Why is the evil eye prayer kept secret?
According to tradition, the prayer only works as long as it stays hidden. Those who know it never say it out loud and never write it down. They whisper it while the oil falls into the water, so that nobody else hears it.
That is why there is no single “correct” prayer. Every family and every village has its own version. Many start with the name of the person who was jinxed and call on Christ, the Virgin Mary or a saint to drive the evil away.
How is the prayer passed on?
- From a woman to a man and from a man to a woman. If you learn it from someone of your own sex, it is said to lose its power.
- By word of mouth, never in writing.
- In some places only on certain days, usually during Holy Week.
The rules vary from place to place. These are the most common ones.
What is the Orthodox Church’s prayer against the evil eye?
The Orthodox Church has its own prayer against the evil eye (vaskania), attributed to Saint Basil the Great. It begins with the words
Κύριε ο Θεός ημών, ο Βασιλεύς των αιώνων, ο παντοκράτωρ και παντοδύναμος… (Lord our God, King of the ages, almighty and all-powerful…)
and asks God to send an angel to guard the person from all harm and from envy. Only a priest reads it, never a layperson. The Church views folk xematiasma with reservation and encourages the faithful to turn to their parish priest instead.
How does the folk prayer differ from the Church prayer?
| Folk prayer | Church prayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Who says it | Whoever learned it, usually a grandmother or an aunt | Only a priest |
| Text | Secret, different in every family | Fixed and published |
| How it is said | Whispered, with oil and water | Read by the priest |
| How it is passed on | By word of mouth, between a man and a woman | It is not passed on; it is part of the Church’s liturgical life |
Can you find the evil eye prayer online?
The Church prayer, yes: it is published on many Orthodox websites. The folk prayer, not really. Any version you find online is one family’s prayer that somebody decided to write down. And according to tradition, a prayer that has been written down has already lost its power.
And Kyra Ourania’s prayer?
Kyra Ourania is a fictional character and her prayer is our own invention, for fun. It is nobody’s real prayer. If you listen closely during the xematiasma, this is roughly what she whispers:
Evil eye, leave this person and go to the neighbour’s Wi-Fi,
to the blocks of flats with no lift and the traffic lights on Syngrou Avenue,
and let them enjoy their coffee in peace. Ftou ftou.
Lift my evil eye, on the house