Hamsa and Christianity

HAMSA AS THE WOMAN’S HOLY HAND

This universal amulet represented femininity and had extraordinary characteristics, it protected against the forces of evil for thousands of years, helped to secure peace and was said even to provide healing powers. It is still used as charm in many Middle Eastern countries today.

This special symbol of femininity, which protected people in the magical era transcended to the monotheistic religions and then through them up to the present day, with the main feminine figure becoming the Virgin Mary for Christianity and Fatima for Islam.

For Muslims Hamsa is the hand of Fatima and for Jews is the hand of Miriam who is the Prophet Moses’ sister. Hamsa is the hand of the holy woman in short.

HAMSA AS GODS HAND

Historically a wide geographic area, included the Middle East, considered the Hamsa sacred hand symbol as the symbol of God's hand in the earth. It helped to make them feel the existence of God in everything and in every new formation. The Hamsa amulet was seen as the symbol of holiness, healing and miracles, which would pull the forces of good to the bearer and protect them from unseen dangers, disease, and neutralize the negative energies of envy and the forces of evil.

Therefore, Anatolian Muslims respect and love the Virgin Mary just as Christians do, due to this very strong historical and cultural heritage. Hazard Fatima has the same status with the Virgin Mary for the Muslims of Anatolia. The goddess culture, which comes from the matriarchal period, has been continued through to today, by evolving and blending its existence into the more modern religions of today.

There is a formula of belief in Anatolia, which states:

Cybele = Artemis = Virgin Mary = Hazrat Fatima

Indeed the Virgin Mary's house in Ephesus, which is the place of pilgrimage for Christians, was established on a hill overlooking to the temple of Artemis, which was not a coincidence.

The Virgin Mary's house is also a sacred place for the Muslims of Anatolia. Muslims visit the house, to worship, make votive offerings, make wishes and ask for healing.

In its simplest form the symbol for Hamsa is the hand. It is talismanic symbol that they believed would protect them from harm against the evil forces and bring them goodness, abundance, fertility, luck and good health. Hamsa is an icon used by man as a defence, in his struggle against the forces of evil.