ASSYRIAN MOxNUMENTS. 



139 



Fig. 65. — Forms of ' jettatura ' charms 

 seen in the coral shops of Naples 

 and Sicily. 



coral hands, with the fore and little fingers distended 



horn-fashion, are much worn 



as charms. Coral, shaped 



like a bull's horn, is used 



for similar purposes. These 



two forms of charms are 



shown in fig. 65. 



This notion of using horns 

 to keep off the evil eye 

 may have originated with 

 the Assyrians, or even with 

 more ancient people, and may have become dissemi- 

 nated along the Mediterranean, either through the 

 Phoenician traders, or later through the Saracens. 



It may be interesting to note that perhaps in Italy 

 the red coral may be used for such charms, in con- 

 nection with the red hand stamped on walls in Arab 

 countries, and probably intended for some similar pur- 

 pose, that is, for warding off the evil eye. Count 

 d'Alviella, on p. 35, says: "We have the hand symbol, 

 figuring on the houses of Arabs from Palestine to 

 Morocco, for the purpose of protecting the inhabitants 

 against evil spirits." 



And so, the red coral hand with the fingers dis- 

 tended horn- fashion, so often seen in the coral shops 

 of Naples and other places, may not impossibly be a 

 combination of Assyrian and Saracenic archaic customs. 



