Hamsa All is Well

Today I wanted to write a quick post. I’ll write these once in a while and talk about a symbol or a culture, or just a quick motivation. I began the blog and planned to continue adding to the Cultures and Symbols page,  but  honestly, it has been hard to keep up. I try to delve into the topic as deeply as possible and that requires a lot of research. With work, my grandsons, my health, it’s very hard. So maybe, smaller chunks might work best.

The Hamsa

I think this is a great place to start! Everyone is familiar with the  hamsa. It stretches back into antiquity. It is a Middle Eastern amulet symbolizing the Hand of God. Nowadays, it is recognizable across cultures and ethnicities. It is mainstream.

The hamsa is best known for its potency in deflecting the evil eye, commonly carved in jet, as well as silver, and worn as jewelry. But it is also found as a wall hanging in homes for protection. It can also be found in the  rooms of new or expectant mothers or in baby nurseries.

Protection is not its only benefit. It brings its owner luck, happiness, health, and good fortune.

The word hamsa means “FIVE” in Arabic.

Origins

It is hard to attribute the hamsa to just one group. Christians, Muslims, and Jews all have their own origin stories and beliefs. In these cultures, the hamsa is known by other names, including the hand of Mary, the hand of Fatima, and the hand of Miriam. 

Islamic Hamsa

Muslim tradition calls the hamsa the hand of Fatima, Mohammed’s daughter. It represents femininity, and later began to represent the five pillars of Islam: faith, fasting, pilgrimage, prayer, and tax.

According to lore, Fatima’s husband took on a concubine. One day he brought her home. Fatima was home cooking when they arrived. The story goes that although she was very upset upon their arrival, she kept cool and didn’t show it. She continued cooking and apparently dropped the utensil  she was using. She didn’t notice it but she was using her bare hand and burning herself. It is this story that made the hamsa a symbol for loyalty and forbearance as well as charity.

Hamsa in Judaism

In the Jewish tradition, the hamsa goes all the way back to Deutoronomy 5:15  where it states:

And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Judaism, frowns upon amulets, but the Sephardic Jews used it first.  They lived closely with the Muslims, so they each learned about the other’s cultures. When the Jews were expelled from Spain, they carried the hamsa as protection to their new homes.

The hamsa is representative of the five books of the Torah. And, it is known as the hand of Miriam, Moses’ sister.

Christian Hamsa

Christians refer to the hamsa as the hand of Mary. It protects women and boosts fertility and lactation. It is also helpful during pregnancies. The hamsa also strengthens the weak. In addition to this, it is also a sign of good fortune and good luck. Wearing it brings blessings.

Some cultures add an eye to the center of the hamsa. Christians, however, design it using a fish symbol which is representative of Jesus. The fish symbol is significant in Christians’ culture and religious beliefs because of its strong protective characteristics. It is effective against people who have ill-will and bad intentions. 

Artistic Expression

Expressing the hand with the fingers spread apart wards off evil; closed together, it brings good luck. Some highly stylized versions are so intricate and adorned that they are difficult to recognize as hands. Some are very simple and can consist of five circles as the fingers and a central circle as the palm.

Wearing Your Hamsa  

If you choose to wear it facing down, it opens you to all the beauty and goodness our Earth has to offer.Wearing it this way will also bring fertility and answer your prayers.

When worn facing up, you will receive the most power of protection against evil. It will also protect us from our own insecurities and negative thoughts.

Conclusion

We most often associate the hamsa with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but Hinduism, Buddhism, and other traditions use it as well. It is also symbolic for those who do not adhere to any religious beliefs and describe themselves as Spiritual. And, we can see it as just a pretty symbol, with no beliefs for its protective properties. Some wearers just love the beauty of the symbol and use it as adornment only.

SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Leave me a comment!