In the elaborate hand-crafting of charms, these small jewels that sometimes adorn the doors of the house and sometimes a wall at home or at the office or another personal space, small symbolic objects are used, which the skilled artists use in their construction. Everything is taken from the life and action of man!
A dominant symbol in Greek and Turkish tradition is the eye. It is used in various sizes, with a bright blue color as protection against the evil eye and bad luck. While another common element is the hand of Fatima or Hamsa hand and is an ancient symbol of the Jews and Muslims, as a talisman for protection, it symbolizes femininity and protects against the evil eye (Εσείς ξέρετε τι ιστορία έχει κάθε γούρι?, χ.η.).
The pomegranate symbolizes fertility, abundance, good fortune and eternity, while the petal symbolizes strength, happiness and is considered to protect against the evil eye. The grape symbolizes divine communion, blessing, youth and fertility. The four-leaf clover is considered to symbolize wealth, glory, love, health and generally brings luck (Γούρια: Τι συμβολίζουν;, χ.η.).
A central element is the Tree of Life, which is also mentioned in the book of Genesis. Adam and Eve, disobeying God, ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge and thus their access to the Tree of Life, which offered immortality, was blocked. The Tree of Life symbolizes eternity, immortality, fertility and cosmic knowledge. Also, the Olive Tree is the symbol of peace and is believed to bring abundance and fertility. Also, it is the symbol of hope and good, as well as Hellenism (Εσείς ξέρετε τι ιστορία έχει κάθε γούρι?, χ.η.).
Bells and bells are considered talismans, which exorcise evil spirits with their sound, while hearts symbolize love and health, angels good news and are considered to protect against evil (Γούρια: Τι συμβολίζουν;, χ.η.).
Accordingly, the house is the symbol of the family and denotes love and warmth. The key is the means we use to open doors and is believed to bring luck and lead to happiness. The penny, a period coin with a hole in the middle, symbolizes wealth and abundance, while the boat symbolizes the new path of man in life (Γούρια: Τι συμβολίζουν;, χ.η.).
Finally, the pumpkin symbolizes longevity and good health. With this charm, you will feel peace, abundance and prosperity in your space!
We would like to thank Ms. Margarita Akritopoulou for all the photos and the beautiful constructions.
Bibliography
Γούρια: Τι συμβολίζουν; (χ.η.). Retrieved January 15, 2023 from
https://www.fp-products.gr/index.php?route=journal3/blog/post&journal_blog_post_id=66
Εσείς ξέρετε τί ιστορία έχει κάθε γούρι? (χ.η.). Retrieved January 15, 2023 from
https://tarantella.gr/blog/gouria/