Talisman & Amulets
The History
- AMULET is also an ARM asynchronous microprocessor.
An amulet ( [Pliny], meaning "an object that protects a person from trouble") or a talisman (from Arabic طلاسم tilasm, ultimately from Greek telesma or from the Greek word "talein" which means "to initiate into the mysteries.") consists of any object intended to bring good luck and/or protection to its owner. Potential amulets include: gems or simple stones, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants, animals, etc.; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—(Latin, "go back, Satan"), to repel evil or bad luck.
 
The Ancient Egyptian ibis-headed Thoth amulet, New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII, c. 1539-1292 BC.Amulets and talismans vary considerably according to their time and place of origin. In many societies, religious objects serve as amulets. A religious amulet might be the figure of a god or simply some symbol representing the deity (such as the cross for Christians or the "eye of Horus" for the ancient Egyptians). In Thailand one can commonly see people with more than one Buddha hanging from their necks; in Bolivia and some places in Argentina the god Ekeko furnishes a standard amulet, to whom one should offer at least one banknote to obtain fortune and welfare.
Every zodiacal sign corresponds to a gem that acts as an amulet, but these stones vary according to different traditions.
An ancient tradition in China involves capturing a cricket alive and keeping it in an osier box to attract good luck (this tradition extended to the Philippines). Chinese may also spread coins on the floor to attract money; rice also has a reputation as a carrier of good fortune.
Turtles and cactus can cause controversy, for while some people consider them beneficial, others think they delay everything in the house.
Drawing of clay amulet unearthed near Tǎrtǎria, Romania.
Since the Middle Ages in Western culture pentagrams have had a reputation as amulets to attract money, love, etc; and to protect against envy, misfortune, and other disgraces. Other symbols, such as magic squares, angelic signatures and qabalistic signs have been employed to a variety of ends, both benign and malicious.
The Jewish tradition is quite fascinating; examples of Solomon era amulets exist in many museums. Due to proscription of idols, Jewish amulets emphasize text and names—the shape, material or color of an amulet makes no difference.
See also Khamsa.
The Jewish tallis (Yiddish-Hebrew form; plural is talleisim), the prayer shawl with fringed corners and knotted tassels at each corner, is perhaps one of the world's oldest and most used talismanic objects. Originally intended to distinguish the Jews from pagans, as well as to remind them of God and Heaven, the prayer shawl is considered fascinating because of its name: it is very close to the term "talisman."
In antiquity and the Middle Ages, most Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Orient believed in the protective and healing power of amulets and talismans. Talismans used by these peoples can be broken down into three main categories. The first are the types carried or worn on the body. The second version of a talisman is one which is hung upon the bed of an infirm person. The last classification of talisman is one with medicinal qualities. This latter category of magical item can be further divided into external and internal. In the former, one could, for example, place a magical amulet in a bath. The power of the amulet would be understood to be transmitted to the water, and thus to the bather. In the latter, magical inscriptions would be written or inscribed onto food, which was then boiled. The resulting broth, when consumed, would transfer the healing and magical qualities engraved on the food into the consumer.
There is also evidence that Jews, Christians, and Muslims used their holy books in a talisman-like manner in grave situations. For example, a bed-ridden and seriously ill person would have a holy book placed under part of the bed or cushion.
Christian authorities have always been wary of amulets and other talismans.
A little-known but well-worn amulet in the Jewish tradition is the kimiyah or "angel text". This consists of names of angels or Torah passages written on parchment squares by rabbinical scribes. The parchment is then placed in an ornate silver case and worn someplace on the body.
The similarities between Jewish and Buddhist amulet traditions is striking. (see Buddhism below.)
In Afro-Caribbean syncretic religions like Voodoo, Umbanda, Quimbanda and Santería, drawings are also used as amulets, such as with the veves of Voodoo; these religions also take into account the colour of the candles they light, because each colour features a different effect of attraction or repulsion.
Perfumes and essences like incense, myrrh, etc. also serve the purposes of attraction or repulsion. Popular legends often attributed magical powers to certain unusual objects, such as a baby's caul or a rabbit's foot; possession of these items allegedly endowed their magical abilities upon their owners.
In Central Europe, people believed garlic kept vampires away, and so did a crucifix. The ancient Egyptians had many amulets for different occasions and needs, often with the figure of a god or the "ankh" (the key of eternal life); the figure of the scarab god Khepri became a common amulet too and has now gained renewed fame around the Western world.
For the ancient Scandinavians, Anglo-Saxons and Germans and currently for some Neopagan believers the rune Eoh (yew) protects against evil and witchcraft; a non-alphabetical rune representing Thor's hammer still offers protection against thieves in some places.
Deriving from the ancient Celts, the clover, if it has four leaves, symbolises good luck (not the Irish shamrock, which symbolises the Christian Trinity). In the celtic tradition a bag made from a crane skin (called a crane bag) symbolised treasure, a wheel symboled the sun, a boat also was a sun symbol, but also a death symbol (to the land of the dead), the raven was a symbol of death, the head was a symbol of wisdom as was the acorn and a well.
Omamori
Japanese amulet
The amulet covering is usually made of cloth and encloses papers or pieces of wood with prayers written on them which are supposed to bring good luck to the bearer on particular occasions, tasks or ordeals. Omamori are also used to ward off bad luck and are often spotted on bags, hung on cellphone straps, in cars, etc. for safety in travel. Many omamori are specific in design to the location they were made.
They often describe on one side the specific area of luck or protection they are intended for and have the name of the shrine or temple they were bought at on the other. Generic omamori exist, but most of them cover a single area: health, love, or studies, to name only a few. More recently it has become popular for stores in Japan to feature generic omamori with popular characters such as Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty, Snoopy, Kewpie, etc.
It is said that omamori should never be opened or they lose their protective capacities. They are also only good for one year and after a year, they should be returned to the shrine or temple so they can be disposed of properly.
Examples
Some popular omamori are: Kanai Anzen - For good health and help with illness. Koutsu Anzen - Protection for drivers and travelers of all sorts. Enmusubi - Available for singles and couples to ensure love and marriage. Anzan - Protection for pregnant women during term and to ensure a safe and easy delivery. Gakugyojoju - for students and scholars. Shobaihanjo - Success in business and matters of money.
Corals, horseshoes and lucky bamboo also allegedly make good amulets.
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Figures of elephants are said to attract good luck and money if one offers banknotes to them. In Arab countries a hand with an eye amid the palm and two thumbs (similar to a Hand of Fatima) serves as protection against evil.
 
In India and Tyrol, small bells make demons escape when they sound in the wind or when a door or window opens. Amulets are also worn on the upper right arm to protect the person wearing it. In fact this method was more popular in ancient India then wearing it as a pendant or around the neck.
Buddhism has a deep and ancient talismanic tradition. In the earliest days of Buddhism, just after the Buddha's death circa 485 B.C., amulets bearing the symbols of Buddhism were common. Symbols such as conch shells, the footprints of the Buddha, and others were commonly worn. After about the 2nd century B.C., Greeks began carving actual images of the Buddha. These were hungrily acquired by native Buddhists in India, and the tradition spread.
Another aspect of amulets connects with demonology and demonolatry; these systems consider an inverted cross (not an upward cross, which drives demons away) or pentagram in downward position as favourable to communicate with demons and to show friendship towards them.
The Christian Copts used tattoos as protective amulets, and the Tuareg still use them, as do the Haida Canadian aborigines, who wear the totem of their clan tattooed. Many Thai Buddhist laypeople are tattoed with sacred Buddhist images, called sak yant (Thai: สักยันต์), and even monks are known to practice this form of spiritual protection. The only rule, as with Jewish talismans and amulets, is that such symbols may only be applied to the upper part of the body, between the bottom of the neck and the waistline.
 
During the tumultuous Plains Indians troubles in mid-19th century America, the Lakota Tribe adopted the Ghost Dance ritual, created by a Paiute Indian living in northwestern Oregon. Black Elk, the great Lakota Holy Man, received instructions on how to create a talismanic shirt that would protect the Lakota from the Greedy White Man's bullets. Tragically, the shirts failed to offer the Lakota any protection.
In addition to protection against supernatural powers, amulets are also used for protection against other people. For example, soldiers and those involved in other dangerous activities may use talismans to increase their luck. Carlist soldiers wore a medal of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the inscription ˇDetente bala! ("Stop, bullet!").
Amulets can be found among people of every nation and social status. They can be seen in jewellery, artisan fairs, museums, shops, and homes.
Hermetic talismans
The word talisman also describes a number of consecrated magical objects used in Hermeticism.
Instructions for how to create a talisman can be commonly found in Grimoires. These talismans, sometimes called pentacles, were usually either made to protect the wearer from various influences of disease and other forms of danger or to protect the wearer from demons and to seal a certain demon under the users control.
A common version of the later talisman is known as the Seal of Solomon. This became an extremely important talisman due to the legend that Solomon used demons to create Solomon's temple and was protected by a seal sent by God (although the earliest accounts describe this seal as a ring: see Testament of Solomon; later innovations were made by various ceremonial magicians and authors of other grimoires where they have described the seal as a ring.)
Talismans in the Bábí and Bahá’í Faiths
The Báb, founder of Bábism, instructed his followers in many of his writings to make and wear talismans. They were often in the shape of a pentagram 'haykal', or of a circle 'da’ira' (to be used by women). In his Kitáb-i-Panj-Sha'n the Báb states that God 'created the letters and made them the keys of every science.’ He expresses the science of letters (gematria, Abjad etc.) in creating talismans.
Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, emphasized rationality rather than the esoteric elements of Bábism, though some of his prayers, for example the 'Long Healing Prayer', contain talismanic protection. In his Tablet of Maqsúd he writes "Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess..." And then "Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom." On the other hand, the Word of God is described as being the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman.
'Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's eldest son and successor, wrote that hanging a copy of the Greatest Name and 'Abdu'l-Bahá’s picture at home, wearing Bahá'í rings, and reciting his prayers, would protect one from the 'forces of the contingent world'.
Apotrope (adj.: apotropaic) refers to objects such as amulets and talismans or other symbols intended to "ward off evil" or "avert or combat evil."
The word is of Greek origin (αποτρέπω) and literally means "turning away" which was seen in the apotropaic eye, an exaggerated eye painted on drinking vessels in the 6th century BC to ward away spirits while drinking. Curiously, eyes were often painted to ward off the evil eye. The word is also used in vampire fiction and folklore in reference to symbols such as crucifixes, the Holy Sacraments, silver bullets, wild roses and garlic that can ward away or destroy vampires. The Yiddish expression, "Kain ein horeh" (כאין עין הורה) is apotropaic in nature, and literally translates to "no evil eye," somewhat equivalent to the expression, "Knock on wood."
Because of the shared meaning, an "apotropaic amulet" would be redundant, rather an apotropaic symbol can be an amulet.
Touch pieces
Touch pieces are coins and medals that have attracted superstitious beliefs, such as those with 'holes' in them or those with particular designs. Such pieces were believed to cure disease, bring good luck, influence peoples behavior, carry out a specific practical action, et cetera.
What most touch pieces have in common is that they have to be touched or in close physical contact for the power concerned to be obtained and/or transferred. Once this is achieved the power is permanently present in the coin which effectively becomes an amulet.
The cure of diseases by coins
Coins which had been given at Holy Communion could be rubbed on parts of the body suffering from rheumatism and they would effect a cure. Medallions or medalets showing the 'Devil defeated' were specially minted in Britain and distributed amongst the poor in the belief that they would reduce disease and sickness. The tradition of touch pieces goes back to the time of Ancient Rome where the Emperor Vespasian (9 - 79AD) gave coins to the sick at a ceremony known as 'the touching.'
Many touch piece coins were treasured by the recipients and sometimes remained in the possession of families for many generations, such as with the 'Lee Penny' obtained by Sir Simon Lockhart from the Holy Land whilst on a crusade. This coin, an Edward I groat, still held by the family, can supposedly cure rabies, haemorrhage and various animal ailments. The legend gave rise to Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Talisman'. The amulet was placed in water and this was then drunk to give the cure. No money was ever taken for its use.
The healing of the King's or Queen's Evil
Persons of royal blood were thought to have the 'God given' power of healing by this condition by touch, and sovereigns of England and France practiced this power to cure sufferers of scrofula, meaning 'Swine Evil' as it was common in pigs, a form of tuberculosis of the bones and lymph nodes, commonly known as the "King's or Queen's Evil" or "Morbus Regius". In France it was called the "Mal De Roi". Curiously William the Lion, King of Scots is recorded in 1206 as curing a case of Scrofula by his touching and blessing a child with the ailment. It was only rarely fatal and was naturally given to spontaneous cure and lengthy periods of remission. Many miraculous cures were recorded and failures were put down to a lack of faith in the sufferer. The original Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church contained this ceremony. This divine power descended from Edward the Confessor, who, according to some legends, received it from Saint Remigius.
Angel Coin
An Angel is a gold coin, first used in France (where it was also known as an Angelot and an Ange) in 1340, and introduced into England by Edward IV in 1465 as a new issue of the "noble" and so at first called the "angel-noble". It varied in value between that period and the time of Charles I, when it was last coined (1642) from 6s. 8d. to 10s. The name was derived from the representation it bore of St. Michael and the dragon. The angel was the coin given to those who came to be touched for the disease known as king's evil; after it was no longer coined, medals, called touch-pieces, with the same device, were given instead.
The gold Angel coins, were first struck in Britain in 1465 and later dates, particularly of the reigns of James I and Charles I, are often found officially pierced in the centre as illustrated in 'Coins of England 2001' to be used as touch pieces. The sovereigns of the House of Stuart used the ceremony to help bolster the belief in the 'Divine Right of Kings'. Charles I indeed issued Angels almost exclusively as touch pieces to the point where intact specimens are hard to come by. He was the first monarch to perform the ceremony in Scotland at Holyrood Palace on June 18 1633. The size of the hole may indicate the amount of gold taken in payment by the jeweller or the mint for the work of piercing or punching and the provision of a ribbon or silk string.
The cure was usually more of a "laying on of hands" by the monarch and the angel coin or medalet, etc., although touched by the monarch, was seen as a receipt or talisman of the potential of the monarch's healing power. Originally the king had paid for the support of the sufferer until he had recovered or died. The move to the gift of a gold coin touch piece may represent the compromise payment when the custom of 'room and board' support by the king ceased. Coffee in the 18th and early 19th centuries was thought to be a relief, but not a cure for scrofula.
The Angel coin was favoured at these ceremonies because it has on the obverse an image of St. Michael slaying the Devil represented as a dragon (actually a heraldic Wyvern). St. Michael, especially venerated for his role as captain of the heavenly host that drove Satan out of heaven, was also associated with the casting out of devils and thus was regarded as a guardian of the sick.
Good Luck coins
In many countries it was believed that coins with holes in them would bring good luck. This belief could link to a similar superstition linked to stones or pebbles which had holes, often called 'Adder Stones' and hung around the neck. Carrying a coin bearing the date of your birth is lucky. In Austria any coin found during a rainstorm is especially lucky, because it is said to have dropped from Heaven. European charms often require silver coins to be used, which are engraved with marks such as an 'X' or are bent. These actions personalize the coin, making it uniquely special for the owner. The lucky 'sixpence' is a well known example in Great Britain.
Holy Sacrament communion coins were thought to acquire curative powers over various ailments, especially rheumatism and epilepsy. Such otherwise normal coins, which had been offered at communion, were purchased from the priest for 12 or 13 pennies. The coin was then punched through and worn around the neck of the sick person, or made into a ring.
Gonzalez-Wippler records that if money is left with a Mandrake root it will double in quantity overnight, she also states that the way to ensure the future wealth of a baby is to put part of the child's umbilical cord in a bag together with a few coins. Lucky coins are lucky charms which are carried around attract wealth and good luck, whilst many, often silver coins, attached to bracelets multiply the effect as well as create a noise which scares away evil spirits. Bathing with a penny wrapped in a washcloth brings good fortune at Beltane or the Winter Solstice in Celtic Mythology. Chinese Money Frogs or Toads, often with a coin in their mouths, bring food luck and prosperity.
1936 Winged Liberty Head (Mercury) dime
A Celtic belief is that at the Full Moon any silver coins on ones person should be jingled or turned over to prevent bad luck, also the silver coins would increase as the moon grew in size. A Wish to a new moon could also be made, but not as seen through glass, jingling coins at the same time. American silver 'Mercury' dimes, especially with a leap year date, are especially lucky.American 'Indian Head' cents are worn as amulets to ward off evil or negative spirits.
Wish Tree
A rare example of a 'Wish Tree' exists near Ardmaddy House in Argyle, Scotland. The tree is a Hawthorn which are traditionally linked with fertility, as in 'May Blossom'. The trunk and branches are covered with hundreds of coins which have been driven through the bark and into the wood. The local tradition is that a wish will be granted for each of the coins so treated. Many pubs, such as the 'Punch Bowl' in Askham, near Penrith in Cumbria have old beams with splits in them where coins are forced 'for luck'.
Another local custom at Askham is the throwing of coins from the nearby bridge onto a boulder that lies below the water level of the river. Getting the coin to stay on the rock gives the thrower 'good luck'. Obvious connections exist with water generally and the practice of throwing in coins to seek favours of the water spirits. At St.Cuby's Well (SX224 564) in Cornwall the legend was that if anyone did not leave an offering of money then they would be followed home by Piskies in the shape of flying moths, embodying the spirits of the dead.
A 'Black Saxpence' in Scots, is a sixpence, supposed by the credulous to be received from the devil, as a pledge of an engagement to be his, soul and body. It is always of a black colour, as not being legal currency; but it is said to possess this singular virtue, that the person who keeps it constantly in his pocket,how much soever he spend, will always find another sixpence beside it.
A Devonian superstition is that carrying crooked coins is good luck and keeps the Devil away.
Bad Luck coins
In Ireland it is thought to be bad luck to give money away on a Monday. The 1932 silver yuan coin from China showed a junk, rays of sunshine and a flock of birds. These were seen as symbolising Japan (the rising sun symbol) and its fighter planes (the birds) invading China. The coin was re-issued in 1933 without the sun or the birds. The Queen Victoria 'Godless' florin was regarded as bringing bad luck. Finding money was bad luck in some cultures and the curse could only be removed by giving away the money. It is bad luck to have an empty pocket, for even a crooked coin keeps the Devil away.
Love Tokens
The bent coin as a Love-token may be derived from the well-recorded practice of bending a coin when making a vow to a saint, such as vowing to give it to the saint's shrine if the saint would intercede to cure a sick human, animal, etc. Bending a coin when one person made a vow to another was another practice which arose from this.
Protection against evil
It was believed that the gift of second sight came from the devil; as protection, a silver coin was used to make a cross above the palm of a Gypsy fortuneteller, thus dispelling any evil. In Japan, Korea and Indonesia, coins were made tied together to form sword shapes which were thought to terrify, and therefore ward off, evil spirits. They were also hung above the beds of sick people to drive off the malevolent spirits who were responsible for the illness.
Touch pieces that influence behaviour
Coins placed on the eyes of the dead, if briefly dropped into the drink of a husband or wife, would 'blind' them to any infidelities that the partner might be involved in.
Also, some groups say that if a penny is thrown into a person's drink, they must 'down' the rest of it
Coins Carrying out a specific practical action
The words of the sator square may be read in any direction
In Germany, since Medieval times, it was believed that a silver coin with a Sator square engraved on it will put out a fire if thrown into the conflagration. Coins were placed on the eyes of a corpse to prevent them from opening and also in Greek mythology as payment for the ferryman who would carry the dead person across the River Styx into hades. In the 17th. Century coins bearing an engraving of St.George were carried by soldiers as a protection against injury following a lucky escape when a bullet hit such as coin and the soldier remained uninjured (Coins of the World). Some of the gold coins of Edward III carry the cryptic legend: IHS MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT ("But Jesus passing through the midst of them, went his way" - St'Luke IV. 30). According to Sir John Mandeville, this was spell against the power of thieves.
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