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hrjI ended up skipping the dance last night because I was just too wiped. Similarly, though there was an interesting pop culture session in the 8:30 slot this morning, it wasn't that interesting as to get up early enough to make it. So we come to the final session of the conference. I picked this one for possible deep-background inspirtion for the historic background of my Alpennian novels.
Session 581 Bernhard 213
The Material Culture of Magic
Sponsor: Research Group on Manuscript Evidence; Societas Magica
Organizer: László Sándor Chardonnens, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen
Presider: David Porreca, Univ. of Waterloo
Arma Christi Roll or Textual Amulet?: The Manuscript Evidence
Mary Agnes Edsall, Institute for Research in the Humanities, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison
Discusses differing interpretations of the interactional use of the "arma Christi", a particular type of representation of Christ-related motifs (the wounds, the image on the veil, etc.). The question is whether this is used as an ordinary devotional image or more of a talisman. The features studied include the physical size of the parchment roll, which falls more in the range typical for amulets than for devotional mss. Apparently devotional rolls in this smaller size are often ambiguous in contents between pure devotion and more "magical" content, e.g., a sator/arepo square.
Down to Earth: The Archaeology of Medieval Magic
Mirko Gutjahr, Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte
Notes seminal work "The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic" by Ralph Merrifield. The speaker reviews some of the standard reasons why archaeologists may be hesitant to address the possible magical aspects of finds, due to preconceptions aabout the everyday compatibility of magical practices with Christianity. Examples of neglected topics include concealed shoes in walls (although there's an actual database of "concealed shoes" being maintained). "Magical" artifacts can cover a variety of topics from relic-based practices to superstitions to anti-witchcraft practices to witchcraft itself.
What are the clues of a magical artifact?
* displaced in time (e.g., "ancient" objects)
* out of place/context
* out of form
* unscribed
E.g., neolithic axe heads repurposed as medieval "thunder stones" and therefore moved to a medieval archaeological context. Similarly "out of place/time" objects deposited in a grave. Unusual placement, e.g.a mummified cat body might be ordinary, but if placed under the foundations of a house suggests a more magical intent. Vessels deliberately placed in unusual locations (e.g., bathhouse) were associated with magical disease remedies, where liquids associated with the disease were place in them, especially if associaated with inscribed charms. Example of linear series of buried pots under a house in Saxony containing traces of a dark liquid (nature and purpose unknown). Other buried vessels include "placenta pots" (as determined by biological analysis).
Deliberate destruction/damage to objects is another clue to possible ritual significance, ranging from bent weapons to simply driving a nail through the object. Inscriptions are one of the more obvious clues, as writing itself was considered to have power even separate from the content of the writing. This includes rings but especially metal plaques with longer inscriptions that might then be folded up and placed in association with other objects. For reasons of fragility, parchment and paper text amulets are rare compared to their likely original prevalence. The lead plaque amulets he discusses are primarily from Saxony and Scandinavia but he points out that this restriction is partly an artifact of how he collected his data.
Artifacts suggesting "black magic" include a buried model of a human figure (possibly intended to be a child) covered with undeciphered inscriptions. A more scholarly level of magic is implied by objects such as a bronze disk encompassing a polished crystal with the disk inscribed with the names of angels and similar topics as well as geometric figures.
Inscribed in Lead and Concealed in Stone: The History of a Hitherto Unknown Late Medieval Sigillum Dei
László Sándor Chardonnens
While folk-magic artifacts are not uncommon, it's rare to discovere artifacts with strong connections to "learned magic" and the types of images discussed in written texts on magic. This paper concerns a lead disk found embedded in a brick as part of a castle in the Netherlands, suggesting it was part of protections for the related building. It's a flat circular disk inscribed with geometric figures with 7-fold symmetry, accompanied by text. The disk was found after the ruins of a castle were bombed during WWII and it was later being reconstructed. Building materials were broght for use from othr locations. One of the random "leftover" bricks after the reconstruction is where the seal was found, which means the original context is completely unknown.
The seal is primarily lead with some iron traces. On the face there's an interlaced 9-pointed star englosing a pentagram and with a band around the edge with inscriptions as well as isncriptions throughout the figures. The reverse side has some Greek(?) letters that aren't clearly decipherable with no geometric context.
The 16th c. brick has a ground-out circular depression to hold the seal. (Not part of the brick as fired.) An artifact database suggests the brick may have been made in Arnhem. The face of the seal shows evidence of having been in contact with strongly acidic substances (presumably the mortar that held the brick in place).
Possible sources: Berengario Ganell's Summa Saccre Magice ca. 1300; or Liber sacer/sacratus aka Liber iuratus Honorii ca. 1320-1330; both of which include depictions of a similar "Sigillum Dei". Also a 15th c. Dutch source with matches very closely to the artifact. Later revised versions appear e.g., in John Dee's 1580s writings; Kircher's 1653 Oedipus Aegyptiacus; etc.
Possible functions (per these texts): to create divine visions, knowledge of God's power, absolution of sins, sanctification to prevent relapse into sin, redemption of 3 souls from Purgatory, power over spirits.
Session 581 Bernhard 213
The Material Culture of Magic
Sponsor: Research Group on Manuscript Evidence; Societas Magica
Organizer: László Sándor Chardonnens, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen
Presider: David Porreca, Univ. of Waterloo
Arma Christi Roll or Textual Amulet?: The Manuscript Evidence
Mary Agnes Edsall, Institute for Research in the Humanities, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison
Discusses differing interpretations of the interactional use of the "arma Christi", a particular type of representation of Christ-related motifs (the wounds, the image on the veil, etc.). The question is whether this is used as an ordinary devotional image or more of a talisman. The features studied include the physical size of the parchment roll, which falls more in the range typical for amulets than for devotional mss. Apparently devotional rolls in this smaller size are often ambiguous in contents between pure devotion and more "magical" content, e.g., a sator/arepo square.
Down to Earth: The Archaeology of Medieval Magic
Mirko Gutjahr, Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte
Notes seminal work "The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic" by Ralph Merrifield. The speaker reviews some of the standard reasons why archaeologists may be hesitant to address the possible magical aspects of finds, due to preconceptions aabout the everyday compatibility of magical practices with Christianity. Examples of neglected topics include concealed shoes in walls (although there's an actual database of "concealed shoes" being maintained). "Magical" artifacts can cover a variety of topics from relic-based practices to superstitions to anti-witchcraft practices to witchcraft itself.
What are the clues of a magical artifact?
* displaced in time (e.g., "ancient" objects)
* out of place/context
* out of form
* unscribed
E.g., neolithic axe heads repurposed as medieval "thunder stones" and therefore moved to a medieval archaeological context. Similarly "out of place/time" objects deposited in a grave. Unusual placement, e.g.a mummified cat body might be ordinary, but if placed under the foundations of a house suggests a more magical intent. Vessels deliberately placed in unusual locations (e.g., bathhouse) were associated with magical disease remedies, where liquids associated with the disease were place in them, especially if associaated with inscribed charms. Example of linear series of buried pots under a house in Saxony containing traces of a dark liquid (nature and purpose unknown). Other buried vessels include "placenta pots" (as determined by biological analysis).
Deliberate destruction/damage to objects is another clue to possible ritual significance, ranging from bent weapons to simply driving a nail through the object. Inscriptions are one of the more obvious clues, as writing itself was considered to have power even separate from the content of the writing. This includes rings but especially metal plaques with longer inscriptions that might then be folded up and placed in association with other objects. For reasons of fragility, parchment and paper text amulets are rare compared to their likely original prevalence. The lead plaque amulets he discusses are primarily from Saxony and Scandinavia but he points out that this restriction is partly an artifact of how he collected his data.
Artifacts suggesting "black magic" include a buried model of a human figure (possibly intended to be a child) covered with undeciphered inscriptions. A more scholarly level of magic is implied by objects such as a bronze disk encompassing a polished crystal with the disk inscribed with the names of angels and similar topics as well as geometric figures.
Inscribed in Lead and Concealed in Stone: The History of a Hitherto Unknown Late Medieval Sigillum Dei
László Sándor Chardonnens
While folk-magic artifacts are not uncommon, it's rare to discovere artifacts with strong connections to "learned magic" and the types of images discussed in written texts on magic. This paper concerns a lead disk found embedded in a brick as part of a castle in the Netherlands, suggesting it was part of protections for the related building. It's a flat circular disk inscribed with geometric figures with 7-fold symmetry, accompanied by text. The disk was found after the ruins of a castle were bombed during WWII and it was later being reconstructed. Building materials were broght for use from othr locations. One of the random "leftover" bricks after the reconstruction is where the seal was found, which means the original context is completely unknown.
The seal is primarily lead with some iron traces. On the face there's an interlaced 9-pointed star englosing a pentagram and with a band around the edge with inscriptions as well as isncriptions throughout the figures. The reverse side has some Greek(?) letters that aren't clearly decipherable with no geometric context.
The 16th c. brick has a ground-out circular depression to hold the seal. (Not part of the brick as fired.) An artifact database suggests the brick may have been made in Arnhem. The face of the seal shows evidence of having been in contact with strongly acidic substances (presumably the mortar that held the brick in place).
Possible sources: Berengario Ganell's Summa Saccre Magice ca. 1300; or Liber sacer/sacratus aka Liber iuratus Honorii ca. 1320-1330; both of which include depictions of a similar "Sigillum Dei". Also a 15th c. Dutch source with matches very closely to the artifact. Later revised versions appear e.g., in John Dee's 1580s writings; Kircher's 1653 Oedipus Aegyptiacus; etc.
Possible functions (per these texts): to create divine visions, knowledge of God's power, absolution of sins, sanctification to prevent relapse into sin, redemption of 3 souls from Purgatory, power over spirits.
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Date: 2013-05-12 04:29 pm (UTC)Thanks for listing the sources on the disk. Time to do some searching!
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Date: 2013-05-12 04:30 pm (UTC)