Evil eye pendant and the meaning behind it

If you're Maltese, you have heard this being said at some point in your life, most probably coming from your mother or grandmother followed by the “qrun” (horns) sign as a form of counter-attack on the evil eye. But do we actually know the origins of this elusive Maltese superstition?

The Eye of Osiris can be found in many places around the world but the stories behind it are often similar. The “evil eye” is commonly understood among the Maltese population as a process whereby someone places harm and misfortune on their enemy, due to some form of greed or jealousy. 

As weird as it may seem the evil eye (L-Ghajn) is commonly accepted as ‘a fact’ –The common belief is that a person can place a curse on you just by looking your way. In Malta (and in Italy) it is believed that making the sign of the Qrun (direct translation is a bull’s horn) will deflect such evil. The Qrun is done when you point your index finger and your little finger, and it is considered permissible to do such a sign behind your back to ward off any evil.