Oh, I didn't mean ALL critics, of course! No. Some critics are even very good writers, and thus vulnerable to critics themselves. Not so much actors, though, but I digress. No I meant more the vicious ones who take a writer and/or his/her work apart with an unholy, spoiling glee, purely for the pleasure of it, knowing full well how long unkind reviews stay with a writer. Not very nice.
But fair critics, even and especially ones who may not like or be kind to work that isn't adequate, those we need. I have even seen reviews that mitigate what might seem unduly severe criticism with, "this isn't my favorite genre," so any harshness can be attributed to that. But critics, and there are some, who are mean just to be mean, and because they enjoy that power, are out there.
Howsabout that for a crosspost?
Evil Eye is pretty much a global concept
Heh. In Israel, only Sepharadi people use it, no Ashkenazi ones, so I had no idea.
Encyclopaedia Brittanica on the evil eye:
glance believed to have the ability to cause injury or death to those on whom it falls; children and animals are thought to be particularly susceptible. Belief in the evil eye is ancient and ubiquitous: it occurred in ancient Greece and Rome; is found in Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions and in folk cultures and preliterate societies; and has persisted throughout the world into modern times. In many traditions strangers, malformed individuals, and old women are most often accused of casting the evil eye.
The Turks make really pretty blue glass things to turn away the evil eye.
here.
My mom brought some home for the kids.
Oh, I knew Egyptians used to festoon their camels with blue glass beads to ward off the evil eye. I didn't realize it was a Turkish custom as well. Those are pretty!
The ones in the markets in Turkey were lovely. I'll bet my MIL has some nice memories of people trying to sell them to her in Istanbul and Ankara; I know I do.
There are lots and lots of items that are supposed to divert the evil eye in Sepharadi tradition and customs - fish are supposed to not be controlled by it (so kids sometimes get names that are connected to fish), the number 5 is supposed to be protective, and the form of a hand (khamsa) that has, of course, 5 fingers. The color blue is good, too, and also the picture of an eye, or a red string that is tied around the wrist. Also, you're never supposed to compliment a baby without adding "without the evil eye" ('bli ein hara') or spitting or just saying "tfoo tfoo tfoo". And the list goes on and on and on.
Some artifacts are absolutely gorgeous, especially the khamsa.
[Edit: x-post with an addition of a 'k' with ita]
