Between Science and Superstition: An Anthropological and Cultural Approach to the Representations of Jinn, Magic, and the Evil Eye in Popular Culture

Abstract

This research explores metaphysical symbols such as jinn, the evil eye, and magic within Libyan popular culture, viewing them as symbolic tools that invoke the sacred and reconstruct the individual's relationship with reality during moments of tension and existential anxiety. Rather than treating these elements as irrational superstitions opposing scientific thought, the study interprets them as a hermeneutic system with social and psychological functions, enabling communities to explain the inexplicable and structure their connection with the unseen and the sacred. The research adopts a symbolic interpretive anthropological methodology, drawing on Mircea Eliade’s phenomenological theory, which posits that rituals and symbols are not merely cultural residues, but sacred enactments activated through symbolic time and experienced emotionally, not just intellectually. By examining folk narratives and ritual practices in the Tarhuna region, the study reveals how these metaphysical symbols are continuously reproduced within Libyan society. It illustrates how popular rituals act as channels for meaning-making and reconnection with formative forces—through techniques such as amulet placement, spiritual incantations, and mythic storytelling—all performed within a non-linear timeframe that reconfigures reality, selfhood, and place.

Furthermore, the research contributes to understanding the complex interplay between science and superstition, emphasizing that what is often labeled as superstition in folk contexts is not an expression of ignorance, but a deeply rooted existential response. Recognizing its cultural function opens new interpretive horizons for these symbolic phenomena, beyond the reductive confines of modern rationalism.