evil eye was very strong amongst the Arabs, with the notion
that beauty attracted it.[1817] Mohammed himself believed in the
evil eye. The superstition came down from the heathen period when
rags and dirty things were hung on children to protect them from
the evil eye.[1818] The veiling of women amongst the Arabs was
probably due to it. Beautiful women also painted black spots on
their cheeks.[1819] Children, horses, and asses are now
disfigured amongst Moslems to protect them from the risk they
would run if beautiful. To save a child from the evil eye they
say "God be good to thee" and spit in its face.[1820] Amongst the
Bedouins, whenever one utters praises he must add: "Mashallah,"
that is, God avert ill! The only other way to avert ill is to
give the praised object to him who praised it.[1821] Glittering
and waving objects are much used by Moslems on dress and horse
caparisons to distract attention. They put texts of the Koran on
streamers on their houses for the same purpose.

+569. Devices against the evil eye.+ Homer has the idea that the
gods curb the pride of prosperity and are jealous of it. His
heroes are taught as a life policy to avert envy.
Self-disparagement is an approved pose.[1822] Plutarch[1823]
explains the efficiency of objects set up to avert witchcraft on
the theory that by their oddity they draw the evil eye from
persons and objects. Fescennine verses of the Romans, which were
used at weddings and triumphs, were intended to ward off ill
luck. Soldiers followed the chariot of the triumphing general and
shouted to him derisive and sarcastic verses to avert the ill to
which he was then most liable. The Greeks used coarse jests at
festivals for the same purpose.[1824] Modern Egyptians have
inherited this superstition. Mothers leave their children ragged
and dirty, especially when they take them out of doors, for fear
of admiration and envy. Boys are greatly envied. They are kept
long in the harem and dressed in girl's clothes for the same
protection.[1825] Amongst the richer classes at Cairo chandeliers
are hung before a bridegroom's house. If a crowd collects to look
at a fine chandelier, a jar is purposely broken to distract
attention from it, lest an envious eye should cause it to
fall.[1826] When the Pasha gave up his monopoly of meat, butchers
hung up carcasses in full view on the str