hamsa (Arabic: ???? ? khamsah ; Hebrew: ??????? ?, also romanization khamsa ; Berber Language: ????? ? tafust ), is a popular palm-shaped talisman throughout the Middle East and North Africa and is commonly used in jewelry and wall hangings. Describing an open right hand, a picture that is recognized and used as a mark of protection in many times throughout history, it is believed by some, especially Jews, Christians and Muslims, to provide defense against the evil eye.. It has been theorized that its origins are located in Ancient Egypt or Carthage (modern-Tunisia) and may have been attributed to the Tanit Goddess.
Khamsah is an Arabic word meaning "five", but also "five fingers".
The Hamsa also known as Fatima Hands after the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, Mary's Hand , Hands of Miriam > The Goddess's Hand .
Video Hamsa
Histori
The early use of hamsa has been traced to ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) as well as ancient Carthage (modern Tunisia). A universal protec- tion, an open right hand image is seen in Mesopotamian artifacts in the amulets of the goddess Ishtar or Inanna. Other symbols of divine protection based around the hand include the Venus Hand (or Aphrodite), Mary's Hand, used to protect women from evil eyes and/or increase fertility and breast-feeding, promote healthy pregnancies and strengthen the weak. At that time, women are under great pressure and expectation to become mothers. Female parenting is centered on being a mother as an exclusive role, and it shows that children bear what is needed. It is also considered that marriage is a sense of protection for both men and women. In Jewish culture, hamsa is associated with the number five because of the five fingers depicted in hand.
One theory postulates a connection between khamsa and Mano Pantea (or Hand-of-the-All-Goddess), a talisman known by the ancient Egyptians as Two Fingers. In this talisman, Two Fingers represents Isis and Osiris and the thumb represents their son, Horus. It is used to invoke parental protective spirits over their child. Another theory traces the origins of hamsa to Carthage (Phenicia, modern Tunisia) where the hand (or in some cases the vulva) of the supreme god Tanit is used to ward off evil eyes. According to Bruno Barbatti, at that time this motif was the most important sign of apotropaic magic in the Islamic world, although many modern representations continue to show a clear origin of sex symbolism.
It deals with the belief that God is in all things. The other meaning of this symbol relates to the celestial deity, Horus. This refers to Mata Horus, which means man can not escape from the eyes of conscience. It is said that the sun and the moon are the eyes of Horus. Fatima's hand also represents femininity, and is referred to as the sacred hand of the woman. It is believed to have extraordinary characteristics that can protect people from evil and other dangers.
The path of hamsa into Jewish culture, and its popularity especially in the Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities, can be traced through its use in Islam. This "favorite Muslim" is part of Jewish tradition in Muslim countries of North Africa and the Middle East. Hand symbols appear in manuscripts and Kabbalistic talismans, duplicated as Hebrew letters "Shin", the first letter "Shaddai", one of the names referring to God. The use of hamsa in Jewish culture has been discontinuous, often used by Sephardic Jews during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, then less and less from time to time until the mid-20th century. However, hymsa has been present in Judaism dating all the way back to biblical times, where it is referred to in Deuteronomy 5:15, expressed in the Ten Commandments as the "strong hand" of God leading the Jews out from Egypt. The hamsa was later seen in Jewish art as the hand of God grabbed from heaven during the end times of ancient times, Byzantine period, and even medieval Europe. Evidence has also emerged about the hamsa used by Jews from medieval Spain, often associated with "sympathetic magic". Historians like Shalom Sabar believe that after the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, exiled Jews tended to use hamsa as a refuge in foreign lands they were forced to relocate, but this assumption is difficult to prove. According to Sabar, hamsa has also been used later in Europe "... as a distinctive sign of the priesthood, especially when they want to show that a person is a descendant of the priest...".
The khamsa holds recognition as a lucky bearer among Christians in this region as well. Levantine Christians called it the hand of Mary (Arabic: Kef Miryam , or "The Virgin Mary"). 34 years after the end of Islamic rule in Spain, its use was significant enough to encourage the episcopal committee compiled by Emperor Charles V to enforce the Hand Fatima ban and all the right-handed fetish charms that were exposed in 1526.
Maps Hamsa
Symbolism and usage
Hands ( Khamsa ), especially the open right hand, are a mark of protection that also symbolizes blessings, strengths and strengths, and is seen as effective in deflecting the evil eye. One of the most common components of gold and silver jewelry in the region, historically and traditionally, is most often carved in jets or formed from silver, a metal believed to represent purity and possess magical properties. It is also painted red (sometimes using sacrificed animal blood) on the wall of the house for protection, or painted or hung on the doorstep of the room, such as from a pregnant mother or a new baby. Hands can be depicted with separate fingers to ward off evil, or as closed together to bring good luck. Similarly, it can be described with the radius pointing to the ward, or down to give blessing. Stylish versions may be hard to recognize as hands, and can consist of five circles representing the radius, located around the central circle representing the palm of the hand.
Used to protect evil eyes, evil gazes that are believed to cause common illness, death or misfortune, hamsas often contain eye symbols. The portrayal of hands, eyes or number five in Arabic (and Berber) is related to warding off evil eyes, as exemplified in the maxim khamsa fi ainek ("five fingers" in your eyes "). a person with palms pointing and slightly separated fingers is part of this curse which means "blinding the aggressor." Another formula spoken against the evil eye in Arabic, but without hand gestures, is khamsa wa-khamis
Because of its significance in Arab and Berber cultures, hamsa is one of the national symbols of Algeria and appears in its emblem. It is also the most popular among different talismans (like Mata and Hirz - a silver box containing Qur'anic verses) to ward off evil eyes in Egypt. Egyptian women living in the urban ("traditional") urban fold often make khamaysa , which is a fetish consisting of five ( khamsa ) objects for attaching to their children's hair or black apron. The five objects can be made from chili, hand, circle or star hanging from the hook.
Although significant in Arab and Berber cultures, Jews have long interpreted and adopted hand symbols very important since the Ten Commandments. Some of these commandments state that "God brought Israel out of Egypt with strong hands and outstretched hands". The "strong hand" is the representative of a hamsa that has its relevance in the community. Helping hands show God's willingness to help his people and lead them out of the struggle. Around the time of the Byzantine period, the artist will describe God's hand reaching from above. God's hands from heaven will lead the Jews out of the struggle, and the Jews quickly make connections with their hamsa and culture. The hands were identified in Jewish texts, and obtained as influential icons throughout the community.
Among the Jews, hamsa is a highly respected, sacred, and common symbol. It is used in Ketuk , or the marriage contract, as well as the things that are dressed in Torah such as pointer, and Easter Haggadah. The use of hands as a picture both inside and outside of the synagogue demonstrates the importance and relevance of Jews associated with hamsa. The hand is decorating some of the most religious and sacred objects and has since emerged from an unusual phase.
At the time of the establishment of the State of Israel, the use of amulets by the Jewish Mizrahi was widely initially deemed low by the Ashkenazi community, although the use of hamsa has become more common in recent decades. Hamsa has become a symbol in everyday Israeli life, and to some extent, the symbol of Israel itself. It has become a symbol of secularity, and a trendy amulet; "lucky" amulets appear in necklaces, key chains, postcards, phone cards and lotteries, and in advertisements. It is also incorporated into high-end jewelry, decorative ornaments and wall decorations. Its use by Ashkenazi Jews outside Israel both historically and contemporane is intermittent but unknown.
Similar to the Western use of the phrase "wood knock" or "wood touch", the common expression in Israel is "Hamsa, Hamsa, Hamsa, tfu, tfu, tfu", the sound to spit, which should spell the misfortune.
At Mimouna, North African Jewish celebrations held after Passover, tables are laid with various symbols of luck and fertility, with emphasis on the number "5", such as five pieces of gold or five pieces of jewel arranged on a cake leaf. Repetition of number five is associated with hamsa talisman.
Gallery
See also
- Abhayamudra
- Nazar
References
Bibliography
External links
- Media related to Khamsa on Wikimedia Commons
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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