The Evil, All Seeing Eye

by Chels at 2:52 PM

Ater reading "The Displaced Person" I was very curious about the meaning of the peacock. I did a quick google search, and though the sites I went to may not have been completely accurate, they did all say sort of the same thing. Here is what one particulary said:



In Asia, the feathers of the peacock are considered auspicious and
protective. However in the European tradition, it used to be considered very bad luck to keep them in the home....The reason for the superstition has more to do with the eye-like markings at the tips of the feathers which, around the Mediterranean, recall the dreaded "evil eye"-- the ever watchful and envious glance of the she-demon, Lilith. She was blamed for otherwise inexplicable deaths of infants, among other misfortunes.
http://www.khandro.net/animal_bird_peacock.htm


This is a general overview, but the actual website has a lot of different myths about it and how the peacock played a party in "history."

I wonder if Mrs. McItyre knew this myth about the peacock being ever watchful. Perhaps this is why she keeps one on there; the peacock will tell the Judge if she doesn't. I don't know. I think I need to think about it a little more, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. I think it is at least somewhat significant that this story has so may religious references (a lot of the characters have some sort of "revelation") and that the peacock is always there, watching. Perhaps the peacock is symbolic of God watching over the goings on, but never actually stepping in. Instead the peacock (and God) allow men to do what they want to do. (I like this interpretation because I think it goes along with what happened during the Holocaust. Many people question God because of this, but many say that He's just letting mankind "do its thing" or something, but then I don't see how this is the evil eye).


Any other insights on the peacock itself?

 

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1 Comment:

  1. Chelsea Lane said...
    January 31, 2008 at 10:27 AM  
    What do we do with the fact that Mrs. McIntyre has let almost all of the peacocks die off? Interesting, eh?

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