Rough Notes:

Hamsa

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This article is about the amulet. For other uses, see Hamsa (disambiguation) and Khamsa (disambiguation).
"Eye of Fatima" redirects here. For the Camper Van Beethoven songs, see Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart.
For the Arabic-language diacritical marking, see Hamza.

 

Tunisian hamsa

The hamsa (Arabic: خمسة‎ khamsah, Hebrew: חַמְסָה‎, also romanized khamsa, Berber: ⵜⴰⴼⵓⵙⵜ tafust), is a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa and commonly used in jewelry and wall hangings.[1][2] Depicting the open right hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many times throughout history, the hamsa is believed by some, predominantly Jews, Christians and Muslims, to provide defense against the evil eye. It has been theorized that its origins lie in Ancient Egypt or Carthage (modern-day Tunisia) and may have been associated with the goddess Tanit.[3]

Khamsah is an Arabic word that means "five", but also "the five fingers of the hand".[4][5][6]

The Hamsa is also known as the Hand of Fatima after the daughter of the prophet Muhammad.[7]

History[edit]

 

Examples of Khamsa

Early use of the hamsa has been traced to ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) as well as ancient Carthage[citation needed] (modern day Tunisia). A universal sign of protection, the image of the open right hand is seen in Mesopotamian artifacts in the amulets of the goddess Ishtar or Inanna.[2] Other symbols of divine protection based around the hand include the Hand-of-Venus (or Aphrodite), the Hand-of-Mary, that was used to protect women from the evil eye and/or boost fertility and lactation, promote healthy pregnancies and strengthen the weak.[2] In that time, women were under immense pressure and expectation to become mothers.[8] The woman's upbringing was centered on becoming a mother as an exclusive role, and it indicated child bearing as necessary.[9] It was also thought that marriage was a sense of protection for both the man and the woman.[10] In Jewish culture, the hamsa is associated with the number five because of the five fingers depicted on the hand. [11]

One theory postulates a connection between the khamsa and the Mano Pantea (or Hand-of-the-All-Goddess), an amulet known to ancient Egyptians as the Two Fingers. In this amulet, the Two Fingers represent Isis and Osiris and the thumb, their child Horus and it was used to invoke the protective spirits of parents over their child.[2] Another theory traces the origins of the hamsa to Carthage (Phoenicia, modern Tunisia) where the hand (or in some cases vulva) of the supreme deity Tanit was used to ward off the evil eye.[12] According to Bruno Barbatti, at that time this motive was the most important sign of apotropaic magic in the Islamic world, though many modern representations continue to show an obvious origin from sex symbolism.

This relates to the belief that God exists in everything. Another meaning of this symbol relates to the sky god, Horus. It refers to the eye of Horus, which means humans cannot escape from the eye of conscience. It says that the sun and moon are the eyes of Horus. The Hand of Fatima also represents femininity, and is referred as the woman's holy hand. It is believed to have extraordinary characteristics that can protect people from evil and other dangers.[13]

The hamsa's path into Jewish culture, and its popularity particularly in Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities, can be traced through its use in Islam.[2][12][14] This "favourite Muslim talisman" became a part of Jewish tradition in North African and Middle Eastern Muslim countries.[15] The symbol of the hand appears in Kabbalistic manuscripts and amulets, doubling as the Hebrew letter "Shin", the first letter of "Shaddai", one of the names referring to God.[16] The use of the hamsa in Jewish culture has been intermittent, utilized often by Sephardic Jews during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries[11], then less and less over time into the mid-twentieth century. However, the hamsa has been present in Judaism dating all the way back to Biblical times, where it is referenced in Deuteronomy 5:15, stated in the Ten Commandments as the "strong hand" of God who led the Jews out of Egypt.[11] The hamsa is later seen in Jewish art as God's hand reaching down from heaven during the times of late antiquity, the Byzantine period, and even medieval Europe. Evidence has also emerged of the hamsa being used by Jews from medieval Spain, often associated with "sympathetic magic".[11] Historians such as Shalom Sabar believe that after the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492, exiled Jews likely used the hamsa as protection in the foreign lands they were forced to relocate to, however this assumption has been difficult to prove.[11] According to Sabar, the hamsa has also been used later in Europe "...as a distinctive sign of the priesthood, especially when they wished to show that a person was of priestly descent...".[11]

The khamsa holds recognition as a bearer of good fortune among Christians in the region as well. Levantine Christians call it the hand of Mary (Arabic: Kef Miryam, or the "Virgin Mary's Hand").[17][18] 34 years after the end of Islamic rule in Spain, its use was significant enough to prompt an episcopal committee convened by Emperor Charles V to decree a ban on the Hand of Fatima and all open right hand amulets in 1526.[2]

Symbolism and usage[edit]

 

Clay hamsa with an inscription in Hebrew (translates to "good luck")

The Hand (Khamsa), particularly the open right hand, is a sign of protection that also represents blessings, power and strength, and is seen as potent in deflecting the evil eye.[2][19] One of the most common components of gold and silver jewelry in the region,[20] historically and traditionally, it was most commonly carved in jet or formed from silver, a metal believed to represent purity and hold magical properties.[2][21] It is also painted in red (sometimes using the blood of a sacrificed animal) on the walls of houses for protection,[22][23] or painted or hung on the doorways of rooms, such as those of an expectant mother or new baby.[2] The hand can be depicted with the fingers spread apart to ward off evil, or as closed together to bring good luck.[24] Highly stylized versions may be difficult to recognize as hands, and can consist of five circles representing the fingers, situated around a central circle representing the palm.[24]

Used to protect against evil eye, a malicious stare believed to be able to cause illness, death or just general unluckiness, hamsas often contain an eye symbol.[21][25] Depictions of the hand, the eye or the number five in Arabic (and Berber) tradition are related to warding off the evil eye, as exemplified in the saying khamsa fi ainek ("five [fingers] in your eye").[25] Raising one's right hand with the palm showing and the fingers slightly apart is part of this curse meant "to blind the aggressor".[22] Another formula uttered against the evil eye in Arabic, but without hand gestures, is khamsa wa-khamis ("five and Thursday").[26][27] As the fifth day of the week, Thursday is considered a good day for magic rites and pilgrimages to the tombs of revered saints to counteract the effects of the evil eye.[28]

Due to its significance in both Arabic and Berber culture, the hamsa is one of the national symbols of Algeria and appears in its emblem. It is also the most popular among the different amulets(such as the Eye and the Hirz — a silver box containing verses of the Quran) for warding off the evil eye in Egypt.[20] Egyptian women who live in baladi ("traditional") urban quarters often make khamaysa, which are amulets made up of five (khamsa) objects to attach to their children's hair or black aprons. The five objects can be made of peppers, hands, circles or stars hanging from hooks.[23]

Although significant in Arabic and Berber culture, the Jewish people have long interpreted and adopted the symbol of the hand with great importance since the Ten Commandments. A portion of these commandments state that "Lord took Israel out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm". [29] The "strong hand" is representative of the hamsa which rooted its relevance in the community then. The helping hand exemplified God's willingness to help his people and direct them out of struggle. Around the time of the Byzantine period, artists would depict God's hand reaching from up above. [30] God's hand from heaven would lead the Jewish people out of struggle, and the Jews quickly made a connection with the hamsa and their culture. The hand was identified in Jewish text, and acquired as an influential icon throughout the community.

Amongst the Jewish people, the hamsa is a very respected, holy, and common symbol. It is used in the Ketubah, or marriage contracts, as well as items that dress the Torah such as pointers, and the Passover Haggadah. [31] The use of the hand as images both in and out of the synagogue suggests the importance and relevance that the Jewish people associated with the hamsa. The hand decorated some of the most religious and divine objects and has since emerged from its uncommon phase.

At the time of the establishment of the State of Israel, the widespread use of the talisman by Mizrahi Jews was initially looked down upon by Ashkenazi communities, although use of the hamsa has become more common in recent decades. The hamsa has become a symbo in everyday Israeli life, and to a degree, a symbol of Israel itself.[32] It has come to be a symbol of secularity, and a trendy talisman; a "good luck" charm appearing on necklaces, keychains, postcards, telephone and lottery cards, and in advertisements.[32] It is also incorporated into high-end jewellery, decorative tilework and wall decorations.[32] Its use by Ashkenazi Jews outside of Israel both historically and contemporaneously is intermittent but not unknown.

Similar to the Western use of the phrase "knock on wood" or "touch wood", a common expression in Israel is "Hamsa, Hamsa, Hamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu", the sound for spitting, supposedly to spit out bad luck.[33]

At the Mimouna, a North African Jewish celebration held after Passover, tables are laid with various symbols of luck and fertility, with an emphasis on the number "5", such as five pieces of gold jewelry or five beans arranged on a leaf of pastry. The repetition of the number five is associated with the hamsa amulet.[34]

Gallery[edit]

  • Amulet with two hands of Fatimah, bearing the inscriptions "God is the guardian", "God brings consolation in all trials"

    •  

  • Hamsa in the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam

    •  

  • A drawing depicting a hamsa

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Jump up^ Bernasek et al., 2008, p. 12.
  2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i Sonbol, 2005, pp. 355–359.
  3. Jump up^ Cuthbert, Roland (2015). The Esoteric Codex: Amulets and Talismans. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.com. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-329-50204-8.
  4. Jump up^ Zenner, 1988, p. 284.
  5. Jump up^ World Institute for Advanced Phenomenological Research and Learning (Belmont, Estados Unidos), 1991, p. 219.
  6. Jump up^ Drazin, 2009, p. 268.
  7. Jump up^ González-Wippler, Migene (1991). The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-87542-287-9.
  8. Jump up^ "The World of Child Labor". Loretta E. Bass. Retrieved 15 September2013.
  9. Jump up^ Wadud, Amina (1999). Qur'an and Woman. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 64.
  10. Jump up^ Sechzer, Jeri (2004). ""Islam and Woman: Where Tradition Meets Modernity": History and Interpretations oyt? Yt? the f Islamic Women's Status". Sex Roles. 51 (5/6): 263. doi:10.1023/B:SERS.0000046610.16101.e0.
  11. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Sabar, Shalom (2010). "From Sacred Symbol to Key Ring: The Hamsa in Jewish and Israeli Societies". Littman Library of Jewish Civilization.
  12. ^ Jump up to:a b Silver, 2008, p. 201.
  13. Jump up^ Lenhart, Sandy. "Hand of Fatima Meaning - Origin and Variations". Ezine Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 September 2013.
  14. Jump up^ "Hamsa Hand Symbology: What Is the Hamsa Hand?" (Hamesh, Chamsa, Khamsa). N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
  15. Jump up^ Shadur, Joseph and Jehudit (2002). Traditional Jewish Papercuts - An Inner Worlds of Art and Symbol. University Press of New England. p. 92. ISBN 9781584651659.
  16. Jump up^ EMAIL, Jewish Magazine. "Angels and Demons". Jewishmag.com. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
  17. Jump up^ Perennial Books, 1970, p. 186.
  18. Jump up^ Trumball, 1896, p. 77.
  19. Jump up^ Rajab, 1989, p. 116.
  20. ^ Jump up to:a b Badawi, 2004, p. 510.
  21. ^ Jump up to:a b Lynch and Roberts, 2010, p. 8.
  22. ^ Jump up to:a b Schimmel, p. 92.
  23. ^ Jump up to:a b Early, 1993, p. 116
  24. ^ Jump up to:a b Gomez, 1996, p. 54.
  25. ^ Jump up to:a b Ham and Bing, 2007, p. 385.
  26. Jump up^ Lent et al., 1996, p. 189.
  27. Jump up^ Shinar, 2004, p. 117.
  28. Jump up^ Houtsma, 1993, p. 897.
  29. Jump up^ Sabar, Shalom From Sacred Symbol to Key Ring: The Hamsa in Jewish and Israeli Societies, 141
  30. Jump up^ Sabar, Shalom From Sacred Symbol to Key Ring, 142
  31. Jump up^ Sabar, Shalom From Sacred Symbol to Key Ring, 144
  32. ^ Jump up to:a b c Nocke, 2009, pp. 133–134.
  33. Jump up^ "Jewish magic and superstition in Israel". Abc.net.au. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
  34. Jump up^ Bin-Nun, Yigal (8 April 2007). "Lady Luck". Haaretz. Retrieved 21 June2011.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Badawi, Cherine (2004). Footprint Egypt (4th, illustrated ed.). Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-903471-77-7.
  • Bernasek, Lisa; Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology; Burger, Hillel S. (2008). Artistry of the everyday: beauty and craftsmanship in Berber art (Illustrated ed.). Peabody Museum Press, Harvard University. ISBN 9780873654050.
  • Drazin, Israel (2009). Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets. Gefen Publishing House Ltd. ISBN 9789652294302.
  • Evelyn A. Early (1993). Baladi women of Cairo: playing with an egg and a stone (Illustrated ed.). Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 9781555872687.
  • Gomez, Aurelia (1996). Crafts of Many Cultures: 30 Authentic Craft Projects from Around the World. Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780590491822.
  • "Jewish magic and superstition in Israel". Abc.net.au. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
  • M. Th. Houtsma (1993). M. Th. Houtsma, ed. E.J. Brill's first encyclopedia of Islam, 1913–1936 (Reprint ed.). BRILL. ISBN 9789004097902.
  • Lent, J. M.; Bearman, Peri J.; Qureshi, Hakeem-Uddeen (1997). The encyclopaedia of Islam, new edition (2nd ed.). Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-10795-3.
  • Lenhart, Sandy (2011). "Hand of Fatima Meaning - Origin and Variations". Ezine Articles. February 17, 2011.
  • Lynch, Patricia Ann; Roberts, Jeremy (2010). African Mythology A to Z (2nd, revised ed.). Infobase Publishing. ISBN 9781604134155.
  • McGuinness, Justin (2002). Footprint Tunisia Handbook (3rd, illustrated ed.). Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-903471-28-9.
  • Nocke, Alexandra (2009). The place of the Mediterranean in modern Israeli identity (Illustrated ed.). BRILL. ISBN 9789004173248.
  • Perennial Books (1970). Studies in comparative religion, Volumes 4–5. University of California.
  • Rajab, Jehan S. (1989). Palestinian costume (Illustrated ed.). Kegan Paul. ISBN 978-0-7103-0283-0.
  • Schimmel, Annemarie (1994). Deciphering the signs of God: a phenomenological approach to Islam. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780791419823.
  • Shadur, Joseph; Shadur, Yehudit (2002). Traditional Jewish papercuts: an inner world of art and symbol (Illustrated ed.). UPNE. ISBN 9781584651659.
  • Shinar, Pessah (2004). Modern Islam in the Maghrib. JSAI. ISBN 9789657258026.
  • Silver, Alan (2008). Jews, Myth and History: A Critical Exploration of Contemporary Jewish Belief and Its Origins. Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84876-064-6.
  • Sonbol, Amira El Azhary (2005). Beyond the exotic: women's histories in Islamic societies. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815630555.
  • Trumbull, Henry Clay (1896). The threshold covenant: or, The beginning of religious rites (2nd ed.). C. Scribner's.
  • World Institute for Advanced Phenomenological Research and Learning (Belmont, Estados Unidos) (1991). Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, ed. Roman Ingarden's aesthetics in a new key and the independent approaches of others: the performing arts, the fine arts, and literature, Volume 3. Springer. ISBN 9780792310143.
  • Steinmetz, Sol (2005). Dictionary of Jewish usage: a guide to the use of Jewish terms. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780742543874.
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External links[edit]

  •  Media related to Khamsa at Wikimedia Commons

Hand Eye Symbol

Hand Eye Symbol

Hand Eye Symbol 
Attribution: Herb Roe

Native American Symbols, like the Hand Eye symbol, can vary in meaning from one tribe to another and across the culture groups of North America. The Hand Eye symbol was used by the ancient Native Americans of the Mississippian culture.

Discover facts and information about the meanings of secret and mysterious symbols used by Native American Indians in our List of Symbols including the Hand Eye symbol.

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The Hand Eye Symbol
Native American Indians were a deeply spiritual people and they communicated their history, thoughts, ideas and dreams from generation to generation through Symbols and Signs such as the Hand Eye symbol. The origin of the Hand Eye symbol derives from the ancient Mississippian culture of the Mound Builders of North America and were major elements in the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex of American prehistory (S.E.C.C.).

The Meaning of the Hand Eye Symbol
The Hand Eye symbol featured strongly in the Mississippian culture. The following picture shows the Hand Eye Symbol surrounded by the Horned Serpent. The meaning of the Hand Eye is obscure, its true meaning has been lost in the midst of time. However there seems to be a common belief that the Hand Eye symbol is related to gaining entry to the Upperworld (Heaven), in other words a portal. A portal is a magical doorway that connects two distant locations and provides an entry point from one world to another. The Eye-in-the-Hand symbol is believed to be representative of a supreme deity and is solar (and therefore Upperworld) in origin. To reach the Upperworld the deceased had to undertake a journey along the Path of Souls, the Milky Way.

Hand Eye Symbol
The Hand Eye motif is one of five symbols that often appear together in Mississippian iconography. The other symbols are a skull, bones, panther and serpent. The skull and bones symbols represent death and the Panther symbol and the Great Serpent Symbol are icons of the Underworld and depicted as fearsome monsters. On the journey of the dead along path of souls, the milky way, the demons of the Underworld had to be avoided to gain entry to the Upperworld (Heaven). The Algonquin people believed that crossing a bridge in the shape of an enormous serpent would lead to the road of the afterlife. All those who had led and honest life would cross the bridge but others would fall into the waters below and turn into serpents.  Our grasp of Mississippian symbolism is only rudimentary. Their true meanings can never really be known and the meanings of the symbols are based on best guesses. Our conclusion and best guess is that this Mississippian Hand Eye symbol would have been recognised by the Mississippian people to symbolize the journey along the Path of Souls and their ultimate goal of achieving eternal happiness in the Upperworld.

The Hand Eye Symbol - Mississippian culture
The most ancient Native American Indian symbols, like the Hand Eye symbol, came from the Mississippian culture which was established in 1000AD and continued to 1550AD onward. The Mississippian Native Americans were the last of the mound-building cultures of North America in the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States. The Mississippian culture was based on warfare, which was represented by an array of emblems, motifs and symbols. The Mississippian culture Hand Eye icons like the Hand Eye symbol provides interesting history and ideas for tattoos that include cosmic imagery depicting animals, humans and mythical beasts. The Mississippian Native Americans practiced body painting, tattooing and piercing.
 

Hand Eye Symbol Artifact

Native American Indians - Hand Eye Symbol
Native American Indians of the Mississippian culture were sun worshipers and had a highly complex warfare culture. Their symbols, such as the Hand Eye symbol, reflect the warfare culture and the religious beliefs and cosmologies of the different historic tribes who existed at the time of the first European contact.

The Mississippians believed that the universe consisted of three parts with good and bad spiritual forces. These three worlds were linked together and their connection was usually portrayed as a cedar tree or a striped pole. The Underworld was inhabited by spirit snakes, the Upper world was inhabited by spirit birds and the people of the earth who were ruled by these powerful spirits like the Hand Eye.

Items displaying symbols, like the Hand Eye symbol, from the Mississippian culture have been found in burial sites that contained war axes, knives and other weapons. This type of symbol was embossed in valuable materials such as rare shells, copper and lead and depicted on pottery and stone tools and weapons.

Hand Eye Symbol

 

Warrior Picture

Hand Eye Symbol Artifact

Bird Man Symbol Picture 
Attribution: Herb Roe
 

Hand Eye

  • The Hand Eye symbol of Native Americans
  • Meaning, symbolism and interpretation of the Hand Eye symbol
  • Interesting facts and info for kids and schools
  • Pictures, meanings, patterns and designs of symbols
  • Native American Hand Eye symbol meaning

Pictures and Videos of Native Americans
Hand Eye. Discover the vast selection of pictures which relate to the History of Native Americans and illustrate many symbols used by American Indians. The pictures show the clothing, war paint, weapons and decorations of various Native Indian tribes that can be used as a really useful educational history resource for kids and children of all ages. We have included pictures and videos to accompany the main topic of this section - Hand Eye. The videos enable fast access to the images, paintings and pictures together with information and many historical facts. All of the articles and pages can be accessed via the Native Indian Tribes Index - a Horned educational resource for kids.