Hamsa – What is the origin? Meanings and what hamsa jewelry is there?

Hamsa – Years of Culture

One of the most popular categories is categories "Hamsa" Jewelry . Many believe in the power of the symbol, and we offer hundreds of different designs. That's why we thought we'd write a few words about this mesmerizing symbol.

"Hamsa" is one of the most common motifs and objects in Mediterranean folk culture and in many cultures. A symbol in the shape of a hand with five fingers spread (up or down).

This is a very ancient accessory, which has become a long-standing amulet. As such, it is intended to guard and protect against the evil eye, to instill a sense of security and protection.

Various researchers claim that its Arabic meaning, "five," originated in prehistoric times, when ancient man saw the hand as something significant and drew hands or imprinted their palms on cave walls.

But even if its origins are so ancient, two religions – Judaism and Islam, each claim to be its true source, or at least the religious-cultural source of its use.

It was also widespread mainly in Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa, but today it can be found all over the world.
It was customary to hang it mainly at the entrances of houses, on the walls of houses, around the neck, in the car, in the wallet, on the key chain, as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and more.

The hamsa usually appears in a symmetrical structure, in which the thumb and little finger are identical and parallel to each other, although there are also hamsa that are designed in more anatomically accurate shapes and can come with the fingers facing up or down.

This symbol is often combined with other symbols that are said to help against the evil eye, such as eyes, fish, Stars of David, combinations from the Kabbalah, various blessings such as: "Shema Israel," "May God bless you and protect you," and many more.

A symbol of God Almighty

Jewish sources claim that the origins of the hamsa lie in the palm of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. Some in Judaism claim that the idea of ​​the five fingers is brought about, albeit symbolically, by the marking of the doorpost of the house with blood during the slaughter of the firstborn. From there, the idea of ​​guarding and protecting the occupants of the house from any evil harm continued by hanging it at the entrance.

According to Jewish tradition, the hamsa represents the fifth letter - H, a symbol of God, the shape of fig leaves of the seven species, the five senses that stand guard and protect man, as well as the five books of the Torah.

Rabbi Yitzchak says in the Gemara: "The blessing is not found except in something hidden from the eye," and this is probably where the combination of the image and the shape of the eye depicted in it comes from.

Just as there is an evil eye, there is also the "good eye," which is benevolent and sympathetic. It is also possible that the hamsa, symbolized by an open hand, indicates giving, revelation, and a call for peace, in contrast to the clenched, clenched hand, which has a belligerent connotation.

The conceptual meaning of Hamsa touches on fears of the evil eye and reversals of fortune and fate. The soul is full of fears, conscious and unconscious – some accumulated and collected throughout our lives as part of social and environmental influences, and some innate.

The spectrum of beliefs and symbols for protection and protection from the evil eye is as vast as the sea, but above all lies the hamsa, which to this day is firmly rooted in the folklore of various cultures.

When it comes to amulets, every religion and culture in the world has found mystical symbols designed to give believers a sense of security and control over their lives. The human fear, which has accompanied man since ancient times, is of the "evil eye," that gaze of people possessed by envy or evil.

These may, according to popular belief, cast an "evil eye" on a person, which may thwart the blessing in his home or in the work of his hands. The terror and fear that something will happen to a person or his loved ones is intended to be removed by hamsa. It is the opposing force that will deter evil from acting.

The Hand of Fatima

The origins of the Hamsa are very ancient and are not known with absolute certainty. Archaeological findings indicate the use of the symbol – the palm of the hand with its fingers pointing downwards – as an amulet for protection and protection among the inhabitants of the Mediterranean basin in the period before its appearance in monotheistic religions.

Legend has it that Fatima burned her hand with boiling stew after seeing her husband bring another woman into their home. Her tears fell through a crack in the wall and hit her husband's shoulder.

Which prevented him from consummating his marriage to another. This explains the Muslim belief in the Hamsa or its synonym "Hand of Fatima" and the eye drawn on it is explained in the story of the tear.

The symbol of the palm with the fingers pointing downwards served as a protective amulet for the inhabitants of the Mediterranean basin, long before the emergence of monotheistic religions.

Some scholars have linked the symbol to "Tanit" - the moon goddess from the Carthaginian culture, that Phoenician colony that was located in North Africa, in the area of ​​present-day Tunisia. In any case, in 7th-century Islam it becomes the "Hand of Fatima."

Muslims used to mark the door of their house with a palm print dipped in paint, usually blue. The belief was that the mark would keep the evil eye and demons or spirits away from entering the house.

The Hand of Fatima is somewhat analogous to the role of the mezuzah in Judaism. But the interaction between the cultures of the locals and the Jews created mutual influences, which led to influences in customs against the evil eye.

Recommended products: