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Textual Evidence for the Material History of Amulets in Seventeenth-Century England

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Book cover Physical Evidence for Ritual Acts, Sorcery and Witchcraft in Christian Britain

Part of the book series: Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic ((PHSWM))

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Abstract

Defining an amulet, at least in exclusive terms distinguishing it from other magical objects, is not a straightforward task.1 It has been remarked ‘Greek and Latin alone offer more than forty expressions for designating talismans’.2 One distinction holds that amulets are natural items with useful effects, making talismans ‘the same class of objects decorated with artificial marks’.3 One of the earliest usages of the Latin word amuletum (from amoliri, to drive away, to protect), by Varro in the first century BCE, referred to an object ‘attributed with a preventative virtue against illnesses, afflictions, accidents and evil spells’.4 Historically, a number of features were used to identify an amulet: a protective function; being marked in some way; as well as being attached, placed or hidden on a person or at a particular site. Elsewhere, lines were simply drawn between licit and illicit objects.5

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Notes

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Authors
  1. Alexander Cummins
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bristol, UK

    Ronald Hutton

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© 2015 Alexander Cummins

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Cummins, A. (2015). Textual Evidence for the Material History of Amulets in Seventeenth-Century England. In: Hutton, R. (eds) Physical Evidence for Ritual Acts, Sorcery and Witchcraft in Christian Britain. Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137444820_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137444820_10

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56884-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-44482-0

  • eBook Packages: Palgrave History CollectionHistory (R0)

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