☥ Magic of the Ancient World ☥

Magic of the Ancient World papyri, tablets and the secret names of the gods.

Egypt, Greece and Rome, Mesopotamia and the Levant, Celts and Norse: the magic of ancient civilisations told through papyri, tablets and sources.

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The Berserkir: Odin's Bear and Wolf Warriors in the SourcesThe Druids' Serpent Egg: Pliny's Account of the AnguinumThe Filid of Ireland: Seer-Poets and the Power of SatireSeiðr: Norse Magic in the Sagas and the EddaThe Egyptian Book of the Dead: spells for coming forth by dayExecration texts: breaking the names of enemies in EgyptLetters to the dead: writing to the departed in ancient EgyptThe Westcar Papyrus: tales of magicians at the court of KhufuCircus curse tablets: binding charioteers and their horsesJudicial curse tablets: binding the opponent's tongue in AthensTheocritus' Sorceress: Simaetha, the iynx and the night riteAshurbanipal's library at Nineveh: magical knowledge in clayThe silver amulets of Ketef Hinnom and the priestly blessingOil on water and incense smoke: lecanomancy and libanomancyThe Berserkir: Odin's Bear and Wolf Warriors in the SourcesThe Druids' Serpent Egg: Pliny's Account of the AnguinumThe Filid of Ireland: Seer-Poets and the Power of SatireSeiðr: Norse Magic in the Sagas and the EddaThe Egyptian Book of the Dead: spells for coming forth by dayExecration texts: breaking the names of enemies in EgyptLetters to the dead: writing to the departed in ancient EgyptThe Westcar Papyrus: tales of magicians at the court of KhufuCircus curse tablets: binding charioteers and their horsesJudicial curse tablets: binding the opponent's tongue in AthensTheocritus' Sorceress: Simaetha, the iynx and the night riteAshurbanipal's library at Nineveh: magical knowledge in clayThe silver amulets of Ketef Hinnom and the priestly blessingOil on water and incense smoke: lecanomancy and libanomancy

Topics

Egypt, Greece and Rome, Mesopotamia and the Levant, Celts and Norse: the magic of ancient civilisations told through papyri, tablets and sources.

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Egypt

Heka, the Book of the Dead, amulets, lector priests and the magic of Egyptian papyri.

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Greece & Rome

Greek magical papyri, curse tablets, oracles, theurgy and magic in Roman law.

25 articles →
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Mesopotamia & Levant

Babylonian exorcisms, Lamashtu and Pazuzu, divination and magic in Canaan and ancient Israel.

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Celts & Norse

Druids, seiðr, galdr and Celtic and Norse magic in the sources.

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Featured articles

☥ Egypt

The Amduat: the twelve hours of the sun's night journey

The Amduat, book of what is in the underworld: the solar barque, the twelve hours of night, Apophis, Osiris and the version in the tomb of Thutmose III.

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Ω Greece & Rome

Alexander of Abonoteichus and Glycon: an oracle in the 2nd century

Lucian's account of the prophet of Abonoteichus: the egg with the snake, human-headed Glycon, sealed scrolls, mysteries and archaeological evidence.

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✴ Mesopotamia & Levant

The apkallu: the seven sages and the figurines guarding the house

The apkallu, Mesopotamia's seven sages in fish cloaks or with bird heads, and their protective figurines buried beneath the floors of Assyrian houses.

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ᛟ Celts & Norse

The Berserkir: Odin's Bear and Wolf Warriors in the Sources

Who the berserkir and úlfheðnar were: Snorri's description in the Ynglinga saga, the poem on Haraldr, the debate over the name and the Torslunda plates.

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☥ Egypt

The Coffin Texts and the Book of Two Ways: maps of the afterlife

The Middle Kingdom Coffin Texts: de Buck's edition, the spread of spells beyond the king, and the Book of Two Ways painted on coffins from Deir el-Bersha.

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Ω Greece & Rome

Canidia and Horace's witches: night magic on the Esquiline

Canidia in Horace's Satires and Epodes: the night rite on the Esquiline, the wool and wax figurines, the boy of the fifth Epode and the mock recantation.

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✴ Mesopotamia & Levant

Balaam, seer of the gods: from the Bible to the Deir Alla inscription

Balaam son of Beor in the Book of Numbers and in the plaster inscription of Tell Deir Alla: a non-Israelite seer of blessings, curses and visions.

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ᛟ Celts & Norse

The Druids in Classical Sources: Caesar, Strabo, Pliny

Who the druids were according to Caesar, Strabo, Diodorus and Pliny: their roles, oral teaching, sacrifices and the limits of sources written by outsiders.

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☥ Egypt

Execration texts: breaking the names of enemies in Egypt

Red pots and prisoner figurines bearing enemy names: how Egyptian execration texts worked, from the deposits of Giza and Saqqara to Mirgissa.

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Ω Greece & Rome

Etruscan haruspicy and the Piacenza Liver: the discipline of signs

Tages and the books of the Etruscan discipline, the bronze liver of Piacenza with the seats of the gods, lightning lore and haruspices serving Rome.

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✴ Mesopotamia & Levant

Lamashtu: the demoness of childbirth and her amulets

Lamashtu, daughter of the god Anu and terror of mothers and infants: the iconography of her amulets, incantations, gifts of comb and spindle, and Pazuzu.

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ᛟ Celts & Norse

The Geis: the Sacred Taboos of Heroes in Early Ireland

What a geis is in Irish literature: Cú Chulainn's taboos and the dog meat, the gessa broken by King Conaire Mór and the link between destiny and kingship.

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