Jump to content

Curse tablet: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m typos, capitalization, references (will have to try to find Ankarloo and check missing page numbers)~~~~
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:Eyguières.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Eyguieres Curse Tablet]]
[[Image:Eyguières.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Eyguieres Curse Tablet]]


A '''curse tablet''' or '''binding spell''' (''defixio'' in [[Latin]], κατάδεσμος ''katadesmos'' in [[Greek language|Greek]]) is a type of [[curse]] found throughout the Graeco-Roman world, in which someone would ask the gods to do harm to others. These texts were typically scratched on very thin sheets of [[lead]] in tiny letters, then often rolled, folded, or pierced with nails. These bound tablets were then usually placed beneath the ground: either buried in graves or tombs, thrown into wells or pools, sequestered in underground sanctuaries, or nailed to the walls of temples. Tablets| were also used for love spells and, when used in this manner they were placed inside the home of the desired target.[<ref>[|Gager|(1992)|p.18]|</ref>] They are sometimes discovered along with small dolls or figurines (sometimes inaccurately referred to as "[[Voodoo doll]]s"<ref>See e.g. Faraone in ''Magika Hiera'' (1991), p. 4 etc.</ref>), which may also be pierced by nails. The figurines resembled the target and often had both their feet and hands bound.[</ref>| Gager |(1992)| p. 15|] Not all curse tablets would have been on lead, however, although the vast majority of the surviving ones were; curses written on papryus, wax, wood or other perishable materials will be less likely to show up in the archaeological record.<ref>See Ogden (1999), p. 11.</ref>
A '''curse tablet''' or '''binding spell''' (''defixio'' in [[Latin]], κατάδεσμος ''katadesmos'' in [[Greek language|Greek]]) is a type of [[curse]] found throughout the Graeco-Roman world, in which someone would ask the gods to do harm to others. These texts were typically scratched on very thin sheets of [[lead]] in tiny letters, then often rolled, folded, or pierced with nails. These bound tablets were then usually placed beneath the ground: either buried in graves or tombs, thrown into wells or pools, sequestered in underground sanctuaries, or nailed to the walls of temples. Tablets were also used for love spells and, when used in this manner they were placed inside the home of the desired target.<ref>Gager (1992) p.18 </ref> They are sometimes discovered along with small dolls or figurines (sometimes inaccurately referred to as "[[Voodoo doll]]s"<ref>See e.g. Faraone in ''Magika Hiera'' (1991), p. 4 etc.</ref>), which may also be pierced by nails. The figurines resembled the target and often had both their feet and hands bound.<ref> Gager (1992) p. 15</ref> Not all curse tablets would have been on lead, however, although the vast majority of the surviving ones were; curses written on papryus, wax, wood or other perishable materials will be less likely to show up in the archaeological record.<ref>See Ogden (1999), p. 11.</ref>


The texts on curse tablets are typically addressed to infernal or liminal gods such as [[Hermes]], [[Charon (mythology)|Charon]], [[Hecate]], and [[Persephone]], sometimes via the mediation of a dead person (probably the corpse in whose grave the tablet was deposited). Some texts do not invoke the gods however, but merely list the targets of the curse, the crimes or conditions upon which the curse is valid, and/or the intended ill to befall them. Some tablets are inscribed with nothing more than the names of the targets, leading to the supposition that an oral spell may have accompanied the manufacture of the curse.<ref>See e.g. Ogden (1999), p. xxx.</ref> The text on the tablets were not always curses. Tablets were also used to help the dead. Those whose grave sites these were placed at usually died at a very young age or in a violent manner the tablet was supposed to help their souls lay to rest due to their untimely deaths.[<ref>| see| Gager p.| 19|</ref>] The language of those texts that do give context is often concerned with justice, either listing the target's crimes in great detail, handing over responsibility for their punishment to the gods, using indefinite grammar ("whoever committed this crime"), or conditional ("if he is guilty"), or even future conditional ("if he ever breaks his word").{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Frequently, such curse tablets are also inscribed with additional, otherwise meaningless "curse" words such as [[Bazagra]], Bescu, or [[Berebescu]], seemingly in order to lend them a kind of supernatural efficacy.
The texts on curse tablets are typically addressed to infernal or liminal gods such as [[Hermes]], [[Charon (mythology)|Charon]], [[Hecate]], and [[Persephone]], sometimes via the mediation of a dead person (probably the corpse in whose grave the tablet was deposited). Some texts do not invoke the gods however, but merely list the targets of the curse, the crimes or conditions upon which the curse is valid, and/or the intended ill to befall them. Some tablets are inscribed with nothing more than the names of the targets, leading to the supposition that an oral spell may have accompanied the manufacture of the curse.<ref>See e.g. Ogden (1999), p. xxx.</ref> The text on the tablets were not always curses. Tablets were also used to help the dead. Those whose grave sites these were placed at usually died at a very young age or in a violent manner the tablet was supposed to help their souls lay to rest due to their untimely deaths.<ref> see Gager p. 19</ref> The language of those texts that do give context is often concerned with justice, either listing the target's crimes in great detail, handing over responsibility for their punishment to the gods, using indefinite grammar ("whoever committed this crime"), or conditional ("if he is guilty"), or even future conditional ("if he ever breaks his word").{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Frequently, such curse tablets are also inscribed with additional, otherwise meaningless "curse" words such as [[Bazagra]], Bescu, or [[Berebescu]], seemingly in order to lend them a kind of supernatural efficacy.


Many of those discovered at Athens refer to [[Athenian law court (classical period)|court]] cases and curse the opposing litigant, asking ("May he...") that he botch his performance in court, forget his words, become dizzy and so forth. Others include erotic binding-spells, spells ranged against thieves, and business and sporting rivals. Those curse tablets targeted at thieves or other criminals may have been more public, more acceptable; some scholars even refuse to use the word "curse" of such "positive" texts, preferring expressions such as "judicial prayers".<ref>E.g. Versnel 1991.</ref>
Many of those discovered at Athens refer to [[Athenian law court (classical period)|court]] cases and curse the opposing litigant, asking ("May he...") that he botch his performance in court, forget his words, become dizzy and so forth. Others include erotic binding-spells, spells ranged against thieves, and business and sporting rivals. Those curse tablets targeted at thieves or other criminals may have been more public, more acceptable; some scholars even refuse to use the word "curse" of such "positive" texts, preferring expressions such as "judicial prayers".<ref>E.g. Versnel 1991.</ref>
Line 12: Line 12:


==Historiography of Curse Tablets==
==Historiography of Curse Tablets==
When historians study curse tablets they look at magic as a whole. According to Peter Green magic was used by the people of the Greco-Roman society to control the natural <ref>|see|Green, Peter.|pg.46|<ref> The study of both magic as a whole and curse tablets is vital for understanding the activies of Greco-Roman society because, magic was used by all members of society whether they were rich or poor. There have been 1600 curse tablets discovered most of them were written in Greek. Of those tablets 220 of them were curse tablets from Attica.<ref>|see|Ankarloo,Bengt.|p.3|</ref> Other curse tablets that were discovered were categorized under DT corpus. The DT stands for Defixionum Tabella which is the Latin word for curse tablet. Most these tablets were in different laguages or difficult to read.<ref>|see|Ankarloo,Bengt.|p.3|</ref> The first set of curse tablets discovered were from a city in Sicily called Selinus. There were twenty-two of them and most of them came from the early fifth century. Most tablets written during this period were directed toward someone the user was suing.<ref>|see|Ankarloo,Bengt.|p.</ref>. It was not until after that tablets were being used as actual curses toward adversaries or as love spells. While the ancient greeks feared these tablets because they believed in their power some historians have compared the tablets to today's everyday swearing. These tablets were produced in a fit of anger, in envy towards business competitor or towards athletic opponent, and in an unhealthy obsession toward a person of romantic interest. Over fifty years ago when people first began to do research on the topic of curse tablets people were disbelief that these types of artifacts even existed in ancient greek society. Most historians believed that the ancient Greek society were highly sofisticated, reasoned people that did not believe in the superstitious.<ref>|see|Green, Peter.|pg. 44</ref> E.R. Dodds a professor of Greek at Oxford was one of the first scholars to begin studying the topic of magic or superstition in ancient Greece.<ref>| see|Green, Peter.|pg. 44</ref>. o However scholars like Peter Green were curious about this aspect of ancient Greek society. In the latter part of the twentieth century discoveries have been made and people have been able to learn about what magic was used for and who was likely to use it. Many have found that it is used by most members of society whether by the wealthy to find out what their futures held for them or, for soldiers in battle who believed that all hope was lost against their enemies and making a civic voodoo representation of their enemy with a spell to accompany it was their only hope.
When historians study curse tablets they look at magic as a whole. According to Peter Green magic was used by the people of the Greco-Roman society to control the natural <ref>see Green, Peter.pg.46</ref> The study of both magic as a whole and curse tablets is vital for understanding the activities of Greco-Roman society because, magic was used by all members of society whether they were rich or poor. There have been 1600 curse tablets discovered most of them were written in Greek. Of those tablets 220 of them were curse tablets from Attica.<ref>see Ankarloo,Bengt. p.3</ref> Other curse tablets that were discovered were categorized under DT corpus. The DT stands for Defixionum Tabella which is the Latin word for curse tablet. Most these tablets were in different languages or difficult to read.<ref>see Ankarloo,Bengt. p.3</ref> The first set of curse tablets discovered were from a city in Sicily called Selinus. There were twenty-two of them and most of them came from the early fifth century. Most tablets written during this period were directed toward someone the user was suing.<ref>see Ankarloo,Bengt. p. ???</ref>. It was not until after that tablets were being used as actual curses toward adversaries or as love spells. While the ancient Greeks feared these tablets because they believed in their power some historians have compared the tablets to today's everyday swearing. These tablets were produced in a fit of anger, in envy towards business competitor or towards athletic opponent, and in an unhealthy obsession toward a person of romantic interest. Over fifty years ago when people first began to do research on the topic of curse tablets people were disbelief that these types of artifacts even existed in ancient Greek society. Most historians believed that the ancient Greek society were highly sophisticated, reasoned people that did not believe in the superstitious.<ref>see Green, Peter. pg. 44</ref> E.R. Dodds a professor of Greek at Oxford was one of the first scholars to begin studying the topic of magic or superstition in ancient Greece.<ref> see Green, Peter. pg. 44</ref>. o However scholars like Peter Green were curious about this aspect of ancient Greek society. In the latter part of the twentieth century discoveries have been made and people have been able to learn about what magic was used for and who was likely to use it. Many have found that it is used by most members of society whether by the wealthy to find out what their futures held for them or, for soldiers in battle who believed that all hope was lost against their enemies and making a civic voodoo representation of their enemy with a spell to accompany it was their only hope.


==See also==
==See also==
Line 23: Line 23:
==References==
==References==


<references/>
{{reflist}}


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==


* Wünsch, R. ''ed.'' (1897), ''Defixionum tabellae'', Berlin. ''IG'' iii.3. Appendix.
* Wünsch, R. ''ed.'' (1897), ''Defixionum tabellae'', Berlin. ''IG'' iii.3. Appendix.
*Ankarloo, B et al. "ed." (1999) "Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Ancient Greece and Rome" p.3
* Ankarloo, B et al. "ed." (1999) "Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Ancient Greece and Rome" p.3
* Audollent, A. (1904), ''Defixionum tabellae'', Paris. ''Guide'' no. 756.
* Audollent, A. (1904), ''Defixionum tabellae'', Paris. ''Guide'' no. 756.
* Jordan, David R., 'A Curse Tablet from a Well in the Athenian Agora', ''ZPE'' 19 (1975), p. 245.
* Jordan, David R., 'A Curse Tablet from a Well in the Athenian Agora', ''ZPE'' 19 (1975), p. 245.

Revision as of 22:05, 12 December 2007

Eyguieres Curse Tablet

A curse tablet or binding spell (defixio in Latin, κατάδεσμος katadesmos in Greek) is a type of curse found throughout the Graeco-Roman world, in which someone would ask the gods to do harm to others. These texts were typically scratched on very thin sheets of lead in tiny letters, then often rolled, folded, or pierced with nails. These bound tablets were then usually placed beneath the ground: either buried in graves or tombs, thrown into wells or pools, sequestered in underground sanctuaries, or nailed to the walls of temples. Tablets were also used for love spells and, when used in this manner they were placed inside the home of the desired target.[1] They are sometimes discovered along with small dolls or figurines (sometimes inaccurately referred to as "Voodoo dolls"[2]), which may also be pierced by nails. The figurines resembled the target and often had both their feet and hands bound.[3] Not all curse tablets would have been on lead, however, although the vast majority of the surviving ones were; curses written on papryus, wax, wood or other perishable materials will be less likely to show up in the archaeological record.[4]

The texts on curse tablets are typically addressed to infernal or liminal gods such as Hermes, Charon, Hecate, and Persephone, sometimes via the mediation of a dead person (probably the corpse in whose grave the tablet was deposited). Some texts do not invoke the gods however, but merely list the targets of the curse, the crimes or conditions upon which the curse is valid, and/or the intended ill to befall them. Some tablets are inscribed with nothing more than the names of the targets, leading to the supposition that an oral spell may have accompanied the manufacture of the curse.[5] The text on the tablets were not always curses. Tablets were also used to help the dead. Those whose grave sites these were placed at usually died at a very young age or in a violent manner the tablet was supposed to help their souls lay to rest due to their untimely deaths.[6] The language of those texts that do give context is often concerned with justice, either listing the target's crimes in great detail, handing over responsibility for their punishment to the gods, using indefinite grammar ("whoever committed this crime"), or conditional ("if he is guilty"), or even future conditional ("if he ever breaks his word").[citation needed]. Frequently, such curse tablets are also inscribed with additional, otherwise meaningless "curse" words such as Bazagra, Bescu, or Berebescu, seemingly in order to lend them a kind of supernatural efficacy.

Many of those discovered at Athens refer to court cases and curse the opposing litigant, asking ("May he...") that he botch his performance in court, forget his words, become dizzy and so forth. Others include erotic binding-spells, spells ranged against thieves, and business and sporting rivals. Those curse tablets targeted at thieves or other criminals may have been more public, more acceptable; some scholars even refuse to use the word "curse" of such "positive" texts, preferring expressions such as "judicial prayers".[7]

About 130 curse tablets have been found at Aquae Sulis (now Bath in England), where many of the curses related to thefts of clothes whilst the victim was bathing.[8] Over 80 more have similarly been discovered in and about the remains of a temple to Mercury nearby, at West Hill, Uley,[9] making south-western Britain one of the major centres for finds of Latin defixiones.

In Ancient Egypt, so-called "Execration Texts" appear around the time of the 12th Dynasty, listing the names of enemies written on clay figurines or pottery which were then smashed and buried beneath a building under construction (so that they were symbolically "smothered"), or in a cemetery.[10]

Historiography of Curse Tablets

When historians study curse tablets they look at magic as a whole. According to Peter Green magic was used by the people of the Greco-Roman society to control the natural [11] The study of both magic as a whole and curse tablets is vital for understanding the activities of Greco-Roman society because, magic was used by all members of society whether they were rich or poor. There have been 1600 curse tablets discovered most of them were written in Greek. Of those tablets 220 of them were curse tablets from Attica.[12] Other curse tablets that were discovered were categorized under DT corpus. The DT stands for Defixionum Tabella which is the Latin word for curse tablet. Most these tablets were in different languages or difficult to read.[13] The first set of curse tablets discovered were from a city in Sicily called Selinus. There were twenty-two of them and most of them came from the early fifth century. Most tablets written during this period were directed toward someone the user was suing.[14]. It was not until after that tablets were being used as actual curses toward adversaries or as love spells. While the ancient Greeks feared these tablets because they believed in their power some historians have compared the tablets to today's everyday swearing. These tablets were produced in a fit of anger, in envy towards business competitor or towards athletic opponent, and in an unhealthy obsession toward a person of romantic interest. Over fifty years ago when people first began to do research on the topic of curse tablets people were disbelief that these types of artifacts even existed in ancient Greek society. Most historians believed that the ancient Greek society were highly sophisticated, reasoned people that did not believe in the superstitious.[15] E.R. Dodds a professor of Greek at Oxford was one of the first scholars to begin studying the topic of magic or superstition in ancient Greece.[16]. o However scholars like Peter Green were curious about this aspect of ancient Greek society. In the latter part of the twentieth century discoveries have been made and people have been able to learn about what magic was used for and who was likely to use it. Many have found that it is used by most members of society whether by the wealthy to find out what their futures held for them or, for soldiers in battle who believed that all hope was lost against their enemies and making a civic voodoo representation of their enemy with a spell to accompany it was their only hope.

See also

References

  1. ^ Gager (1992) p.18
  2. ^ See e.g. Faraone in Magika Hiera (1991), p. 4 etc.
  3. ^ Gager (1992) p. 15
  4. ^ See Ogden (1999), p. 11.
  5. ^ See e.g. Ogden (1999), p. xxx.
  6. ^ see Gager p. 19
  7. ^ E.g. Versnel 1991.
  8. ^ See Tomlin (1988).
  9. ^ See Curse Tablets of Roman Britain, http://curses.csad.ox.ac.uk/ (accessed 25-12-2006)
  10. ^ Alan Winston, The Foundation Ceremony For Ancient Egyptian Religious Buildings, http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/foundation.htm, accessed 2007-06-17.
  11. ^ see Green, Peter.pg.46
  12. ^ see Ankarloo,Bengt. p.3
  13. ^ see Ankarloo,Bengt. p.3
  14. ^ see Ankarloo,Bengt. p. ???
  15. ^ see Green, Peter. pg. 44
  16. ^ see Green, Peter. pg. 44

Bibliography

  • Wünsch, R. ed. (1897), Defixionum tabellae, Berlin. IG iii.3. Appendix.
  • Ankarloo, B et al. "ed." (1999) "Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: Ancient Greece and Rome" p.3
  • Audollent, A. (1904), Defixionum tabellae, Paris. Guide no. 756.
  • Jordan, David R., 'A Curse Tablet from a Well in the Athenian Agora', ZPE 19 (1975), p. 245.
  • Jordan, David R., 'A Survey of Greek Defixiones not Included in the Special Corpora', GRBS 26 (1985), 151-197.
  • Tomlin, Roger (1988), Tabellae Sulis: Roman inscribed tablets of tin and lead from the sacred spring at Bath, Oxford.
  • Faraone, Christopher A. and Obbink Dirk (edd.), Magika Hiera: ancient Greek magic and religion, Oxford University Press, 1991.
  • Faraone, Christopher A., 'The Agonistic Context of Early Greek Binding Spells', in Faraone & Obbink, Magika Hiera, (1991), pp. 3-32.
  • Green,Peter.,Now, Now, Quickly, Quickly New Republic Vol. 223 Issue 8 pg 44-48
  • Versnel, Henk, 'Beyond Cursing: The Appeal to Justice in Judicial Prayers', in Faraone & Obbink, Magika Hiera, in (1991), pp. 60-106.
  • Gager, John G. (ed) 1992, Curse tablets and binding spells from the ancient world. New York : Oxford University Press.
  • Kotansky, Roy, Greek Magical Amulets: the inscribed gold, silver, copper and bronze lamellae (Part I: Published Texts of Known Provenance), Papyrologica Coloniensia 22/1, Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1994.
  • Ogden, Daniel 1999, 'Binding spells: Curse tablets and voodoo dolls in the Greek and Roman worlds'. In: Witchcraft and Magic in Europe, ed. Bengt Ankarloo and Stuart Clarke, 1-90. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
  • Jordan, David, 2002, 'Remedium amoris: A Curse from Cumae in the British Museum', in Ancient Journeys: Festschrift for Eugene Lane, http://www.stoa.org/lane/remedium.pdf (accessed 25-12-2006).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Curse_tablet&oldid=177522572"