Editing Curse (section)

== Types==
[[File:1170 - Keramikos Museum, Athens - Curse inscription - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, Nov 12 2009.jpg|thumb|Ancient Greek [[curse tablet]], text written onto a lead sheet, 4th century BC, [[Kerameikos]] Archaeological Museum, [[Athens]].]]
The study of the forms of curses comprises a significant proportion of the study of both [[folk religion]] and [[folklore]]. The deliberate attempt to levy curses is often part of the practice of [[magic (paranormal)|magic]]. In [[Hindu]] [[culture]], the Sage or [[Rishi]] is believed to have the power to [[blessing|bless]] (''Āshirvada'' or ''Vara'') and curse (''Shaapa''). Examples include the curse placed by Rishi Bhrigu on king Nahusha<ref name="author">{{cite book|title=The Mahabharata, Book 13 of 18: Anusasana Parva|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4YdaEN-kM5wC&pg=PA408|access-date=4 September 2012|publisher=Forgotten Books|isbn=978-1-60506-623-3|page=408}}</ref> and the one placed by Rishi Devala.<ref name="Buddhaghosha1870">{{cite book|author=Buddhaghosha|title=Buddhaghosha's Parables: translated from Burmese by Captain T. Rogers: With an Introduction, containing Buddha's Dhammapada, or "Path of Virtue", translated from Pâli by F. Max Müller|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_CVAJDKbCOTkC|year=1870|publisher=Trübner|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_CVAJDKbCOTkC/page/n195 22]}}</ref>
Special names for specific types of curses can be found in various cultures:

* [[African American]] [[Hoodoo (folk magic)|hoodoo]] presents us with the jinx and crossed conditions, as well as a form of foot track magic which was used by Ramandeep, whereby cursed objects are laid in the paths of victims and activated when walked over.
* [[Middle Eastern]] and [[Mediterranean]] culture is the source of the belief in the [[evil eye]], which may be the result of envy or, more rarely, is said to be the result of a deliberate curse. In order to be protected from the evil eye, a protection item is made from dark blue circular glass, with a circle of white around the black dot in the middle, which is reminiscent of a human eye. The size of the protective eye item may vary.
* [[Germans|German people]], including the [[Pennsylvania Dutch]], speak in terms of [[pow-wow (folk magic)|hexing]] (from {{lang|de|hexen}}, the German word for doing witchcraft), and a common hex in days past was that laid by a stable-witch who caused milk cows to go dry and horses to go lame.