Avoiding the Evil Eye - Nazar Boncugu

A “Nazar Boncugu” (pronounced bondschuk) is a little magic stone that protects one from the “Evil
Eye.” You see this blue glass piece practically everywhere you go throughout Turkey… dangling from
taxi cabs, pinned to babies’ clothes, guarding the doorways of houses, even built into the foundations of modern
office buildings. But what is behind this “Evil Eye” superstition?
Once upon a time (yes, it starts like a fairy tale) there was a rock by the sea that, even
with the force of a hundred men and a lot of dynamite, could not be moved or
cracked. There was also a man who lived in this town by the sea, who was known
to carry the evil eye (Nazar). After much effort, the people of the town brought the
man to the rock. When he looked upon it, he said “My, what a big rock this is.”
Supposedly, the instant he said this, there was a rip and a crack and instantly the
immense stone was found to be cracked in two.
Once a Boncuk is found cracked, it has successfully done its job, and immediately a
new one is put in its place, to continue the protection against the dreaded “Evil Eye.”
Activity:
Provide blue, white, yellow and black clay or “Sculpty” and allow students to make their own
Nazar Boncugu, about the size of a quarter. Once they are finished, assist students in making a
small hole near the top of the piece, so that when it is dry (or baked) it can be hung on a string.