Item #63073 The Evil Eye: An Account of the Ancient & Widespread Superstition. Evil Eye, Frederick Thomas ELWORTHY.
The Evil Eye: An Account of the Ancient & Widespread Superstition.
The Evil Eye: An Account of the Ancient & Widespread Superstition.
The Evil Eye: An Account of the Ancient & Widespread Superstition.

The Evil Eye: An Account of the Ancient & Widespread Superstition.

London: John Murray, 1895. First Edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. xvi + 472pp. Original maroon cloth lettered in gilt on spine, gilt illustration on front board. B&w frontis with tissue guard, b&w plates (including fold-out) & in-text illustrations. Index. The first edition of this well illustrated classic study of the superstition surrounding the "evil eye" the belief that a glance can cause bad luck or misfortune. The book also outlines methods traditionally used to ward off the evil eye - including talismans, spells, spitting, and hand gestures. Chapter Headings: Introduction; Sympathetic Magic; Totems, Portents, Tree Worship; Symbols And Amulets; The Gorgoneion; Crescents, Horns,Horseshoes; Touch, Hands, Gestures; The Cross; The Mano Pantea; The Cimaruta, Sirene, Tablets; Cabalistic Writing-Magical Formulae; Spitting, Incantation, And Other Protective Acts – Pixies; Appendix 1 The Celestial Mother, Appendix 2: Gurgoyles, Appendix 3: Divination, Incantation, etc. Spine a bit faded and rubbed, spine ends and upper corner bruised and chafed, lower corner bumped, page edges a bit darkened, endpapers and first and last few leaves browned and lightly foxed, pages toned, unmarked. Overall a tight, clean VG+ copy. Scarce in First edition. Item #63073

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