Hamsa

The hamsa is an open hand, often with an eye in the palm, kept across North Africa and the Middle East as a sign of protection and blessing. Its name comes from the Arabic word for five, and Jewish families also call it hamesh. Muslims know it as the hand of Fatima, many Jews as the hand of Miriam.

Name: Arabic khamsa, five
Also called: hand of Fatima, hand of Miriam
Hung traditionally: by the front door

Handla från Hamsa · 94 Betydelse

Handla från Hamsa

Oversized Choklad Canvas Zip-Top Tote Bag, Guld Hamsa Bomull £17.99Medlemmar: +£1.00 tillbaka
Kuddfodral 60x60cm grönt med hamsa och mandala Bomull £24.95Medlemmar: +£1.45 tillbaka
Kuddöverdrag Hamsa Mandala 30x50cm Grön Bomull £17.95Medlemmar: +£1.05 tillbaka
Kuddfodral med hamsa och mandala 45x45cm grönt Bomull £17.95Medlemmar: +£1.05 tillbaka
Låga bambustrumpor, hamsa Bambu £7.95Medlemmar: +£0.30 tillbaka
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Låga bambustrumpor, onda ögat och hamsa Bambu £7.95Medlemmar: +£0.30 tillbaka
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Tygkasse med hamsa, terrakottafärgad stentvätt Jute £15.99Medlemmar: +£0.90 tillbaka

What it means

The hamsa is a blessing in the shape of a hand. Tradition holds that it turns away the evil eye, the harm that envy is believed to carry, and keeps a home and its people well. An eye drawn in the palm makes that link plain.

Where it comes from

Hand amulets are older than the faiths that keep them today; they are known from the ancient Near East and North Africa. In Islam the hand is linked with Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and in Judaism with Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron. Muslim families across the Maghreb and Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews have hung it for centuries, and Christians in the region keep it too.

Some religious teachers in both faiths discourage amulets, and many families keep the hamsa simply as a sign of home, heritage and good wishes.

How people keep it

It is most often hung by the front door or above a child's bed, worn as a pendant, or given to a bride. Fingers pointing up are read as warding off harm; fingers pointing down, as a welcome and a blessing.

In Morocco and Tunisia it is painted on doors and walls, worked into jewellery and woven into textiles; in Israel it hangs in kitchens and from car mirrors. It often carries a blessing, a verse or a small blue eye.

Choosing one

Pick the direction that suits its place: fingers up by the door, fingers down above a table or a bed. A hamsa given as a gift often comes with a short written wish. Glass and metal pieces need only a dry cloth.

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Vanliga frågor

What does a hamsa hand mean?

It is a sign of protection and blessing. Tradition holds that it turns away the evil eye and brings good fortune to a home and the people in it.

Should a hamsa face up or down?

Both are traditional. Fingers up is usually read as warding off harm, fingers down as an open blessing and welcome.

Is the hamsa Jewish or Muslim?

Both, and older than either. Muslims call it the hand of Fatima, many Jews the hand of Miriam, and Christians in the region keep it as well.

Can anyone wear a hamsa?

Yes. It is a shared folk symbol of the region rather than the sign of one faith, and wearing it with an understanding of where it comes from is welcome.