158 Note un a Carved Fiyure on the Wall of Oaksey Church. 



name of which is not given. I have, however, myself seen a small 

 hcrure built into the wall of the Church at Church Stretton, in 

 Shropshire, which may possibly have a similar origin, though its 

 character is not evident. It is probably safe to say that now- 

 adays no AViltshireman goes in terror of the " Evil Eye," but we 

 have only to cross the border into Somerset to find that most 

 ancient and widespread of human superstitions^ still lingering as a 

 living article of faith, whilst in Southern Italy the belief in the 

 danger, and therefore the use of charms against it (almost all of 

 tlieni Phallic in their origin), is, it is said, still almost universal. 

 Even in Wiltshire we continue, some of us, to nail up horseshoes 

 over our front doors " for luck," without probably an idea as to 

 the meaning of the custom or the origin of the syml)ol employed 

 in it. 



The Eev. W. Butt, to whom I am indebted for the knowledge 

 of the illustrations referred to above, tells me that there is an old 

 horseshoe nailed to the door of Kempsford Church, and that there 

 is a horseshoe carved on a cross surmounting the east gable of 

 Fovant Church.^ 



Mr. Butt also calls my attention to the mention in Forlong's 

 Rivers of Life, vol. I., p. 205, of a figure of a woman over one of 

 the side doors of the Church of Servatos, in Spain, apparently of a 

 similar character to the Irish " Sheilah-na-Gig." 



The bad effects of the " Evil Eye " apparently came from the 

 first glance, and if that first glance could be attracted and arrested 

 by any object, the person or the building was safe. Hence the 

 use of extraordinary or indecent objects as charms for the purpose 

 of protection. 



' See Elworthy's " Kvil Eye." 

 -This is mentioned in "A Historical Sketch of Fovant," reprinted from 

 The Salisbury Journal of Nov. 6th, 1886. This horseshoe, however, may be 

 heraldic. 



