Not surprisingly, due to this widespread use of charms throughout the ancient world, the early Christian church eventually inherited the use of amulets. The usual inscription on these Christian charms was, "ichthys," the Greek word for "fish". This word was chosen because it contained the initials of the Greek words for Jesus Christ, Son of God, and Savior. Christians sometimes wore a copy of St. Johns Gospel on a cross or necklace, or put a copy of the Lords Prayer in their shoes. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000, titled "Amulet")

The evolving Christian church brought with it different amulets, charms and rules .The old pagan religions, practiced for millennia, were now considered witchcraft by the church and many innocent pagans were labeled as witches. High illiteracy rates and ignorance caused the average person to be more easily bent to the will of their more educated Christian leaders. Pagan rituals were linked to the powers of darkness or witchcraft. Christians became obsessed with mythical signs of evil such as dangerous spirits, goblins, and trolls. Rabbits, which play in the moonlight, were thought of as disguised witches because witches as everyone knew, used rabbits in their spells and potions. Christians quickly adopted the rabbit’s foot as a talisman.

The early Christians found other symbols for luck. A horseshoe with the opening facing heaven was good for warding off evil. Birthstones, rings, coins, and the St. Christopher medal were all used. Some of them are still used today. Amulets became so common among Christians that in the fourth century AD the clergy were forbidden to make or sell them in fear of deprivation of holy orders. In the 7^th century the wearing of amulets was solemnly condemned. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000) This condemnation did little to stop or slow the popularity of amulets. Unceasing faith in charms was to continue for many hundreds of years.

It is not clear when the popular amulet called "Higa" or "Figa," or less often "Fig," came into use, but as evidenced by its long history it is one of the most enduring. Examples have been found dating to the Roman era and even the Roman predecessors, the ancient Etruscans, used the higa charms. (http://www.wavyworld.com/~yronwode/manofico.html)

Pablo E. Perez-Mallaina finds the earliest mention of the higa, in the context of Spanish usage, in ("Spain’s Men of the Sea, Daily Life on the Indies Fleets in the Sixteenth Century", The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. Pg. 243.) "The superstitions of the men of the sea were not expressed through prayers alone. There were also cursed islands and places where it was believed that devils raised up great storms." Heated arguments began regarding whether the ship should pass to the north or to the south of cursed places, i.e., the Bermuda islands, which had a particularly bad reputation with sailors. "To avoid the evil eye, the crew members wore around their necks the well-known "figs," that is, small amulets shaped like hands with the thumb placed between the index finger and the middle finger, which have been found in abundance in the remains of shipwrecks" The reference used by the author says, "Specifically, the Museo de las Cases Reales de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) houses various amulets of this type, which came from shipwrecks that occurred on the coasts of that island."

The earliest mention of the higa is found on page 68 in (Jewels in Spain, by Priscilla E. Muller. "…Children’s charms (brinquenos infantiles) of gold, silver and jet inventoried in 1569 include bells, crosses, reliquaries and higas with handles shaped as saints…" Other mentions of higa’s appear in this study. "Badajoz jewelers in 1589 traded in higas of ivory and jet…(See figure 7) Coral higas, or fist-shaped amulets directed against the "evil eye," and diminutive "button" (botocillos) of coral were worked, as is clear from an entry in the Philip II inventory…." (Page 68,69) An illustration on page 69, (See figure 8), in (Jewels of Spain), of a rock crystal higa, shows the thumb

Figure 7- Example of ivory higa /Figure 8- Example of rock crystal higa

prominently placed between the middle and index finger, as defined by (Perez-Mallaina, http://getcustoms.com/quiz/luck.html,) we are told that Brazilians often give little children a figa charm to protect them against bad spirits. "The lucky figa is a clenched hand with the thumb sticking up between the index and second fingers." We are also cautioned, "the figa is considered obscene in other countries."

The catalog by Stephen V. Granscay, Curator of Arms and Armor for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, of the loan exhibition of equestrian equipment to the J.B. Speed Art Museum, in Louisville, Kentucky, May 4 to July 3, 1955 shows a Spanish ring bit dating to the 16^th century. This bit has 10 attached pendants called "ornamental charms representing the closed fist to avert the evil eye." These charms, with the thumbs thrust between the fingers, are easily identified as higas. (See figure: 9)

Figure 9 - Equestrian Ring Bit with higa charms

In recent years higa’s have been found on the beaches adjacent to the Spanish fleet of 1715. One of these beach-find higa’s was shaped onto the handle of a silver spoon and displayed the thumb symbol. Another beach find higa was a gold fist with a gold ring and bail, made for hanging or wearing. This beach find had a flower petal attached to the wrist portion of the higa by two bails and a ring, or loop and was made from high karat gold weighing 2.3 grams. The remains of the early Spanish mission site of San Louis, near Tallahassee, Florida, have yielded higa’s. (James Levy. personal communication) Excavations in St. Augustine have also turned up higas, and one of these was made of wood. (John Powell, PhD. personal communication)