AMULE´TUM
AMULE´TUM (
περίαπτον,
περίαμμα,
φυλακτήριον), a charm attached to the body of a human being or
animal to avert calamities or secure good fortune, from the Arabic
Hamâlet ( “that which is
suspended” ). Comp. for the derivation
περίαμμα, περίαπτον, and the
ligatura and
alligatura of the
Christian writers. Amulets are as old as Homer's
μῶλυ (
Od. 10.292), but the word
first occurs in Pliny (
Plin. Nat. 29.66,
30.168) and was probably introduced
with the lore of the Magi under the early empire, which certainly developed
the superstition very largely, as may be judged from the frequent use of
Eastern symbols, and even inscriptions on amulets. Earlier we have only
names of particular kinds of amulets, such as
praebia, and no generic title. Of the use of amulets among the
Egyptians, Jews, and other Oriental nations, see
Dict. of
Bible, s. v.
Large numbers of the more durable amulets are still in existence. The shapes
of ancient jewellery and ornaments were in great measure decided by a belief
in their magical efficacy, although the notion of the Magi, ridiculed by
Pliny (
Plin. Nat. 37.124), that each
stone had a sympathy for a special device, which, if engraved on it, drew
forth its powers, was only expanded in the Middle Ages, and directions for
the choice and application of amulets form no small part of many ancient
treatises on medicine; indeed it is often difficult to draw the distinction
(which did not exist in the minds of many ancient physicians) between a
medicine and an amulet. Perhaps those remedies which are to be attached
(
adalligare) to the person may be regarded
as amulets. The belief in the virtues of precious stones especially was
widespread, even among the intelligent. Pliny, who himself ridicules the
arts of the Magi, explains their influence by saying that
sola artium tres alias imperiosissimas humanae mentis complexa in unam
se redegit,--medicine, religion, and divination. The chief ancient
authorities on the subject are Pliny's
Natural History, and
on the use of jewels the Pseudo-Orpheus
περὶ
λίθων (ascribed by Tyrwhitt to an Asiatic Greek of the 4th
century A.D., by C. W. King to the author of the
Argonautica); Plutarch (or Parthenius),
περὶ ποταμῶν; Solinus,
de Rebus Mirabilibus; Epiphanius of Constantia,
de xii. Gemmis; and Isidore's
Origines: and, among later writers, Psellus (a Byzantine of
the 11th century) and Marbodus. Bishop of Rennes 1067-81, who usually
borrows from Isidore and Orpheus.
In many cases the choice of these ornaments was determined by a desire to
draw off the attention of the evil power by a congenial object. Sometimes,
again, a fanciful connexion can be traced between the amulet and its object,
as when the teeth of animals are used as a charm against dental diseases.
But generally the selection seems so entirely arbitrary that, in the
following list of the chief materials used as amulets and for other magical
purposes, it has not been thought necessary to specify the objects sought by
their use.
1.
Stones.
Adamas (
ἀδάμας), the diamond.
Plin. Nat.
20.2;
37.61. The
ἀδάμας of
Orph. 192
is not a diamond.
Aëtites, the eagle-stone.
Plin. Nat. 36.149.
Achates (
ἀχάτης), the agate.
Orph. 230,
604;
Plin. Nat.
37.139; Solin. v. p. 21; Isid. 16.11; Ctesias, fr. 92,
Müller. The term is very comprehensive in Latin. These stones had
gone out of fashion before Pliny's time for signets, but were still highly
valued for their magical properties, which varied according to the markings.
Amethystus (
ἀμέθυστος,
ἀμέθυσον), the amethyst.
Anth. P. 9.748,752.
The name is perhaps of Eastern origin, in which case the belief that it
counteracted the effects of wine would be due to a popular etymology. Often
found with heads, &c., engraved on the centre. These gave it further
virtues.
Plin. Nat. 37.124.
Batrachites.
Plin. Nat. 37.149; Isid. 16.4, 20.
Identified by King with a green and yellow jasper, sometimes found cut into
a toad-shaped amulet. Hence the mediaeval superstition of the jewel found in
the toad's head.
Brontea, which entered into tortoises' heads
during thunderstorms.
Plin. Nat. 37.150;
Isid. 16.15, 24.
Carbunculus (
ἄνθραχ,
λυχνίτης), our ruby and garnet. Aelian,
H. A.
viii.; Philostr.
Vit. Apoll. 2.14; Psellus,
de
Lapid. xii.
Chelidonia.
Plin. Nat. 37.155; Isid. 16.9. 5.
Chelonia. Supposed to be the eye of the Indian
tortoise.
Plin. Nat. 37.155.
Chelonitis. Ibid.
Chloritis, produced in the gizzard of the
motacilla (water-wagtail).
Ibid. § 156.
Corallium (
κουράλιον).
Orph. 570;
Plin. Nat. 30.22;
Solin.
2,
41.
Crystallum (
κρύσταλλος), rock crystal.
Orph. 170;
Spartianus,
Did. Jul.
Draconitis or
dracontia.
Plin. Nat. 37.158.
Eumitres, used in the worship of Belus.
Ibid. § 160.
Gagates (
γαγάτης), jet.
Orph. 468;
Plin. Nat. 36.142.
Haematites (
αἱματίτης).
Orph. 658;
Plin. Nat. 37.169.
Heliotropium, bloodstone.
Plin. Nat. 37.165. Used with the plant of
the same name. Isid. 16.7;
Solin. 27.
Hyaenia, found in hyaena's eye.
Plin. Nat. 37.169.
Iaspis (
ἴασπις), the chalcedony, a very common Eastern amulet.
Ibid. § 115;
Orph.
264.
Magnes (
μάγνης), loadstone.
Orph. 302.
Molochiles (
μολοχάς), green
jasper.
Plin. Nat. 37.114.
Opsianum (
λίθος Ὀψιανός),
obsidian.
Orph. 282.
Opalus (
ὀπάλλων), opal.
Ibid. 279. The belief that it
was beneficial to the eyes probably arose from a fanciful derivation: hence
Marbodus calls it
ophthalmius.
Ovum anguinum (
σιδηρίτης or
ὀφίτης),
serpentine marble. Supposed to be formed from serpents' froth.
Παντάρβης, ruby.
Anth. P.
9.490; Philostr. 3, 46 ; Heliod. 8.11; Ctesias, p. 265.
Prasius (
πράσιος), plasma.
Orph. 749.
Sarda, sardius (
σάρδιος,
σάρδιον), the Oriental carnelian, which became the favourite
stone for engraving. Epiphan.
de xii. gemmis, 1.
Sucinum, amber.
Plin.
Nat. 37.51.
Topazus (
τοπάζιος).
Orph. 277; Epiphan. 2.
[p. 1.119]
2.
Metals.
Copper.
Plin. Nat. 34.134.
Iron.
Ibid. § 151.
Gold.
Ibid. 33.85.
3.
Plants.
Laurus (
δάφνη),
the bay-tree, especially efficacious because sacred to Apollo. Used in
lustrations : Eur.
Ion. 80-121;
Juv. 2.158;
Plin. Nat.
15.138. Chewed to give prophetic inspiration: Hes.
Theogon. 30 schol.; Soph.
Fragm. 777,
Dind.; Boisson,
Anecd. 3.385; Lucian,
Bis.
Acc. 1;
Tib. 2.5,
63;
Juv. 7.19. Used strictly as an
amulet: Theophr.
Char. xvi.;
Plin.
Nat. 15. § § 133-7;
Geopon.
11.2. Hence the proverb
δαφνίνην φορεῖ
βακτηρίαν, of a man who has a charmed life: Zenob. 3.12. Cp. Ov.
Fasti, 3.137;
Etym. M., s.
ἀντήνους.
Cynocephalia or
osiritis.
Plin. Nat. 30.18.
Elleborus, veratrum (
ἑλλέβορος), a charm as well as a medicine.
Plin. Nat. 25. § § 49, 50.
Ficus (
συκῆ).
Geopon. 11.2; Plut.
Symp. 4, 2.
Σκίλλα, the squill. Diphil.
Mart. 3 ; Theophr.
Char. xvi.; Diosc. 2.202;
Plin. Nat. 20.101. Mentioned in
Geopon. 15.1 with
ἐβένος,
ἀσπάλαθος, and the scented
ἀναγαλλίς.
Spina alba, hawthorn.
Ov. Fast. 6.130; and the closely allied
ῥαμνός, Diosc. 1.110.
4.
Animals.
The
ant, the
wasp, the
caterpillar, the
snail, the
louse, the
spider,. used
as amulets against fevers and mental disorders.
Plin. Nat. 28.100.7;
30.100.10,
11.
The
ass's testicles:
Plin. Nat. 28.261. The horned
wild ass:
Philostr.
Vit. Apoll. 4.2.
The
bat.
Plin. Nat. 29.83.
The
chameleon's tongue, paws, shoulders, and tail.
Ibid. 28. § § 112-18; Marc. Emp. viii.;
Scrib. Larg.
Comp. 38; Cael. Aurel. 1.6;
Gel. 10.12.
The
dog's gall.
Plin. Nat.
30.32.
The
fox's tongue and genitals. Marc. Emp. viii. p.
66;
Plin. Nat. 28. § § 166,
172.
The
goat's brain, milk, and excrement.
Plin. Nat. 28.259; Sext. Plat. 5.2.
The
hen's bones.
Plin.
Nat. 30.26.
The
horse's teeth.
Ibid. 28.258.
The
hyaena's teeth, eye, spinal marrow, excrements,
&c.
Ibid. § § 92-106; Galen,
Ther. ix. p. 942; Marc. Empir. viii. p. 57, xxxvi. p.
240;
Ael. NA 6.22; Plut.
Symp.
4, 2.
The
mole's teeth.
Plin. Nat.
30. § § 19, 20.
The
owl's gizzard.
Ibid. 29.81.
The
rat's ears and liver.
Ibid. 29.60,
30.93; Plin. Valer. 3.6.
The
raven's and the
sparrow's
excrements.
Plin. Nat. 30.26; Marc. Emp.
xii. p. 85; Sext. Plat. 2.6, 3.
The
serpent's tooth and heart.
Plin. Nat. 30. § § 22, 25.
The
wolf's flesh, fat, and head, &c.
Ibid. 28. § § 157, 247, 257; Sext.
Plat.
de lup. 8.1.
And many species of
fishes and other
aquatic animals, especially the
frog, mentioned in
Plin. Nat. 32.
§ § 6-9, 74, 81-2, 113-16, 119, 139.
Certain parts and secretions of the
human body were
also used.
One class of amulets especially reminds us of mediaeval superstitions,
perhaps not yet extinct. The
blood of gladiators
(
Plin. Nat. 28.4; Diosc. 2.97; Cels.
3.23; Tert.
Apol. 9; Scrib. Larg. 2.13, 17; Al. Trall. 1.15);
the
hair of a man who has been crucified (
Plin. Nat. 28.41); the rope or a nail
(
Ibid. 46); the hand or eye-tooth from a corpse
(
Ibid. 45); the marrow from the legs and the brain of
infants (
Ibid. 4); the human teeth (
Ibid. 41,
45); hair (
Ibid. 41),--were also efficacious: and a calculus
was an amulet for the
calculosus, and in other
cases (
Ibid. 42).
Artificial shapes of amulets.
Besides assuming the various forms of personal ornaments with which we are
familiar--of necklaces
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Amulets. (Daremberg and Saglio.)
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laces or pendants [CREPUNDIA; LUNULAE;
PHALERAE], rings, bracelets, earrings, hairpins,
&c.--amulets
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Amulet, suspended by chain. ( Bullet. dell' Inst.
Arch., Rome, 1836, p. 149.)
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were attached to a sort of belt which was passed over one shoulder
and under the
[p. 1.120]opposite arm, as in the first
figure, or in the shape of thin plates (
bracteae) were sewn on garments. If the amulet could not be
easily introduced into an ornament, it was often enclosed in a bag or in a
bulla of gold or leather. (See the figure above.) [
BULLA] The second cut represents an amulet with
chain to be worn across the shoulder. It was found at Petillia in Southern
Italy, and is a thin gold plate with a metrical inscription in Greek.
The formulas of incantations called
Ephesiae
litterae (
Ἐφέσια γράμματα）
belonged for the most part to the later empire, although one preserved in
the Museum of Syracuse is attributed by M. Labatut to the 2nd cent. B.C. It
is a plate of terra-cotta, covered with an inscription for the most part
unintelligible. It was probably hung up in a house. (
Athen. 12.548 c; Phot.
Lex. p. 40; Eustath.
ad Od 19.247.)
To gain good fortune and protection, small images of the deities were
carried, especially of the
averrunci, and in later
times still more commonly those of the deities whose worship was introduced
from the East. Thus Sulla carried in his breast and worshipped an image of
Apollo (
Plut. Sull. 29), and we find many
figures of Diana of Ephesus, Mithras, Isis, Anubis, and especially Serapis
and Harpocrates, who as god of silence restrained ill-omened utterances. We
find in the museums figures, usually female, sometimes naked, sometimes
clothed, which guard silence by having one hand applied to the lips, the
other behind their back. In the instance figured
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Amulet. (D. & S.)
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here, the hook by which it was suspended is visible. Sometimes
again a representation is made in a precious material of an animal,
&c., which was regarded as an efficacious amulet; for instance, a
hellebore flower in gold.
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Collection of Amulets. (D. & S.)
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On the contrary, it was a very common practice to avert ill luck by wearing
some ill-omened, grotesque, or obscene shape which might instantly catch the
“evil eye” of the malign power and divert its malice. [
FASCINUM]
It was sought to increase the effect by combining several magical symbols in
one amulet, or by grouping many together on the statue of a deity (
panthea signa, Auson.
Epigr. 30), or
as in the last figure in the preceding column, which represents a
terra-cotta plate; or a number of amulets were strung together in a
necklace.
Closely connected with the subject are the statues of gods placed in front of
houses and temples (e. g. the Athenian
Hermae）
and the magical symbols on lamps, furniture, and buildings.
Christian legislation and teaching had to carry on a perpetual warfare
against the use of amulets and the abuses connected with them.
(The most available accounts of the subject are O. Jahn,
Ueber den
bösen Blick in
Berichte der sächsischen
Gesellschaft, 1855; C. W. King,
Precious Stones and
Metals, and
Gems and Decorative Stones;
Marquardt,
Röm. Alterth. vi. p. 104 ff.; M. Labatut,
in Daremberg and Saglio, s.v. from which the latter part of the article is
drawn;
Dict. of Christ. Antiq., s. v.)
[
J.H.F]
