Амулет

Amulets are special objects or symbols often worn as medallions for the purpose of warding off evil. Amulets differ from talismans in that they passively protect their wearer from evil and harm. They are protection devices. Talismans, on the other hand, possess magical or supernatural powers of their own and transmit them to the owner. They attract some benefit to the possessor, whereas the amulet acts as a shield to repel harm. Many ancient magical symbols are regarded as being both amulets and talismans, able to attract good fortune as well as repelling bad luck. Examples of these are the swastika, the ankh, the five-pointed star or pentagram, and the sixpointed star or Solomon’s seal. The actual origin of these symbols is hidden in prehistory, and they have been carried all over the world. The word amulet is derived from the Latin amuletum. Amuletum was the name for the cyclamen, which people planted near their homes in the belief that its magical influence prevented any poisonous drug from having power to harm.

The idea of the amulet is ancient. The earliest amulets were likely to have been natural objects with unusual shapes or colors. Later, amulets were crafted into symbolic shapes. A figurine of one’s god(dess) has been and continues to be a popular amulet theme. Catholics utilize figurines and pictures of certain saints in a similar manner.

The ancient Egyptians used eye amulets to protect good health. They also used the Udjat eye on pottery, rings, and other amulets to ward off the forces of darkness. The Udjat eye was the characteristic stylization of the eye of the youthful Egyptian sun god Horus. The Udjat eye was placed on rings in ancient Egypt. The scarab beetle symbolized resurrection after death and protection against evil magic. Mummies wore a “heart scarab” as an amulet on their breasts. Seals and jeweled charms in the form of scarabs protected wearers against evil.

The Hebrews, as early as 2200 B.C., wore crescent moons to ward off the evil eye and attached bells to their clothing to ward off evil spirits. In ancient Rome (753 B.C.–A.D. 476) bronze figures of hands stood in houses to ward off evil. This amulet derives from the instinctive gesture to put the hand in front of the face to ward off the evil eye. The position of the fingers on these pre- Christian amulets was the same as that used today for blessing, namely with the thumb and first two fingers upright and the other two fingers closed.

Arabian amulets included dust gathered from tombs and carried in little sacks as protection against evil. Also worn were pieces of paper on which were written prayers, spells, magical names, or the attributes of God, such as “the compassionate” and “the forgiver.” A popular amulet of Islamic peoples beginning in the sixth century was the Hand of Fatima. The Hand of Fatima is frequently made of silver and jeweled with semiprecious stones. It is named after the daughter of the prophet Muhammad.Hands were also used as amulets on gates of Islamic buildings. Holy books of every culture (Koran, Torah, Bible) are considered to have protective powers. Pieces of parchment with scripture quotes, carried in boxes or pouches, are amulets in various religions.

Amulets with inscriptions are sometimes called charms, a term that also applies to spoken incantations. “YHWH,” the Hebrew name for God, appeared on many amulets and talismans in different spellings to help magicians conjure demons and protect them from attack by the spirits. The “Sator square” consists of some magical words arranged in the pattern of a square. It was inscribed on walls and vessels as early as ancient Rome (753 B.C.–A.D. 476) and was considered to be an amulet against sorcery, poisonous air, colic and pestilence, and for protecting cow’s milk from witchcraft. Similarly, circles inscribed with the names of God were used in England as recently as 1860 to repel demons. Eyes and phallic symbols are widely used on amulets. Eyes protect against evil spirits and are found on tombs, walls, utensils, and jewelry. The phallic symbol, often represented by a horn, also protects against the evil eye. The hand is an ancient amulet that has carried forward to the present.Hand gestures have long been used to ward off the evil eye. Two of the best known gestures are mano cornuta, “making horns,” in which the index and little finger are extended with the other two fingers and the thumb are folded into the palm; and the mano in fica or “the fig,” in which the hand is in a fist with the thumb protruding between the first and second fingers. The latter is a synonym for the female genitals. Rock-crystal amulets set in gold of a hand in the sign of the fig were made in southern Germany circa 1680. Amulets may be made of hands in these configurations and are still made and sold today. In many regions a red coral amulet depicting the sign of the fig is popular even today on watch-chains and necklaces.

Knots are another symbol traditionally believed to dispel the evil eye. Knots have long been tied in garments to ward off evil and have carried over into carvings and metalwork. Nurses used to wear elaborately patterned silver buckles on their belts to protect against sickness, much of which was blamed on the evil eye. The elaborate interlacings and intertwinings of Celtic and Saxon decorative art probably arose from the notion of warding off the evil eye also.

Witch balls are bright reflecting balls of glass that one often sees hanging up in antique shops. Their purpose was to ward off the evil eye by reflecting it back to the source. It was believed that the glass ball would attract to itself all the influences of ill luck that would otherwise have fallen upon the household. Early Christians continued to use many of the amulets of the ancients. The medieval Catholic Church promoted the use of numerous holy charms including rosaries and holy relics. The most common charm was the Agnus Dei, a small cake of wax originally made out of Passover candles, bearing images of the lamb and flag. When blessed by the pope, the Agnus Dei protected the wearer against attacks by the Devil, thunder, lightning, fire, drowning, death in childbirth, and other dangers. In the seventeenth century, rosaries were blessed as amulets against fire, tempest, fever, and evil spirits.

The idea that a charm needed to be consecrated in order to be effective is behind the belief that a lucky charm that someone gives one is more potent than one bought for oneself. The thought of the goodwill behind the gift has in a sense consecrated it. Bells have long been used as amulets to protect children, as well as horses, camels, cows, asses, and other important animals. Shopkeepers hung bells over their thresholds to keep evil spirits from entering their premises.

Plants can also act as amulets. Examples are the shamrock and garlic. Garlands of garlic worn around the neck or hung in a house are said to ward off evil spirits, creatures, and spells. In Mexico, the ajo macho is a huge garlic, sometimes as big as a baseball, used exclusively as an amulet against evil in general, but not against specific curses. According to custom, the ajo macho will work only if it is given as a gift, not if it is bought. In ancient Greece and Rome, garlic was placed at crossroads as an offering to Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and the night. Odysseus used garlic as protection against the witchcraft of Circe, who turned his men into swine. Garlic, of course, is also used to ward off vampires.

For Further Reading: Lockhart, J. G. Curses, Lucks, and Talismans. Detroit, MI: Single Tree Press, 1971. RavenWolf, Silver. To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1996.

- Lewis James