Lesson #5 (February) - Amulets

Centuries ago, amulets were doctor ordered to ward off disease, avoid misfortune, or chase away evil spirits.

An amulet (from the Latin word amuletum which means "a method of defense") is an object thought to magically protect its owner from harm. Amulets can come in any size, shape, or material. Amulets range from small pendants, rings, and pouches of herbs (worn around the neck to prevent disease) to sizable statues and wall hangings intended to to protect an entire household, building, or village. The ancient Babylonians liked to wear tiny, jewel-encrusted clay cylinders to ward off spirits. The Romans collected collected sculptures of Priapus, the god of luck and fertility, and many Americans still hang lucky horseshoes over their doors to guard against misfortune and unwelcome visitors.

Amulets have been present in virtually every society since the beginning of recorded history. The earliest amulets were probably just chunks of stone or metal whose bright colors or unusual shapes suggested they might have magical properties (In India and Thailand, pieces of pink coral are still used to ward off the evil eye). Over time, it became customary to make the amulets in the shape of animals, god and goddess figures, and magic symbols. Images of horns and hands (symbolizing fertility and life) abd drawings or carvings of the human eye (symbolizing ethernal watchfulness) appear on amulets throughout the world. Many amulets also have magic words, short spells, or the names of gods written on them.

Amulets are most closely associated with the ancient Egyptians, who wore them everywhere - even to the grave. It was customary for mummies to be buried with dozens of beetle-shaped amulets called scarabs. These small stone figurines, named after a real type of Egyptian beetle, were supposed to prevent the deceased person's soul from being eaten by Ammit the Devourer. Ammit the Devourer was part-lion, part hippo, part crocodile who guarded scales of justice in the Egyptian afterworld. The more important the person was, the more scarabs he took with him to the afterworld. When King Tutankhamen's body was unearthed about 80 years ago, over 140 amulets were found tucked away in the wrappings of the mummy! Other common Egyptian amulets like the ankh (an Egyptian hieroglyph symbolizing life) and the wadjet (commonly known as the Eye of Horus) served more practical purposes: protecting living Egyptians from disease and the evil eye.

Unfortunately, amulets do have their limitations. For instance, they can only protect you from the specific dangers for which they are designed. A scarab may scare Ammit the Devourer, but it's useless against vampires. Also, unlike talismans, amulets do not endow their owners with magical abilities.