V. ^ 



THE EVIL EYE. 



In discussing the sacred trees, it was noticeable that 

 they were decorated with horns. 



What can this profusion of horns mean, and why has 

 the artist utiHzed them as an additional motive in his 

 conventional sacred tree ? 



In the ' Migration des Symboles ' Count d'Alviella 

 (p. 1 60) seems to find some difficulty in interpreting 

 the horns on the sacred tree. He says : " Then comes 

 the presence, often inexplicable, of a pair of volutes, 

 between which the stem of the tree rises. These two 

 scrolls sometimes figure as branches or petals, some- 

 times as rounded horns. Perhaps one might refer their 

 origin to a conventional representation of bunches of 

 dates, which decorate the date trees of the Chaldeans • 

 or, perhaps, to the introduction of horns, which, among 

 the Assyrians, were a distinctive sign of the Deity." 



It would appear that his fig. d, pi. iv, (coupe perse- 

 sassanide) sufficiently explains their origin. Two rams 

 witJi large horns are used as supports to the sacred tree. 



We should not forget what an extraordinary animal 

 the ram is. In addition to his astonishing powers of 

 procreation, he is a marvel of strength and endurance. 

 Fighting rams are even in this day a great source of 



