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This study, based on forty taped interviews, considers the social and economic conditions that led to the sudden reemergence of evil eye beliefs and practices in Albania. It explores how the recent development of a highly stratified class system and the introduction of individual property ownership helped to increase the dependence of Albanians on the dordolec (scarecrow) for protection of their newfound wealth. A discussion of the kukull, the store-bought, stuffed animal version of the dordolec, offers insight into the post-post-Communist Albanian trend to appropriate Western commodities into the local tradition.
The Albanian countryside is peppered with unusual objects; elaborately dressed dolls have been strategically placed near small vegetable gardens and atop newly constructed homes. The general term for these dolls in Albanian is dordolec, which translates as "scarecrow" or "doll." An apotropaic device, the dordolec is used to protect against a look of envy that is believed to cause real and sudden damage to valued possessions including the home, livestock, and even children.1 Recent years have seen a renewed interest in the dordolec, and this reemergence is tied to large-scale historical contexts. Albania has long endured geographical, cultural, political, and ideological isolation. Mountain ranges keep her geographically isolated. Cultural isolation was most prevalent during the occupation of the Ottoman Turks (1388-1913). In addition, she experienced more than forty-seven years of political and ideological isolation under the Communists. This article will show how changes in the post- and post-post-Communist era, specifically Albania's new economic situation, offer fertile ground for the reemergence of evil eye beliefs and practices in Albania. The article will also explore how recent social changes-including the development of a highly stratified class system and the recent introduction of individual property ownership-helped to sharpen contemporary Albanians' understanding of social differences and increase their dependence on the dordolec for protection of their newfound wealth. A discussion of the use of the kukull, the store-bought, stuffed animal version of the dordolec, will offer insight into the current trend in post-post-Communist Albania to appropriate Western commodities into the local tradition.
This study is based on forty videotaped interviews from three main geographical areas-the regions to the north, the south, and the west of Tirana, Albania's capital. The interviews were conducted in Albanian and took place...