Luzzu
The luzzu, the brightly painted wooden fishing boat of the Maltese islands, carries on its prow a pair of apotropaic eyes painted on either side of the bow, an inheritance many trace to the Eye of Osiris or of Horus of the ancient Mediterranean, meant to ward off the evil eye, protect the crew, and guide the boat home to a good catch. The boats, broad-beamed and high-prowed, are built and repaired by family yards at Marsaxlokk and on Gozo, painted in reds, blues, yellows, and greens, with the eyes and often a patron saint's image or a religious motto on the bows. Though the modern luzzu form d