Evil Eye(Nazar Boncugu)
This is a typical item, a specialty of this region
you should take home as a souvenir. It's called the Boncuk (pronounced
"bon-dschuk"),the Little Magic Stone that protects one from
the *Evil Eye* . You will see this blue glass piece everywhere here
in this area. But what is behind this superstition?
In a shortened version we will try to explain. Once upon a time
(yes, it starts like in a fairy tale) there was a rock by the sea
that, even with the force of a hundred men and a lot of dynamite,
couldn't be moved or cracked. There was also a man in this town
by the sea, who was known to carry the evil eye (Nazar). After much
effort and endeavor, the town people brought the man to the rock,
and the man, upon looking at the rock said, "My! What a big
rock this is." The instant he said this, there was a rip and
roar and crack and instantly the immense and impossible rock was
found to be cracked in two.
The force of the evil eye (or Nazar) is a widely accepted and feared
random element in Turkish daily life. The word *Nazar* denotes seeing
or looking and is often used in literally translated phrases such
as "Nazar touched her," in reference to a young woman,
for example, who mysteriously goes blind.
Another typical scenario. A woman gives birth to
a healthy child with pink cheeks, all the neighbors come and see
the baby. They shower the baby with compliments, commentating especially
on how healthy and chubby the baby is. After getting so much attention
weeks later the baby is found dead in his crib. No explanation can
be found for the death. It is ascribed to Nazar. Compliments made
to a specific body part can result in Nazar. That's why nearly every
Turkish mother fixes with a safety pin a small Boncuk on the child's
clothes. Once a Boncuk is found cracked, it means it has done his
job and immediately a new one has to replace it.
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