Amulets in Magical Practice

This Element takes an interdisciplinary approach to amulets providing tools that investigate ontological materiality and everyday magic.

Jay Johnston (Author)

9781009517799, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 April 2024

80 pages
23.6 x 15.9 x 1.2 cm, 0.27 kg

This Element takes as its remit the production and use of amulets. The focus will be on amulets with no, or minimal, textual content like those comprising found stone, semi-precious gem and/or animal body parts. That is a material form that is unaccompanied by directive textual inscription. The analysis considers this materiality to understand its context of use including ritual and metaphysical operations. Through discussion of selected case studies from British, Celtic, and Scandinavian cultures, it demonstrates the associative range of meaning that enabled the attribution of power/agency to the amuletic object Uniquely, it will consider this material culture from an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing together insights from the disciplines of cultural studies, religious studies, 'folk' studies, archaeology and Scandinavian studies. It develops the concept of 'trans-aniconism' to encapsulates an amulet's temporal relations and develops the proposition of 'landscape amulets.'

1. Introduction
2. What is an amulet? Definitions and debate
3. Enchanted objects: stone amulets
4. Enchanted beings and their remains: animal amulets
5. Enchanted places: landscape amulets
6. Amulet aesthetics
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: Religion: general [HRA]