Amulet

see also: Etymology of Amulet

A amulet (of the Latin amuletum , “way of protecting itself”) is an object which one carries on oneself and to which one grants virtues of protection and or which carries Chance. An amulet can be a gemmeous , a Statue, a Pièce, a Dessin, a Pendentif, a Anneau, a Plante, a Animal, a Geste, etc Même the Mot S can in certain cases being used, thus “retro vade, Satan ace”, (Latin “goes-T, Satan”) to drive out the Mal or the bad luck.

The amulets vary enormously according to the place and the time. The religious symbols often play the part of it, that it is the image of a God or a symbol representing the divinity (like the Christian cross or the eye of Horus in the ancient Egypt).

Each sign of the Zodiaque has a gem associated which is used as amulet, but this one depends on the habits.

The amulets are also related to the Démonologie and the Sorcellerie, which consider that a cross or a Pentagramme reversed facilitates the communication with the demon S.

The amulets can even be intended to protect a hearth, a building or even a whole village. In old the Babylon, one had for habit to carry tiny clay cylinders encrusted with invaluable stones to hold remotely the Mauvais spirit S. the Romain S, as for them, collected the statues of Priape, the god of the Chance and the Fertility, and of many American, today still, hangs horseshoes with the top of their door to protect itself from the Malchance and visitors undesirable.

Of also far we can go up, all the companies had amulets. The very first ones were undoubtedly only metal or spalls whose unusual form and the color could suggest magic properties (In Asia, India and Thailand, one still uses pink coral fragments to protect from the evil eye). With the wire of time, it became current to manufacture amulets in the shape of animals, magic symbols or of the statuettes of God X or of Déesse S. Partout in the world, one finds images of horn S, hands (which symbolize the fertility and the life), as well as drawn or carved eyes (which suggests the eternal Vigilance). Sometimes also are engraved magic formulas, Sort S and names of divinities.

Although they have success with the four corners of the world, one often associates the amulets to the former Egyptians, who carried from there on any occasion, until in their tomb! It was current to bury a Momie with tens of amulets in form of Scarabée. These small stone figurines were to prevent the heart of late from being devoured by Ammit. It would seem that, more the late one had been an important character of alive sound, more he carried amulets in beetle with him in its tomb. When one discovered the body of the Pharaon Toutankhamon, in November 1922, more than 140 beetles were slipped into bindings which wrapped it! But the alive ones also could be surrounded: the amulets called ânkh (a Hiéroglyphe symbolizing the life) and Oudjat (or eye of Horus) protected from death, the disease and the evil eye.

The capacity of the amulets is however not perceived like unlimited. For example, they protect only from the dangers for which conceived we them.

The purpose of one should not confuse the amulets with the Talisman S. the talismans are to obtain offensive magic capacities, contrary to the amulets, which aim at being protected.

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