Evil Eye

Main Piece: Raul:  Whenever you see a cute baby you should always touch their hand or something so you don’tgive them the evil eye. Some people just have some kinda power that makes babies sick. This iswhy all Mexican babies have that red and black bracelet because it protects them from the evileye. But when babies don’t wear them and get the evil eye you have to pass an egg that youhave to warm up with your hands so it won’t be so cold around the body in a cross way whilepraying. The coolest part about this is when they are done with the prayers and rubbing theegg, they crack it open on a glass of water and if they had the evil eye then the yolk of the eggwould like um make somewhat of an eye. Then you just have to put the glass of water with theegg under the crib and let the baby sleep. I remember my mom would always cure my cousinsof the evil eye and would let me crack the egg. Everyone I knew at some point had experiencethe evil eye and had the whole egg thing done to them.  Context: The participant walked into the kitchen when I was interviewing his mother on a piece of folk medicine. After I concluded with her interview, he asked what we were doing, and I let him know I was collecting folklore. After explaining what folklore is he said he had a legend that originated where he was from. After he told the legend he told me about the evil eye. Raul noticed I was writing everything he said down so he told me about the evil eye in English only. Background:  Raul is a 27 year old who was born in Mexico but what brought to the United States when he was 17. He is fluent in Spanish and learned roughly learned English in the few years he attended high school. Analysis:This piece of folklore incorporates two categories of folk belief which are folk medicine and folk protection. The babies are supposed to where this magic bracelet that protects them from the evil eye. If the baby somehow does catch the evil eye then there is a remedy for it. This piece displays the power folklore has and the influence it has on peoples actions. This belief is strong enough to make parents put bracelets on their babies and even do these remedies to safeguard there children.  This piece is also shocking because my parent also believed in the evil eye. I surprised because there is no report a child ever dying from the evil eye. It is not scientifically proven yet so many people believe in it.