often are connected to the five senses. In Islamic culture the hand is also known as the Hand of Fatima, named for Fatima the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Similarly, in Judaism the Hamsa Hand is also known as the Hand of Miriam and is said to symbolize the hand of God, named after Miriam the sister of Moses. In Christian adaptations, the hand is known as the Hand of Mother Mary.
However, it also predates many religions and is often connected with Pagan ritual and fertility symbolism. Symbols resembling the Hamsa Hand have been found in Paleolithic caves throughout the world, including France, Australia, and even a cave in Algeria known as ‘The Cave of Hands.’
I find it personally interesting that the Hamsa Hand has such a pronounced thread of femininity running throughout its folklore and power.
In addition to jewelry, Hamsa Hands are also used as protectants in homes and in art. In homes, the design is usually an ornament that hangs in doorways or on property lines to ensure good fortune for the home and family. It was also used in many important buildings throughout the Middle East. One of the earliest examples of this is the image of a Hamsa Hand on the Puerta Judiciaria of the Alhambra, a 14th-century Islamic fortress located in southern Spain.
If you do decide to wear the Hamsa Hand, it is imperative that you keep it safe and secure and avoid breaking or damaging it in order to keep its protective power and positivity focused on you.
The above image comes from flickr user just_a_cheeseburger and is licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).