Hamsa

This article is about the amulet. For other uses, see Hamsa (disambiguation) and Khamsa (disambiguation). For the Arabic letter, see Hamza.

"Eye of Fatima" redirects here. For the Camper Van Beethoven songs, see Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart.

"Hand of Fatima" redirects here. For the rock formation, see Hand of Fatima (rock formation).

A hanging hamsa in Tunisia

The hamsa (Arabic: خمسة, romanized: khamsa, lit. 'five', referring to images of 'the five fingers of the hand'), also known as the hand of Fatima, is a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout North Africa and in the Middle East and commonly used in jewellery and wall hangings. Depicting the open hand, an image recognized and used as a sign of protection in many times throughout history, the hamsa has been traditionally believed to provide defense against the evil eye.

History

Origin

A Punic stela from Carthage dedicated to Tinnit and Baal Hammon with a carved open right hand, as well as sign of Tinnit, sign of Baal Hammon above, Caduceus and naval symbols

Early use of the hamsa can be traced to ancient Mesopotamian artifacts in the amulets of the goddess Inanna or Ishtar. The image of the open right hand is also seen in Carthage (modern-day Tunisia) and ancient North Africa and in Phoenician colonies in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). An 8th-century BCE Israelite tomb containing a hamsa-like hand inscription was discovered at Khirbet el-Qom.

Other symbols of divine protection based around the hand include the Hand-of-Venus (or Aphrodite), the Hand-of-Mary, used to protect women from the evil eye and/or boost fertility and lactation, promote healthy pregnancies and strengthen the weak. In that time ^{[what time?]}, women were under immense pressure and expectation to become mothers. Women's upbringing was centered on becoming a mother as an exclusive role, and childbearing was considered necessary. Marriage was also thought to be a form of protection for both the man and the woman.

A drawing depicting a hamsa

One theory postulates a connection between the khamsa and the Mano Pantea (or Hand-of-the-All-Goddess), an amulet known to ancient Egyptians as the Two Fingers. In this amulet, the Two Fingers represent Isis and Osiris and the thumb represents their child Horus. It was used to invoke the protective spirits of parents over their child. Another theory traces the origins of the hamsa to Carthage or Phoenicia where the hand (or in some cases vulva) of the supreme deity Tanit was used to ward off the evil eye. According to Bruno Barbatti, at that time this motif was the most important sign of apotropaic magic in the Islamic world, though many modern representations continue to show an origin in sex symbolism. This relates to the belief that God exists in everything.

Hamsa Amulet

Another meaning relates to the sky god Horus. It refers to the Eye of Horus, signifying that humans cannot escape from the eye of conscience. The sun and moon are seen as the eyes of Horus. The Hand of Fatima also represents femininity and is referred to as the woman's holy hand. It is believed to have extraordinary characteristics that can protect people from evil and other dangers.

Adaptation

A flag of the hand surrounded by circular stars seen in the center background used by the Ottoman army

Scholars speculate that Sephardic Jews were among the first to use this amulet due to their beliefs about the evil eye. The symbol of the hand appears in Kabbalistic manuscripts and amulets, doubling as the Hebrew letter "Shin", the first letter of "Shaddai", one of the names referring to God. The use of the hamsa in Jewish culture has been intermittent, utilized often by Jews during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but declined over time into the mid-twentieth century. However, the notion of a protective hand has been present in Judaism dating back to Biblical times, where it is referenced in Deuteronomy 5:15, stated in the Ten Commandments as the "strong hand" of God who led the Hebrews out of Egypt. The hamsa is later seen in Jewish art as God's hand reaching down from heaven. Its use by Ashkenazi Jewish communities from this period is well-known. Evidence has also emerged of the hamsa being used by Jews from medieval Spain, often associated with "sympathetic magic". Historians such as Shalom Sabar believe that after the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492, exiled Jews likely used the hamsa as protection in the foreign lands to which they relocated. However, this assumption remains difficult to prove. According to Sabar, the hamsa has also been used later by Jews in Europe "as a distinctive sign of the priesthood, especially when they wished to show that a person was of priestly descent..."

A ceramic hamsa depicting Jesus and his disciples

The khamsa holds recognition as a bearer of good fortune among Christians in the region as well. Levantine Christians call it the hand of Mary (Arabic: Kef Miryam, or the "Virgin Mary's Hand"). Thirty-four years after the end of Islamic rule in Spain, its use was significant enough to prompt an episcopal committee convened by Emperor Charles V to decree a ban on the Hand of Fatima and all open right-hand amulets in 1526.

The hand also became a widespread symbol among Muslims. It was in these groups that it became known as the Hand of Fatima, named for the Prophet Muhammad's daughter. The five fingers of the hand became associated with the Five Pillars of Islam. A Hamsa flag was reported to have been used by the Ottoman Empire during the Austro-Turkish War in 1788.

Symbolism and usage

A hamsa embossed with the words of the Priestly Blessing in Hebrew

Amulet with two hands of Fatimah, bearing the inscriptions "God is the guardian", "God brings consolation in all trials"

The hand, particularly the open right hand, is a sign of protection that also represents blessings, power, and strength, and is seen as potent in deflecting the evil eye. One of the most common components of gold and silver jewellery in the region of the Middle East, historically and traditionally, it was most commonly carved in jet or formed from silver, a metal believed to represent purity and to hold magical properties. It is also painted in red (sometimes using the blood of a sacrificed animal) on the walls of houses for protection, or painted or hung on the doorways of rooms, such as those of an expectant mother or new baby. The hand can be depicted with the fingers spread apart to ward off evil, or closed together to bring good luck. Similarly, it can be portrayed with the fingers pointing upward to ward off evil, or downward to bestow blessings. Highly stylised versions may be difficult to recognise as hands, and can consist of five circles representing the fingers, situated around a central circle representing the palm.

Silver hamsa amulet of Berber tradition (khmissa)

Used to protect against the evil eye, a malicious stare believed to cause illness, death, or general misfortune, hamsas often contain an eye symbol. Depictions of the hand, the eye, or the number five in Arabic (and Berber) tradition are related to warding off the evil eye, as exemplified in the saying khamsa fi ainek ("five [fingers] in your eye"). Raising one's right hand with the palm showing and the fingers slightly apart is part of this curse meant "to blind the aggressor". Another formula uttered against the evil eye in Arabic, but without hand gestures, is khamsa wa-khamis ("five and Thursday"). As the fifth day of the week, Thursday is considered a favourable day for magic rites and pilgrimages to the tombs of revered saints to counteract the effects of the evil eye.

Due to its significance in both Arabic and Berber culture, the hamsa is one of the national symbols of Algeria and appears in its emblem. It is also the most popular among different amulets (such as the Eye and the Hirz—a silver box containing verses of the Quran) for warding off the evil eye in Egypt. Egyptian women who live in baladi ("traditional") urban quarters often make khamaysa, which are amulets made up of five (khamsa) objects attached to their children's hair or black aprons. The five objects can be made of peppers, hands, circles, or stars hanging from hooks.

Jewish people have also adopted the symbol of the hand, often interpreted in relation to the Biblical passage that says that "the Lord took the Israelites out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm". The "strong hand" is representative of the hamsa, which rooted its relevance in the community. The helping hand exemplified God's willingness to help his people and guide them out of struggle. Around the time of the Byzantine period, artists depicted God's hand reaching from above. God's hand from heaven would lead the Jewish people out of struggle, and the Jews subsequently made a connection with the hamsa and their culture. The hand was identified in Jewish texts and became an influential icon throughout the community. Among Jewish people, the hamsa is a highly respected, holy, and common symbol. It has sometimes been used to decorate the Ketubah (marriage contracts) and items used to dress the Torah, such as pointers and the Passover Haggadah. The presence of the hand image both inside and outside of synagogues suggests the importance and reverence the Jewish community associated with the hamsa. The hand decorated many of the most religious and sacred objects and later emerged from a phase of lesser use.

During modernisation across the Middle East, the hamsa symbol became less prominent in some areas due to its perceived incompatibility with secular ideals. However, it later emerged as a symbol of secularity and became a trendy talisman, frequently seen as a "good luck" charm. Today, the hamsa can be found on necklaces, keychains, postcards, lottery cards, and in advertisements, as well as high-end jewellery, decorative tilework, and wall decorations.

Similar to the Western phrase "knock on wood" or "touch wood", a common expression in the Middle East is "Khamsa, Khamsa, Khamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu," which mimics the sound of spitting to ward off bad luck.

Throughout various celebrations across the region, such as festivals emphasising fertility and prosperity, the number "5" is often highlighted, reflecting its association with the hamsa amulet. From Morocco to Turkey, the hamsa is a prevalent symbol of protection from misfortune and is widely incorporated into jewellery, home decor, and art. Many women across the region own at least one piece of jewellery featuring the hamsa, symbolizing the enduring cultural significance of this talisman.

A symbol U+1FAAC 🪬 HAMSA was added to Unicode in 2021 (Unicode 14.0, Emoji 14.0).

See also

• Abhayamudra
• Evil eye
• Filakto
• Hand of God (art)
• Nazar
• Skandola
• Mississippian Culture Hand and Eye Motif
• Tenome

References

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External links

• Media related to Khamsa at Wikimedia Commons