Greece Trip #28: Oia Highlights: a little special dog and Meaning of the "Blue Eye"

During our vacation to Greece, one of the islands we visited was the dormant volcanic island of Santorini. All of the towns are built on the volcano's rim, and the caldera (center of the volcano) is flooded by the Aegean Sea. Yesterday's blog explained about the houses, and today's blog will introduce you to a little dog that made our day, and the meaning of the Greek "Blue Eye" pendant.

A HOT TOUR - We walked through the town of Oia for 1 hour, and that was honestly enough. The heat index was again over 100 degrees Fahrenheit /37.7 degrees Celsius, and it was a sunny day - truly the "dog days of summer." The sun was intense, and everyone seemed to be seeking shade (there was little of it).  Within the hour in this tiny, tourist-packed town (there were 5 large buses of tourists dropped off by 5 diff cruise ships off the island), we managed to find 2 things of interest: a dog and a "blue eye." 

ANOTHER TYPE OF DOG DAY - Being dog dads, we really missed our 2 dogs at home, and had only seen a few dogs during our trip so far. Then we saw a little red, smooth, dachshund/mix laying in a comfy bed in the doorway of a dress shop. He also had a little stuffed lamb toy, just like our kids have. 

   Further, he resembled our dog Sprite (who passed in 2013), so  that told us that Sprite was with us on vacation!  You never know when a loved one is going to show up and lead you to someone that looks like them - That's one way spirits tell us they are with us.  

   As it turned out, the little dog sat there only a few minutes and went back inside because of the volume of tourists walking by. So, we walked by at the right time to get a good glimpse of him. That's not a coincidence. That was Sprite's doing! 

 Just seeing him in the midst of the tourist chaos made our day. 

(Photo: The Oia shop of the little cute dog. Credit: RG)

 
WHAT IS THE BLUE EYE? The Blue Eye or Matiasma means "evil eye" in Greek, and is often shortened to mati, or "eye." The word is used to describe the eye symbol itself, which looks something like a bull's-eye, with a dark center "pupil" surrounded by a circle of light blue, then sometimes white, then finally an outer circle of dark blue. 

(Photo: A collection of Blue Eye pendants for sale. Credit: RG)

WHAT DOES THE BLUE EYE DO? The Blue Eye charms are supposed to help ward off the “evil eye.” The term refers to negative energy caused by another's jealousy, which Greeks believe can cause minor troubles and even physical symptoms for the victim. 

HOW FAR BACK DOES THE EYE DATE? The eye, as an apotropaic visual device, is known to have been a fixture in Greece dating back to at least the 6th century BC, when it commonly appeared on drinking vessels. 

(Photo: Tom in Oia, Santorini. Credit: RG)

NEXT:  A Sunset Walk Along a Volcano's Rim