If you’ve ever spent time in Turkey or Greece, you’ll surely remember the feeling that you’re constantly being watched. Blue circles in the shape of single, stylised eyes constantly observe from everywhere – dangling from cars’ rear-view mirrors, hanging on houses’ doors, adorning people’s necks, wrists and ears in the form of jewellery, or painted onto boats or even planes.

In Greece and Turkey, where they are called nazar boncuğu, these amulets usually take the form of flat circles of varying sizes made out of glass, with concentric dark blue, light blue and white circles.

At first, the gazing eyes may be unsettling, but in fact their purpose is a benign one. People in the region employ them as protection against the so-called ‘evil eye’ – the envious look of others which causes misfortune, sickness or even death.

In Bulgaria, the evil eye charm, called sinyo manisto, consists of a small, doughnut-shaped bead made of dark or light blue glass. It is much simpler than the Greek and Turkish versions and not as wide-spread, but it serves the same purposes.

The superstitious human belief that envious stares cause fortunate people harm is neither new nor limited to this part of the world. Means of protection against it were used as far back as antiquity – in ancient Greece an eye was painted on vessels in the sixth century BC to ward off evil spirits while drinking. In ancient Rome, it was believed that phallic charms and ornaments offered protection against the evil eye – not unlike the phallic amulets used today in South Asia.

In theory, which is of course as rock solid as such phenomena would permit, anyone can become the victim of evil eye, but some categories of people and belongings – a rather chaotically heterogeneous group, are more susceptible than others. They include newborn babies, beautiful/rich/fortunate people, livestock and new material acquisitions.

Regarding the perpetrators, on the other hand, superstition has it that the evil eye could be cast by anyone and not necessarily given intentionally or always by mean people. All that’s needed are sufficient amounts of envy and admiration combined with prolonged stares. Some experts note that people with light eyes (a comparative rareness in the region) are considered as more likely to bestow the curse.

This is one of the possible explanations given for the colour and shape of the protecting amulets, but there are many more, often intertwined and conflicting, theories on their origins and form. Another possible reason for the choice of the colour blue is the fact that it is associated with water, which symbolises life and healthiness – in this way it is a kind of antidote to the “drying up” – a metaphor for withering away, being sick, or even dying, caused by the evil eye.

This may also explain why in Bulgaria, when adults gush over a newborn, they often make fake spitting motions and sounds, which are supposed to undo the danger that the otherwise well-intended compliments could inflict on the baby. This superstition finds perfect breeding ground in a pessimistic society where a common belief is that when things are going too well, it is a sign that they’ll surely go sour soon.

Interestingly, the Bulgarian beads are often tied to babies’ wrists with a red string – which may have originated from a different region and religion, Judaism, but which still has the same purpose, as the colour red is associated with luck and good fortune.

Despite their dubious effectiveness at warding off evil, the blue glass charms make nice souvenirs from a trip to Turkey, Greece or Bulgaria, and – if nothing else, can be appreciated for their aesthetic qualities. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to have one hanging someplace…. Just like when you knock on wood, cross your fingers or wish someone to break a leg.

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