Talisman
A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed permanently in architecture. Talismans are closely linked with amulets, fulfilling many of the same roles, but a key difference is in their form and materiality, with talismans often taking the form of objects (e.g., clothing, weaponry, or parchment) which are inscribed with magic texts.[1]
Talismans have been used in many civilizations throughout history, with connections to astrological, scientific, and religious practices; but the theory around preparation and use has changed in some cultures with more recent, new age, talismanic theory. Talismans are used for a wide array of functions, such as: the personal protection of the wearer, loved ones or belongings, aiding in fertility, and helping crop production.
Etymology
The word talisman comes from French talisman, via Arabic ṭilasm (طِلَسْم, plural طلاسم ṭalāsim), which comes from the ancient Greek telesma (τέλεσμα), meaning "completion, religious rite, payment",[2][3] ultimately from the verb teleō (τελέω), "I complete, perform a rite".[4]
Preparation of talismans
New Age
According to
Islam
In Islam, using amulets as protection is considered Shirk.[6] However, use of verses of the Qur'an in slips of parchment rolled inside talismanic objects has been common throughout the Muslim World. For example, Muslim Ibn al-hajjaj instructed military commanders to inscribe Quran 54:46 on a cloth with rosewater, musk, and amber when Libra is rising and in the hour of the sun, and to carry it to the battlefield to prosper over oppressors and nonbelievers.[7]
The 10th century ‘Abbasid mathematician, Thabit ibn Qurra, was considered to be an expert on talismans. In one of his texts on talismans, he wrote, ‘The noblest part of astronomy is the science of talismans.' [8] According to the 12th century translator John of Seville and Limia's version of ibn Qurra's Arabic text, De imaginibus, he saw talismans and astronomy to be more crucial for gaining wisdom than the studies of geometry and philosophy. In Adelard of Bath's translation of the same text, it is stressed that extensive knowledge of both astronomy and astrology is needed for creating a talisman.[8] This information is necessary because talismans should be made at the moment of an auspicious celestial event. One's birth horoscope could also be a factor in the efficacy of talismans. The maker cannot have any distractions or doubts, otherwise their talisman will be powerless.[8]
Adelard's translation specifies that to make a talisman which could earn love from a king, family member, or peer, one should use lead, iron, bronze, gold, or silver. To make a harmful talisman for creating conflicts between others, receiving money, defending or destroying a place, or winning a legal battle, one should use pitch and tar, bitumen, and aloes.
Uses of talismans
Islam
In the Islamic world, talismans were regularly employed for personal, social, political, and ideological reasons at both popular and elite levels. They function as a conduit for divine protection, which can involve both the attraction of positive energies to the wearer and the deflection of disease, danger and the evil eye. They may also be referred to as a hafiz, (protector) as well as a himala (pendant) often affixed to or suspended from the body, for example as a necklace, ring, talismanic shirt, or a small object within a portable pouch.[1][9]
European medieval medicine
Lea Olsan writes of the use of amulets and talismans as prescribed by medical practitioners in the medieval period. She notes that the use of such charms and prayers was "rarely a treatment of choice" [10] because such treatments could not be properly justified in the realm of Galen's medical teachings. Their use, however, was typically considered acceptable; references to amulets were common in medieval medical literature.
For example, one well-known medieval physician, Gilbertus, writes of the necessity of using a talisman to ensure conception of a child. He describes the process of producing this kind of talisman as "...writing words, some uninterruptible, some biblical, on a parchment to be hung around the neck of the man or woman during intercourse."[10]
Islamic talismanic bowls
In the
Pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica
The
Examples
Zulfiqar
Zulfiqar, the magical sword of
This version of the complete prayer of Zulfiqar is also frequently invoked in talismans of the Qizilbash warriors:
شاه مردان،
شیر یزدان، قدرت خدا، لا فتى إلا علي، لا سيف إلا ذو الفقار، |
''Shah-e-Mardan,
Sher-e-Yazdan, Qudrat-e-Khuda, Lafata illa Ali; La Saifa illa Zulfiqar.'' |
"Leader of men-at-arms, The lion of Yazdan (a name of God in Persian language ), Might by the most high (God), There is no man like Ali; No sword like Zulfiqar. |
---|
A record of Live like Ali, die like Hussein as part of a longer talismanic inscription was published by
-
TheMughal Army. In the upper left, war elephantsbear emblems of the legendary Zulfiqar.
-
A flag from Cirebon with the Zulfiqar and Ali represented as a lion (dated to the late 18th or the 19th century).
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An early 19th century flag of Ottoman Zulfiqar.
Seal of Solomon
The Seal of Solomon, also known as the interlaced triangle, is another ancient talisman and amulet that has been commonly used in several religions. Reputed to be the emblem by which
The triangle with its apex up was typical of the Trinity, figures that occur in several religions. In
: 19–20Talismanic shirts
Talismanic shirts are found throughout the Islamic world. The earliest surviving examples date from the 15th century, but the tradition is thought to pre-date that.
Swastika
The swastika, one of the oldest and most widespread talismans known, can be traced to the Stone Age, and has been found incised on stone implements of this era. It can be found in all parts of the Old and New Worlds, and on the most prehistoric ruins and remnants. In spite of the assertion by some writers that it was used by the Egyptians, there is little evidence to suggest they used it and it has not been found among their remains.
Both forms, with arms turned to the left and to the right, seem equally common. On the stone walls of the Buddhist caves of India, which feature many of the symbols, arms are often turned both ways in the same inscription.[16]: 15
Talismans in architecture
Uraniborg
The Renaissance scientific building Uraniborg has been interpreted as an astrological talisman to support the work and health of scholars working inside it, designed using Marsilio Ficino's theorized mechanism for astrological influence. Length ratios that the designer, the astrologer and alchemist Tycho Brahe, worked into the building and its gardens match those that Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa associated with Jupiter and the sun. This choice would have counteracted the believed tendency of scholars to be phlegmatic, melancholy and overly influenced by the planet Saturn.[19]
The Serpent's Gate in the Citadel of Aleppo
The Serpent’s Gate is a gate in the Aleppo Citadel that contains a talismanic relief depicting two serpents. The serpents are biting their own body and encircling stars. The serpents are believed to have protective powers against the enemies of the citadel.[20]
Bab Al-Tilsam
The Bab Al-Tilsam, or the Talisman Gate, was a gate in Baghdad known for its talismanic inscriptions. The gate depicts two knotted serpents who are being held by a seated figure who is believed to be the Caliph. Just like the Serpent’s Gate, the serpents are supposed to give protection against their enemies.[20]
See also
- Amulet
- Apotropaic magic - protective magic
- Charm- an incantation or spell
- Charmstone
- Cross necklace
- Evil eye
- Hamsa
- List of good-luck charms
- Mascot
- Sigil
- Skandola
References
- ^ a b Gruber, Christiane (2016). Power and Protection: Islamic Art and the Supernatural. Oxford: Ashmolean Museum. p. 33.
- ^ "talisman - Definition of talisman in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, τέλεσμα". Perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, τελέω". Perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ISBN 0-87542-287-X.
- ^ It was narrated from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir al-Juhani that a group came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [to swear their allegiance (bay’ah) to him]. He accepted the bay’ah of nine of them but not of one of them. They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, you accepted the bay’ah of nine but not of this one.” He said, “He is wearing an amulet.” The man put his hand (in his shirt) and took it off, then he (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) accepted his bay’ah. He said, ‘Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 16969)
- ISBN 9781910807095.
- ^ ISBN 0-86078-615-3.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Islamic amulets and talismans Is Part Of Encyclopedia of World Religions: Encyclopedia of Islam
- ^ .
- ^ Ittig, Annette (1982). "A Talismanic Blowl". Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale, de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche: 79–94.
- ^ "Magic bowl, engraved brass". Medical Science. The David Collection.
- S2CID 244916418.
- ^ Blackwell, Wiley (2017). A Companion to Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. I. pp. 521–533.
- ISBN 9780860787150.
- ^ ISBN 9781564594617.
- ^ a b Atighi Moghaddam, Behnaz (17 June 2015). "Guest Post: A Warrior's Magic Shirt". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
- ^ Al-Saleh, Yasmine (November 2010). "Amulets and Talismans from the Islamic World". Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- .
- ^ a b Terry Allen, "Chapter Five: Al-Malik al-Zâhir and the Ornamented Style, The Serpent Gate". Ayyubid Architecture (Solipsist Press: Occidental, California), 1999 http://www.sonic.net/~tallen/palmtree/ayyarch/ch5.htm#d0e2134
External links
- Media related to talismans at Wikimedia Commons
- Forshaw, Peter (2015). "Magical Material & Material Survivals: Amulets, Talismans, and Mirrors in Early Modern Europe"", in Dietrich Boschung and Jan N. Bremmer (eds), The Materiality of Magic. Wilhelm Fink.