LUCKY CHARM!
The meaning of the Horn
The horn is given as a gift and worn as an amulet to protect against bad luck and the evil eye or from envy, jealousy and malice. It is very widespread and frequent both in Neapolitan homes and in shops and restaurants.
Iconic symbol of the Neapolitan tradition, it has its roots in antiquity, when it represented fertility and protection against adversity. Its shape recalls that of the horns of an animal, a symbol of strength and vitality, while the red color recalls positive energy and the ability to ward off the evil eye.
Belief has it that if the horn breaks it means that it has neutralized the evil eye or bad luck, in short it has had an effect.
5 IMPORTANT RULES
1) Once you have received the horn, squeeze it for a few seconds between your index finger and thumb, thinking about the person to whom the gift is going.
2) Never buy a horn for yourself but have it given to you as a gift.
3) The horn must be worn tied to something.
4) Touching the horn means giving it energy, so do it at least twice a day.
5) The horn is strictly personal.
From Phallus to Horn
In Southern Italy and in particular in Naples, the horn has replaced the phallus as a good luck amulet. The Catholic religion and common morality have led to the disappearance of the phallus as a pagan symbol and good luck amulet and to its replacement with the horn. Just as in ancient times farmers placed a large phallus, symbol of the God Priapus, to protect their fields, so even today large horns are inevitable in modern farms in Southern Italy.
THE WINGED PHALLUS
To appeal to all its magical strength, the winged phallus must be reproduced, immeasurable, enormous, propitiatory, capable of driving away evil spirits, capable of giving protection to the house and to work environments, a force of nature against evil, flagellating demons and fascinum: the negative power of the dry eye.