9/17/2019 Amulet - Wikipedia

Amulet
An am ulet, also known as a good luck charm, is an object believ ed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word amuletum, which Pliny 's Natural History
describes as "an object that protects a person from trouble". Any thing can function as an amulet; items commonly so used include gems, statues, coins, drawings, plant parts, animal parts, and written
words. [1 ]

Amulets which are said to deriv e their extraordinary properties and powers from magic or those which impart luck are ty pically part of folk religion or paganism, whereas amulets or sacred objects of
formalised mainstream religion as in Christianity are believ ed to hav e no power of their own without being blessed by a clergy man, and they supposedly will also not prov ide any preternatural benefit
to the bearer who does not hav e an appropriate disposition. Talismans and charms may differ from amulets by hav ing alleged magical powers other than protection. [2 ] Amulets are sometimes confused
with pendants, small aesthetic objects that hang from necklaces. Any giv en pendant may indeed be an amulet but so may any other object that purportedly protects its holder from danger.

Contents
Ancient Rome
China and Japan
Abrahamic religions
Judaism A nazar, an amulet to ward off the evil
Christianity eye
Islam
Buddhism
Tibet
Thailand
Other cultures
Gallery
See also
Notes
References
External links

Ancient Rome
Amulets were particularly prev alent in ancient Roman society , being the inheritor of the ancient Greek tradition, and inextricably linked to Roman religion and magic (see magic in the Graeco-Roman
world). Amulets are usually outside of the normal sphere of religious experience, though associations between certain gemstones and gods has been suggested. For example, Jupiter is represented on
milky chalcedony , Sol on heliotrope, Mars on red jasper, Ceres on green jasper, and Bacchus on amethy st. [3 ] Amulets are worn to imbue the wearer with the associated powers of the gods rather than
for any reasons of piety . The intrinsic power of the amulet is also ev ident from others bearing inscriptions, such as vterfexix (utere fexix) or "good luck to the user."[4 ] Amulet boxes could also be used,
such as the example from part of the Thetford treasure, Norfolk, UK, where a gold box intended for suspension around the neck was found to contain sulphur for its apotropaic (ev il-repelling)
qualities. [5 ]

China and Japan

In China, Taoist experts called fulu dev eloped a special sty le of calligraphy that they said would be able to protect against ev il spirits. The equiv alent ty pe of amulet in Japan is called an ofuda.

Abrahamic religions
In antiquity and the Middle Ages, most Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the Orient believ ed in the protectiv e and healing power of amulets or blessed objects. Talismans used by these peoples can be
broken down into three main categories: talismans carried or worn on the body , talismans hung upon or abov e the bed of an infirm person, and medicinal talismans. This third category can be further
div ided into external and internal talismans. For example, an external amulet can be placed in a bath.

Jews, Christians, and Muslims hav e also at times used their holy books in a talisman-like manner in grav e situations. For example, a bed-ridden and seriously ill person would hav e a holy book placed
amulet, amber, with ear of wheat,
under part of the bed or cushion. [6 ] Roman period (69-96 AD)

Judaism
Amulets are plentiful in the Jewish tradition, with examples of Solomon-era amulets existing in many museums. Due to the proscription of idols and other grav en images in Judaism, Jewish amulets emphasize
text and names. The shape, material, and color of a Jewish amulet makes no difference. Examples of textual amulets include the Silv er Scroll, circa 630 BCE, and the still contemporary mezuzah[7 ] and
tefillin. [8 ] A counter-example, howev er, is the Hand of Miriam, an outline of a human hand. Another non-textual amulet is the Seal of Solomon, also known as the hexagram or Star of Dav id. In one form. it
consists of two intertwined equilateral triangles, and in this form it is commonly worn suspended around the neck to this day .

Another common amulet in contemporary use is the Chai (sy mbol)—(Hebrew: ‫" חַ י‬liv ing" ḥay), which is also worn around the neck. Other similar amulets still in use consist of one of the names of the god of
Judaism, such as ‫( ה‬He), ‫( יה‬Y aH), or ‫( שדי‬Shaddai), inscribed on a piece of parchment or metal, usually silv er. [9 ] A selection of omamori,
Japanese amulets
During the Middle Ages, Maimonides and Sherira Gaon (and his son Hai Gaon) opposed the use of amulets and derided the "folly of amulet writers."[1 0 ] Other rabbis, howev er, approv ed the use of amulets. [1 1 ]

Rabbi and famous kabbalist Naphtali ben Isaac Katz ("Ha-Kohen," 1645–17 19) was said to be an expert in the magical use of amulets. He was accused of causing a fire that broke out in his house and then
destroy ed the whole Jewish quarter of Frankfurt, and of prev enting the extinguishing of the fire by conv entional means because he wanted to test the power of his amulets; he was imprisoned and forced to
resign his post and leav e the city . [1 2 ]

Christianity
The Roman Catholic Church maintains that the legitimate use of sacramentals in its proper disposition is encouraged only by a firm faith and dev otion to the Triune God, and not by any magical or superstitious The Silver Scroll on display
belief bestowed on the sacramental. In this regard, rosaries, scapulars, medals, and other dev otional religious Catholic paraphernalia deriv e their power, not simply from the sy mbolism display ed in the object, at the Israel Museum
but rather from the blessing of the Catholic Church.

Lay Catholics are not permitted to perform solemn exorcisms, but they can use holy water, blessed salt, and other sacramentals, such as the Saint Benedict medal or the crucifix, for warding off ev il. [1 3 ]

The crucifix, and the associated sign of the cross, is one of the key sacramentals used by Catholics to ward off ev il since the time of the Early Church Fathers. The imperial cross of Conrad II (1024–1039)
referred to the power of the cross against ev il. [1 4 ]

A well-known amulet among Catholic Christians is the Saint Benedict medal which includes the Vade Retro Satana formula to ward off Satan. This medal has been in use at least since the 17 00s, and in 17 42 it
receiv ed the approv al of Pope Benedict XIV. It later became part of the Roman Catholic ritual. [1 5 ]
Examples of Hand of Miriam
Some Catholic sacramentals are believ ed to defend against ev il, by v irtue of their association with a specific saint or archangel. The scapular of St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic dev otional
in contemporary Israel
scapular associated with Archangel Michael, the chief enemy of Satan. Pope Pius IX gav e this scapular his blessing, but it was first formally approv ed under Pope Leo XIII.

The form of this scapular is somewhat distinct, in that the two segments of cloth that constitute it hav e the form of a small shield; one is made of blue and the other of black cloth, and one of the bands likewise is
blue and the other black. Both portions of the scapular bear the well-known representation of the Archangel St. Michael slay ing the dragon and the inscription "Quis ut Deus?" meaning "Who is like God?". [1 6 ]

Catholic saints hav e written about the power of holy water as a force that repels ev il. Saint Teresa of Av ila, a Doctor of the Church who reported v isions of Jesus and Mary , was a strong believ er in the power of
holy water and wrote that she used it with success to repel ev il and temptations. [1 7 ]

Spanish soldiers, especially Carlist units, wore a patch with an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the inscription detente bala ("stop, bullet").

Early Egy ptian Christians made textual amulets with scriptural incipits, especially the opening words of the Gospels, the Lord’s Pray er and Psalm 91. These amulets hav e surv iv ed from late antiquity (c. 300–
7 00 C.E.), mostly from Egy pt. They were written in Greek and Coptic on strips of papy rus, parchment and other materials in order to cure bodily illnesses and/or to protect indiv iduals from demons. [1 8 ]
Chai pendant (modern)

Islam
Amulets and talismans are forbidden in Islam, [1 9 ] and using them is considered an act of shirk (idolatry ). [2 0 ][2 1 ] Howev er, the practice has historically existed in Islamic folk culture.

In Central and West Asia, amulets (often in the form of triangular packages containing a sacred v erse) were traditionally attached to the clothing of babies and y oung children to giv e them protection from forces such as the ev il ey e. [2 2 ][2 3 ]
Triangular amulet motifs were often also wov en into oriental carpets such as kilims. The carpet expert Jon Thompson explains that such an amulet wov en into a rug is not a theme: it actually is an amulet, conferring protection by its presence.
In his words, "the dev ice in the rug has a materiality , it generates a field of force able to interact with other unseen forces and is not merely an intellectual abstraction."[2 4 ]

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Another popular amulet used to av ert the ev il gaze is the hamsa (meaning fiv e) or "Hand of Fatima". The sy mbol is pre-Islamic, known from Punic times. [2 5 ]

Buddhism

Tibet
The Tibetan Buddhists hav e many kinds of talismanic and shamanistic amulets and ritual tools, including the dorje, the bell, and many kinds of portable amulets. The Tibetan Buddhists enclose pray ers on a
parchment scroll within a pray er wheel, which is then spun around, each rotation being one recitation of all of the stanzas within the pray er wheel.

Thailand
The people of Thailand, with Buddhist and animist beliefs, also hav e a v ast pantheon of amulets, which are still popular and in common use by most people ev en in the present day . The belief in magic is
impregnated into Thai culture and religious beliefs and folk superstitions, and this is reflected in the fact that we can still see commonplace use of amulets and magical rituals in ev ery day life. Some of the more
commonly known amulets are of course the Buddhist v otiv e tablets, such as the Pra Somdej Buddha image, and guru monk coins. But Thailand has an immensely large number of magical traditions, and
thousands of different ty pes of amulet and occult charm can be found in use, ranging from the takrut scroll spell, to the necromantic Ban Neng Chin Aathan, which uses the bones or flesh of the corpse of a
'hoeng prai' ghost (a person who died unnaturally , screaming, or in other strange premature circumstances), to reanimate the spirit of the dead, to dwell within the bone as a spirit, and assist the owner to A crucifix, considered in
achiev e their goals. The list of Thai Buddhist amulets in existence is a lifetime study in its own right, and indeed, many people dev ote their liv es to the study of them, and collection. Thai amulets are still Christian tradition as a
immensely popular both with Thai folk as well as with foreigners, and in recent y ears, a massiv e increase in foreign interest has caused the subject of Thai Buddhist amulets to become a commonly known topic defense against demons, as
around the world. Amulets can fetch prices ranging from a few dollars right up to millions of dollars for a single amulet. Due to the money that can be made with sorcery serv ices, and with rare collector amulets the holy sign of Christ's
victory over every evil
of the master class, there is also a forgery market in existence, which ensures that the experts of the scene maintain a monopoly on the market. With so many fakes, experts are needed for collectors to trust for
obtaining authentic amulets, and not selling them fakes. [2 6 ]

Other cultures
Amulets v ary considerably according to their time and place of origin. In many societies, religious objects serv e as amulets, e.g. deriv ing from the ancient Celts, the clov er, if it has four leav es, sy mbolizes good
luck (not the Irish shamrock, which sy mbolizes the Christian Trinity ). [2 7 ]

In Boliv ia, the god Ekeko furnishes a standard amulet, to whom one should offer at least one banknote or a cigarette to obtain fortune and welfare. [2 8 ]

In certain areas of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, it is traditionally believ ed that the jackal's horn can grant wishes and reappear to its owner at its own accord when lost. Some Sinhalese believ e that the horn can
grant the holder inv ulnerability in any lawsuit. [2 9 ]
Back of the Catholic Saint
The Nativ e American mov ement of the Ghost Dance wore ghost shirts to protect them from bullets. Benedict medal with the
Vade Retro Satana
In the Philippines, amulets are called agimat or anting-anting. According to folklore, the most powerful anting-anting is the hiyas ng saging (directly translated as pearl or gem of the banana). The hiy as must abbreviation
come from a mature banana and only comes out during midnight. Before the person can fully possess this agimat, he must fight a supernatural creature called kapre. Only then will he be its true owner. During
Holy Week, dev otees trav el to Mount Banahaw to recharge their amulets. [3 0 ]

Gallery
Amulet Kilim motif (3 examples)

Scapular of Our Lady of Sator Square, an ancient Amulet from Rajasthan Charm bracelet Ancient Roman amulet A mezuzah Turkish nazar-talisman to
Mount Carmel or "Brown Roman amulet in the from Pompeii with a ward off the Evil eye
Scapular" form of a palindromic phallus
word square

Berber hamsa or "Hand of

Fatima" amulet in silver,
Morocco, early 20th century

An amulet from the Black Magical mirror with A talisman, American Winti- amulet, an Afro- Ancient Egyptian Taweret
Pullet grimoire Zodiac signs Indian medicine made by Surinamese traditional amulet, New Kingdom,
wolf skin, wool, mirrors, religion's amulet Dynasty XVIII, c. 1539–
feathers, buttons and 1292 BC
brass bell

See also
Charmstone
Evil eye
Hamsa
Sigil (magic)
Talisman

Notes
1. Gonzalez-Wippler 1991, p. 1 (https://books.google.com/books?id=wYd-HKmn8j
UC&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA1).
2. Campo, Juan Eduardo, ed. (2009). "amulets and talismans" (https://books.goog
le.com/books?id=OZbyz_Hr-eIC&pg=PA40). Encyclopedia of Islam.
Encyclopedia of World Religions: Facts on File Library of Religion and
Mythology. Infobase Publishing. pp. 40–1. ISBN 978-1-4381-2696-8.
3. Henig, Martin (1984). Religion in Roman Britain. London: B.T. Batsford.
ISBN 978-0-7134-1220-8.
4. Collingwood, Robin G.; Wright, Richard P. (1991). Roman Inscriptions of Britain
(RIB). Volume II, Fascicule 3. Stround: Alan Sutton. RIB 2421.56–8.
5. Henig 1984, p. 187.
6. Canaan, Tewfik (2004). "The Decipherment of Arabic Talismans". In Savage-
Smith, Emilie (ed.). Magic and Divination in Early Islam. The Formation of the
Classical Islamic World. 42. Ashgate. pp. 125–49. ISBN 978-0-86078-715-0.
7. Kosior, Wojciech. " "It Will Not Let the Destroying [One] Enter". The Mezuzah
as an Apotropaic Device according to Biblical and Rabbinic Sources, "The
Polish Journal of the Arts and Culture" 9 (1/2014), pp. 127-144" (https://www.ac
ademia.edu/5644554/_It_Will_Not_Let_the_Destroying_One_Enter_._The_Mezu
zah_as_an_Apotropaic_Device_according_to_Biblical_and_Rabbinic_Sources).
Retrieved 2016-07-30.
8. Kosior, Wojciech. " "The Name of Yahveh is Called Upon You". Deuteronomy
28:10 and the Apotropaic Qualities of Tefillin in the Early Rabbinic Literature,
"Studia Religiologica" 2 48/2015, pp. 143-154" (https://www.academia.edu/1219
3429/_The_Name_of_Yahveh_is_Called_Upon_You_._Deuteronomy_28_10_and
_the_Apotropaic_Qualities_of_Tefillin_in_the_Early_Rabbinic_Literature).
Retrieved 2016-07-30.
9. Encyclopedia Judaica (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0
002_0002_0_01036.html): Amulet.
10. Guide to the Perplexed, 1:61; Yad, Tefillin 5:4.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amulet
11. For example, Solomon ben Abraham Adret ("Rashba," 1235–1310, Spain) and
Naḥmanides ("Ramban," 1194-1270, Spain). Ency. Jud., op. cit.
12. Ency. Jud. (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0012_
0_10852.html): Katz, Naphtali ben Isaac. See also Naphtali Cohen#Biography.
13. Scott, Rosemarie (2006). "Meditation 26: The Weapons of Our Warfare". Clean
of Heart. p. 63 (https://books.google.com/books?
id=3zSG5srzEbEC&pg=PA63). ISBN 978-0-9772234-5-9.
14. Fahlbusch, Erwin; Lochman, Jan Milič; Mbiti, John; Pelikan, Jaroslav; Vischer,
Lukas, eds. (1999). The Encyclopedia of Christianity. Translator and English
language editor: Bromiley, Geoffrey W. Boston: Eerdmans. p. 737. ISBN 978-0-
8028-2413-4.
15. Lea, Henry Charles (1896). "Chapter 12: Indulged Objects". A History of
Auricular Confession and Indulgences in the Latin Church. Volume 3:
Indulgences. Philadelphia: Lea Brothers & Co. p. 520 (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=3RQtAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA520). OCLC 162534206 (https://www.world
cat.org/oclc/162534206).
16. Ball, Ann (2003). Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices. Our
Sunday Visitor. p. 520. ISBN 978-0-87973-910-2.
17. Teresa of Ávila (2007). "Chapter 21: Holy Water". The Book of My Life.
Translated by Starr, Mirabai. Boston: Shambhala Publications. pp. 238–41 (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=wVLtJ-JFVcQC&pg=PA238). ISBN 978-0-8348-
2303-7.
18. Sanzo, Joseph E. "Ancient Amulets with Incipits Early Christian amulets" (http
s://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/artifacts-and-the-bible/anci
ent-amulets-with-incipits/#note01r). biblicalarchaeology,org. Retrieved 5 August
2018.
19. "Chapter 4: Other Beliefs and Practices" (http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/t
he-worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-4-other-beliefs-and-practices/). Pew
Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. 2012-08-09. Archived (https://
web.archive.org/web/20180811004304/http://www.pewforum.org/2012/08/09/the-
worlds-muslims-unity-and-diversity-4-other-beliefs-and-practices/) from the
original on 2018-08-11. Retrieved 2018-08-11. "Islamic tradition also holds that
Muslims should rely on God alone to keep them safe from sorcery and
malicious spirits rather than resorting to talismans, which are charms or
amulets bearing symbols or precious stones believed to have magical powers,
or other means of protection. Perhaps reflecting the influence of this Islamic
teaching, a large majority of Muslims in most countries say they do not
possess talismans or other protective objects. The use of talismans is most
widespread in Pakistan (41%) and Albania (39%), while in other countries fewer
than three-in-ten Muslims say they wear talismans or precious stones for
protection. Although using objects specifically to ward off the evil eye is
somewhat more common, only in Azerbaijan (74%) and Kazakhstan (54%) do
more than half the Muslims surveyed say they rely on objects for this purpose."
20. "Ruling on amulets and hanging them up; do amulets ward off the evil eye and
hasad (envy)? - islamqa.info" (https://islamqa.info/en/10543). islamqa.info.
Retrieved 2018-05-23.
21. "Prohibition of wearing amulets" (https://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.ph
p?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=91549). Islamweb. Retrieved
2018-05-23.
22. Erbek, Güran (1998). Kilim Catalogue No. 1. May Selçuk A. S. Edition=1st.
pp. 4–30.
23. "Kilim Motifs" (https://www.kilim.com/kilim-wiki/kilim-motifs). Kilim.com.
Retrieved 28 January 2016.
24. Thompson, Jon (1988). Carpets from the Tents, Cottages and Work shops of
Asia. Barrie & Jenkins. p. 156. ISBN 0-7126-2501-1.
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25. Achrati, Ahmed (2003). "Hand and Foot Symbolism: From Rock Art to the
Qur'an" (https://web.archive.org/web/20171115015514/http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/a
rchaeology/Publications/Rock%20Art/HAND%20AND%20FOOT%20SYMBOLI
SMS.pdf) (PDF). Arabica. 50 (4): 463–500 (see p. 477). Archived from the
original (http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/archaeology/Publications/Rock%20Art/HAN
D%20AND%20FOOT%20SYMBOLISMS.pdf) (PDF) on 15 November 2017.
26. Littlewood, Ajarn Spencer (2016). The Book of Thai Lanna Sorcery (http://thaila
nd-amulets.net/#!/The-Book-of-Thai-Lanna-Sorcery-Buddha-Magic-6-180-Page-S
pecial-Issue/p/70075380/category=419479) (PDF). Thailand: Buddha Magic
Multimedia & Publications. pp. 1–2.
27. Cleene, Marcel; Lejeune, Marie Claire (2003). Compendium of Symbolic and
Ritual Plants in Europe. p. 178. ISBN 978-90-77135-04-4.
Amulet - Wikipedia
28. Fanthorpe, R. Lionel; Fanthorpe, Patricia (2008). Mysteries and Secrets of 30. "The Agimat and Anting-Anting: Amulet and Talisman of the Philippines" (http
Voodoo, Santeria, and Obeah. Mysteries and Secrets Series. 12. Dundurn s://web.archive.org/web/20160924001852/http://www.amuletandtalisman.com/20
Group. p. 183–4 (https://books.google.com/books?id=elc5YDyY4eoC&pg=PA1 12/08/the-agimat-and-anting-anting-amulet-and_8.html).
83). ISBN 978-1-55002-784-6. amuletandtalisman.com. 2012. Archived from the original (http://www.amuletand
29. Tennent, Sir, James Emerson (1999) [1861]. Sk etches of the Natural History of talisman.com/2012/08/the-agimat-and-anting-anting-amulet-and_8.html) on
Ceylon with Narratives and Anecdotes Illustrative of the Habits and Instincts of 2016-09-24.
the Mammalia, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Insects, Including a Monograph of the
Elephant and a Description of the Modes of Capturing and Training it with
Engravings from Original Drawings (reprint ed.). Asian Educational Services.
p. 37 (https://books.google.com/books?id=9Ad2AicQn_0C&pg=PA37).
ISBN 978-81-206-1246-4.

References
Gonzalez-Wippler, Migene (1991). Complete Book Of Amulets & Talismans. Sourcebook Series. St. Paul, MN: Lewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-87542-287-9.
Buddha Magic Buddha Magic (http://buddhamagic.net) (Thai Occult Practices, Amulets and Talismans)
Plinius, S.C. (1964) [c. 77-79]. Natural History. London.

External links
Amulet Ancient Amulet (http://ancientamulet.com) Ancient Thai Buddhist Amulets
Amulets Thailand Amulets (http://thailand-amulets.net/#!/Publications/c/419479/offset=0&sort=addedTimeDescThailand) Buddhist E-Books, Thai Occultism, Publications on Amulets.
Japanese Amulets (http://www.omamori.com) Japanese Amulets

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